Property owners in unincorporated Sacramento County must maintain 100 ft defensible space per Public Resources Code 4291 in designated fire hazard zones, especially in foothill and Delta WUI areas. Metro Fire and Cal Fire inspect annually.
PRC 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in State Responsibility Areas and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Sacramento County has VHFHSZ parcels in the eastern foothills toward Folsom Lake and along portions of the Delta. Zone 0 (0 to 5 ft) requires ember-resistant landscaping with no combustible materials against the home. Zone 1 (5 to 30 ft) requires lean, clean, and green landscaping. Zone 2 (30 to 100 ft) requires reduced fuels, 10 ft spacing between tree canopies, and grass mowed to 4 inches or less. Metro Fire District conducts inspections May through October. Failure to comply can result in county abatement with costs placed as a lien.
Notice to abate issued first. Noncompliance results in county or fire district clearing the parcel and billing the owner, plus administrative fines starting at 100 dollars and escalating to 500 dollars per violation. Lien recorded against the property if unpaid.
Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks is unincorporated Sacramento County, so RV and boat parking is regulated by the County Code (Title 10 Vehicles & Traffic) and the Fair Oaks Village...
Sacramento County, CA
Unincorporated Sacramento County does not generally prohibit overnight street parking in residential areas. The CVC 22651(k) 72-hour rule applies. Some comme...
Sacramento County, CA
California Civil Code 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) presumes equal cost-sharing for boundary fences. 30-day written notice is required before building or rep...
Sacramento County, CA
Fences 7 feet and under in unincorporated Sacramento County do not require a building permit, but a zoning clearance is required for front-yard fences over 3...
Sacramento County, CA
Sacramento County allows backyard chickens in most residential zones: up to 6 hens on lots under 10,000 sq ft, no roosters in RD zones. Coops must be set bac...
Sacramento County, CA
Sacramento County Code 9.60 prohibits feeding wild mammals including deer, raccoons, coyotes, and wild turkeys. Bird feeders are allowed if they do not attra...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Sacramento County.
See how other cities in Sacramento County handle brush clearance.
See how Fair Oaks's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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