- Home
- Ventura County
Wildfire Mitigation Contractors in Ventura County, CA
Ventura County in 30 secondsContractors, local rules, where to get help
34 wildfire mitigation contractors are listed for Ventura County, 27 with a clear CSLB license.
- Fire hazard zones
- Look up your address
The Ventura County Fire Protection District adopted the State Fire Marshal's 2025 Local Responsibility Area maps through Ordinance 33 on May 20, 2025. The maps took effect on July 1, 2025 and replaced the 2010 maps; the district made no additions or increases. The state's SRA zones have been in effect since April 1, 2024. If a parcel falls in two or more zones, the highest zone applies to the whole parcel. Port Hueneme has no LRA zones, and Fillmore, Oxnard and Ventura handle their own maps. News coverage put about 59,000 of roughly 86,000 mapped parcels in the Very High zone. Look up your parcel on VCFD's 2025 Combined SRA & LRA FHSZ Map Viewer.
- Defensible space rules
- Source
Since January 1, 2026 (Ordinance 34), the rules are in the Ventura County Wildland-Urban Interface Code (VCWUIC). It requires owners to keep 100 feet of clearance around buildings at all times (Section 604.7.1) and allows the fire department to require 10 feet on each side of access roads and driveways (A102.2). The 100 feet is split into Zone 0 (0–5 ft), Zone 1 (5–30 ft, or 5–50 ft on slopes over 20%) and Zone 2 (out to 100 ft). All dead plants must be removed, grass mowed to a 3-inch stubble, trees over 6 feet limbed up 6 feet or one-third of their height (whichever is less), and anything within 10 feet of a chimney outlet removed. For homes built before March 1, 2025, Zone 0 allows no combustible mulch, firewood, vegetation under decks, artificial grass or new trees, and requires 3 feet of clearance above roofs and around eaves. New buildings and additions since March 1, 2025 need a fully non-combustible Zone 0. FHRP notices are mailed April 20, and the deadline is June 1. If you ignore a written abatement order for 10 days, that is a misdemeanor. The district can also hire a contractor to clear the parcel and put the cost plus an administrative fee on your property tax bill as a special assessment lien.
- Chipping
- Source
Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council offers free chipping across Ventura County in two forms: curbside Chipper Days for pre-designated neighborhoods, where you register and stack cut branches at the end of your driveway, and drop-off events. Reservations are required, and the chipper takes material up to 7 inches in diameter. Leaves, pine needles, palm fronds, succulents, bamboo and root balls are not accepted.
- Fire Safe Council
- Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council
More
Ventura County's Wildland-Urban Interface Code, in force since January 1, 2026, requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures and 10 feet along roads and driveways. The Ventura County Fire Department's Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP) mails abatement notices each April with a June 1 clearance deadline. The 2025 state hazard maps, adopted by the Fire Protection District on May 20, 2025, took effect on July 1, 2025. Contractors below are ranked by public Google rating.
More in Ventura County 24
Serving all of California 8
Also on record 6
-
Ag Land Clearing
-
California Industries Inc
-
EmberSafe Home
-
Graham Hallissey Construction
-
Wildfire Hardening Pros (CXI Construction Contractors)
-
Wildfire Warden
Defensible space rules in Ventura County
Fire hazard zones in Ventura County
Wildfire hazard in Ventura County reaches from the Ojai Valley and Santa Paula foothills to the Conejo Valley and Simi Hills. On May 20, 2025, the Ventura County Fire Protection District adopted the State Fire Marshal’s 2025 local maps through Ordinance 33. According to the fire department, the maps took effect July 1, 2025. They replace the 2010 map, which had only a Very High zone, and add High and Moderate zones. The district made no local additions. News coverage put about 59,000 of roughly 86,000 mapped parcels in the Very High zone. If your parcel falls in more than one zone, the highest one applies to the whole parcel. Homes in High or Very High zones need a fire department defensible space report when they are sold. Check your address on VCFD’s 2025 Combined SRA & LRA FHSZ Map Viewer.
