San Benito County, CA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Setback distance
- 30 feet minimum
- Applies to
- Parcels one acre or larger
- Alternative
- 30-ft recorded vegetation clearance easement
- Where
- New parcels/subdivisions, unincorporated county
Summary
New buildings and accessory structures on parcels of one acre or more in unincorporated San Benito County must sit at least 30 feet from property lines and road centerlines, or use a recorded 30-foot vegetation clearance easement instead.
(Z) Setback for structure defensible space. All parcels one acre and larger shall provide a minimum 30-foot setback for buildings and accessory buildings from all property lines and/or the center of a road. As an alternative, recorded evidence of a vegetation clearance easement of at least 30 feet width can be submitted for reduced setbacks.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: current through Ordinance 1078).
Full Breakdown
Under the county's Fire Design Standards for new subdivisions and parcel approvals, unincorporated San Benito County requires a minimum 30-foot defensible-space setback for buildings and accessory buildings on parcels one acre and larger, measured from all property lines and/or the center of the road. As an alternative to moving the setback, an applicant can record a vegetation clearance easement of at least 30 feet in width and reduce the building setback. The chapter also requires the defensible space to be kept up through annual maintenance built into the development or permit conditions.
Violations & Fines
Building or subdivision approval can be conditioned on meeting the setback or clearance easement; the county's Fire Design Standards chapter requires ongoing annual maintenance of the cleared defensible space as a permit condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I clear brush instead of moving my building back 30 feet?
Does this defensible space rule apply to existing homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Benito County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Benito County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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