San Mateo County requires property owners in unincorporated areas to maintain defensible space and prevent hazardous vegetation. Fire hazard zones require 100 feet of defensible space under CA PRC §4291.
In San Mateo County's unincorporated areas — which include significant hillside, canyon, and coastal regions — property owners must maintain vegetation to prevent fire hazards. Properties in State Responsibility Areas (SRAs) and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California PRC §4291. General property maintenance rules require lots to be kept free of fire-hazard brush and overgrowth. San Mateo County Fire Department conducts annual inspections in high-risk zones. Contact San Mateo County Fire at (650) 363-4991.
Notice to abate. City abatement at owner’s expense ($200 to $1,000+). Administrative fees. Property lien for non-payment.
San Mateo County, CA
Amplified music in unincorporated San Mateo County is regulated by County Code Chapter 4.88 Noise Control, which caps exterior noise at 55-75 dBA daytime and...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County enforces CVC §22651(k) for vehicles on public streets (72 hours) and Ordinance Code Chapter 4.48 for inoperable vehicles on p...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County has no general overnight parking ban on most streets. Specific residential neighborhoods may have permit parking. California ...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County enforces California Swimming Pool Safety Act (H&S Code §115920-115929) and CBC Chapter 31B. Minimum 60-inch barrier, self-clo...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County requires building permits for retaining walls over 4 feet measured from bottom of footing to top of wall, per California Buil...
San Mateo County, CA
Unincorporated San Mateo County allows backyard chickens on residential parcels of at least 2,500 sq ft under the County Zoning Regulations. 2,500 to 7,500 s...
See how San Mateo County's grass height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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