Local rules and deadlines
Since January 1, 2026, the rules are in the Ventura County Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Ordinance 34), which replaced Chapter 49 of the county fire code. It requires owners to keep 100 feet of clearance around buildings all year, and the fire department can require 10 feet along access roads and driveways. Owners in the Fire Hazard Reduction Program get a Notice to Abate Fire Hazard, mailed April 20, and the clearance deadline is June 1. The department’s Defensible Space Maintenance Guide sets out the specifics:
- Zone 0 (0–5 ft): no combustible mulch, wood chips or firewood, and no vegetation under decks. Homes built since March 1, 2025 need a fully non-combustible Zone 0. Existing homes are expected to meet the state’s ember-resistant rules by 2029.
- All zones: remove dead plants, and mow grass to a 3-inch stubble with the clippings removed.
- Trees: limbed up 6 feet (or one-third of their height), kept 10 feet from chimneys, and cut back 3 feet from roofs and eaves.
If you don’t clear on time, the district’s contractor may do the work. The cost plus an administrative fee then goes on your tax bill as a lien. Ignoring a written abatement order for 10 days is a misdemeanor. Fire stations begin inspecting in late May. The online FHRP compliance report shows whether your parcel has passed.
Free chipping and fire-safe programs
The Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council runs a no-cost chipping program. Its curbside Chipper Days serve pre-designated neighborhoods, and its drop-off events serve set service areas. The 2026 schedule included Ventura’s Ondulando and Clearpoint neighborhoods, the whole city of Fillmore, and a Santa Susana drop-off in Simi Valley. You must register in advance, and piles must be stacked before the event starts. The county has five Fire Safe Councils, and they also offer free home wildfire and hardening assessments.
County resources
For the clearance rules, use the Defensible Space Maintenance Guide and the FHRP page. Check the FHRP compliance report after your inspection. Contact the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council about chipping and assessments. The contractors listed below serve Ventura County and can help get a property ready before the June 1 deadline or a home-sale inspection.
Frequently asked questions 6
Who enforces defensible space in Ventura County?
The Ventura County Fire Department's Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP). It covers the unincorporated county and the cities the Fire Protection District serves: Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. Fillmore, Oxnard and Ventura provide their own fire protection. Owners in the program get a Notice to Abate Fire Hazard each spring, and local fire stations inspect the properties. You can reach the FHRP unit at (805) 389-9759 or fhrp@venturacounty.gov.
When is the deadline and how do I know if I passed?
Notices are mailed on April 20, and clearance is due by June 1 each year. The fire department doesn't grant long-term extensions. If you've started the work, the fire station on your notice may give you a few extra days. Stations normally start inspecting in the last week of May, and finishing every inspection can take several weeks. You can check whether your parcel is approved in the county's online FHRP compliance report, which is updated daily. If your work is done and you still aren't approved after 14 days, contact the fire station listed on your notice.
What happens if I don't clear by the deadline?
Clearing on time costs you nothing. If you don't, the fire department's contractor may clear the parcel. The contractor's cost plus a VCFD administrative fee then goes on your property tax bill as a special assessment and lien. The 2026–27 fee schedule lists a Fire Hazard Reduction administrative fee of $1,996 per parcel for 2026. Under the Wildland-Urban Interface Code, failing to abate within 10 days of a written order is also a misdemeanor. You can dispute an abatement charge through an informal review, a formal protest to the Fire Marshal, a Fire Chief review and, last, an appeal to the Board of Supervisors.
How wide does my defensible space have to be?
100 feet from buildings, or to the property line if that's closer, plus 10 feet along access roads and driveways. If your property line is closer than 100 feet, the neighboring owner has to clear the rest on their land. The fire department splits the 100 feet into Zone 0 (0–5 ft), Zone 1 (5–30 ft) and Zone 2 (30–100 ft). In every zone, remove dead plants and mow grass to a 3-inch stubble with the clippings removed. Trim limbs 3 feet back from roofs and eaves, and keep 13 feet 6 inches of clearance above driveways.
Did the 2025 map update put my property in a hazard zone?
Quite possibly. The 2025 maps, in effect since July 1, 2025, add High and Moderate zones to what used to be a Very High-only map. When a property in a High or Very High zone is sold, it needs a defensible space compliance report from the fire department; VCFD charges $132 per transaction. The fire district can't lower the state's ratings. Check your parcel on VCFD's FHSZ map viewer.
Is chipping free in Ventura County?
Yes, through the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council's chipper events. Curbside days serve specific neighborhoods that are announced ahead of time, and drop-off events serve set service areas. You have to reserve a spot, and residents from outside the listed area aren't served. Neighborhoods can ask the Council to schedule a new event.