Zone 0 Compliance in California

Four pools of money — and "my house might burn" isn't one of them

Hardening your home is the only home improvement that pays you back through your insurance bill, every single year.

1. Mandatory discounts

Under the "Safer from Wildfires" regulation (California Code of Regulations, Title 10, §2644.9), your carrier must discount for qualifying hardening — required discounts range 4%–40%, with the largest going to the highest-risk homes. The FAIR Plan alone offers up to 16.4% off the wildfire portion of your premium.

2. Escape the FAIR Plan

Carriers are now required to write policies in wildfire areas — and they pick the documented, hardened homes first. Getting back to a standard carrier is often worth thousands per year.

3. State grant money

California's new Safe Homes program (AB 888) will help pay for fire-safe roofs and the 5-foot ember zone for qualifying homeowners. Assessed homes are ready homes when the portal opens.

4. Resale & compliance

Selling in a high fire-hazard zone now requires defensible-space documentation (AB 38) — and the new statewide Zone 0 rule puts ~2 million homes on a hardening clock. Early movers avoid the rush.

Hardening packages

Every package includes the Insurance Discount File™ — dated photos, receipts, an inspection letter, and the completed 12-point checklist. Carriers honor paperwork, not effort. Financing available through Wisetack on every tier.

Bronze — Discount Ready

~$6,000

Zone 0 ember-resistant conversion (0–5 ft)
Ember-resistant (WUI-listed) vent replacement
Fire-rated gutter guards
Combustibles relocated 30+ ft
Insurance Discount File™

Financing available — soft-pull prequalification on the spot, no credit impact. Subject to credit approval; terms vary.

Silver — Hardened Home

~$18,000

Everything in Bronze
Enclosed eaves & noncombustible wall base
Window / shutter upgrades
Noncombustible fence transitions
Zone 1–2 defensible space work

Gold — Certified & Defended

~$40,000

Everything in Silver
IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home certification path — the standard major carriers are committing to write new policies for
Exterior wildfire sprinkler system
Annual re-certification visit

Honest fine print, up front: discounts apply to the wildfire portion of your premium and vary by carrier filing. In the foothills that's most of your bill. If you're in a low-risk zone or on a surplus-lines carrier, we'll tell you straight what applies and what doesn't — that's the point of the free assessment.

Founded by a 25-year volunteer firefighter

Fred Warder spent 25 years as a lifetime member of a volunteer fire company before building one of the Central Valley's established roofing and home services contractors.

Combustible bark mulch being cleared from against a house foundation — Bark mulch against the foundation is the most common Zone 0 violation we find — and the cheapest to fix.

Why a licensed contractor — not a landscaper

Most of what insurers actually discount is structural: WUI-listed vents, Class A roofing, enclosed eaves, noncombustible wall base, window upgrades. That's licensed-contractor work. Infinite Home Solutions holds B General Contractor and C-39 Roofing licenses (CSLB #1126804) and has served the Central Valley for over a decade.

Serving the Sierra foothill corridor: Auberry · Prather · Tollhouse · Shaver Lake · North Fork · Oakhurst · Coarsegold · Mariposa · and communities north through the foothills.

What "defensible space" actually means

Zone	Distance	What's required
Zone 0 — Ember-resistant	0–5 ft	Nothing combustible: hardscape or gravel, no vegetation or mulch, metal fence transitions. Now California regulation, phasing in for ~2M homes.
Zone 1 — Lean, clean & green	5–30 ft	Spaced plantings, no ladder fuels, tree limbs up 6–10 ft and 10 ft off the roof.
Zone 2 — Reduced fuel	30–100 ft	Thinning, spacing, grass to 4 inches — to 100 ft or your property line. Already law in most foothill areas; CAL FIRE inspects.
The structure	—	Class A roof, ember-resistant vents, eaves, wall base, windows, gutters, deck — where the biggest discounts live.

Questions foothill homeowners ask us

What is Zone 0 in California?

Zone 0 is the first five feet around your home and anything attached to it. The rule is that nothing combustible can be there: no bark mulch, no plants against the house, no wood fence touching the wall. Hardscape, gravel and metal fence transitions are the fixes.

Has Zone 0 passed in California?

The Board of Forestry adopted the statewide Zone 0 standard, and it is phasing in for existing homes in high fire-hazard severity zones, about 2 million homes. Timelines depend on your area and local fire authority, so check your address before you plan work.

What are Zone 1 and Zone 2?

Zone 1 runs from 5 to 30 feet from your home: keep it lean, clean and green, with trees and shrubs spaced and trimmed. Zone 2 runs from 30 to 100 feet: reduce fuel so a fire slows and drops to the ground before reaching the house.

What is the most common Zone 0 problem?

Bark mulch against the foundation is the most common Zone 0 violation we find, and the cheapest to fix. Replacing it with gravel or pavers takes a day for most homes.

Does Zone 0 compliance lower my insurance?

It can. California's Safer from Wildfires regulation requires admitted insurers to discount qualifying mitigation, and Zone 0 clearance is one of the listed actions. Discounts apply to the wildfire portion of your premium and vary by carrier.

The first 5 feet of your home are now regulated. Get compliant before the rush.