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Wildfire Mitigation Contractors in San Benito County, CA
San Benito County in 30 secondsContractors, local rules, where to get help
6 wildfire mitigation contractors are listed for San Benito County, 6 with a clear CSLB license.
- Fire hazard zones
- Look up your address
The State Fire Marshal's 2025 Local Responsibility Area maps put parts of San Benito County in all three classes (Moderate, High and Very High). The county posts separate maps for the unincorporated LRA, Hollister and San Juan Bautista. The San Benito Resource Conservation District hosts an interactive map where you can enter an address to check a parcel.
- Defensible space rules
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San Benito County Code Chapter 19.37, the 'San Benito County Weed Abatement Ordinance' (Ord. 857, 2010), applies only to unincorporated land inside or partly inside Hollister city limits ('county islands' and 'county pockets') and along mapped urban edges of the city. There it declares weeds, grass, rank growth or trimmings that are, or will be when dry, a medium for the rapid spread of fire to be a public nuisance, and bars owners and occupants from keeping them. The county Code Enforcement Officer enforces it. Owners may clear the hazard themselves at any time before the county starts work. Otherwise the county can abate it with its own crews or a contractor, or ask County Counsel to sue. The owner is liable for all county costs, including administrative costs. A 2023 proposal to add fixed weed heights and fuel-break widths was withdrawn after public objections. Outside these areas, CAL FIRE's defensible space zones out to 100 feet apply.
- Fire Safe Council
- San Benito Fire Safe Council
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San Benito County's own Weed Abatement Ordinance (Chapter 19.37) covers only unincorporated islands, pockets and urban edges around Hollister and is enforced by county Code Enforcement. Elsewhere, homeowners follow CAL FIRE's defensible space zones out to 100 feet, which the CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit urges every resident to maintain. The 2025 state hazard maps rate parts of the county Moderate, High and Very High. Contractors below are ranked by public Google rating.
Services in San Benito County
Defensible space rules in San Benito County
Fire hazard zones in San Benito County
Under the State Fire Marshal’s 2025 Local Responsibility Area maps, parts of San Benito County fall into all three hazard classes: Moderate, High and Very High. The county’s fire services page posts separate LRA maps for the unincorporated county, Hollister and San Juan Bautista. The San Benito Resource Conservation District hosts an interactive map where you can type in an address to see its zone.
Local rules and deadlines
San Benito County’s Weed Abatement Ordinance (County Code Chapter 19.37) is narrow in scope. It covers only unincorporated land inside or partly inside Hollister and along mapped urban edges of the city. There, weeds and growth that would spread fire when dry are a public nuisance. Code Enforcement can clear them with county crews or a contractor, or take the owner to court, and the owner pays all county costs. In 2023, a proposal to add fixed weed heights and crisscross fuel breaks for large parcels was dropped after landowners objected.
Elsewhere in the county, the operative standard is CAL FIRE’s. When the San Benito-Monterey Unit declared fire season in 2020, it asked residents to keep at least 100 feet of defensible space. CAL FIRE’s defensible space zones break this into Zone 1 (0–30 feet: dead plants cleared, limbs 10 feet from chimneys) and Zone 2 (30–100 feet: annual grass at 4 inches or less, with shrubs and trees spaced out).
County resources
The San Benito Fire Safe Council includes fire agencies, county agencies, businesses and residents, with CAL FIRE, Hollister Fire and the San Benito RCD among its partners. The RCD’s FHSZ lookup is the quickest way to check a parcel. The contractors listed below serve San Benito County and can clear brush and grass to CAL FIRE’s 100-foot standard.
Frequently asked questions 5
Which defensible space rule applies to my San Benito County home?
It depends on where you live. The county Weed Abatement Ordinance (Chapter 19.37) covers only unincorporated parcels inside or along the edges of Hollister. Elsewhere, CAL FIRE's defensible space zones apply: Zone 1 out to 30 feet and Zone 2 from 30 to 100 feet (or to the property line), both required by state law. CAL FIRE's San Benito-Monterey Unit urges keeping at least 100 feet of defensible space.
Who enforces the county weed abatement ordinance?
The San Benito County Code Enforcement Officer, under the county's Code Enforcement Ordinance (Chapter 1.03). The Board of Supervisors can also appoint enforcing officers from another public agency under an agreement with the county.
What happens if I don't clear a fire hazard near Hollister?
You can clear it yourself at any point before the county begins work. If you miss the deadline, the county can send crews or a contractor to clear it, or ask County Counsel to file a civil action. Either way you are liable for all county costs, including administrative and staff time.
How much do I need to clear outside the Hollister area?
CAL FIRE's guidance calls for defensible space out to 100 feet from buildings or to your property line. In Zone 1 (0–30 feet), remove dead plants and keep branches 10 feet from chimneys. In Zone 2 (30–100 feet), cut annual grass to 4 inches or less and space out shrubs and trees.
Am I in a fire hazard severity zone?
Parts of San Benito County are rated Moderate, High and Very High on the 2025 state maps. Enter your address in the San Benito Resource Conservation District's interactive FHSZ map, or see the county's LRA maps for the unincorporated area, Hollister and San Juan Bautista.