Wondering what types of gardening and landscaping that can be done during the shelter-in-place order?
The County urges non-essential outdoor services to be deferred to minimize risk of transmission. However, there are some outdoor services that would be considered essential and are permitted under the current Order, in effect until May 3, 2020, including fire reduction work, maintaining growth along curbs and medians in order to ensure visibility along roadways, minimum basic operations necessary to maintain the value of a business, and other tasks that are essential to the health and safety of the public.
This post will be modified if and when changes are made to the Marin County shelter in place order.
Hiring a contractor
Contractors may be hired to perform fire fuel reduction work deemed essential at your personal home or place of business.
The following activities qualify as vegetation management specific to fire fuel reduction work and are deemed essential:
- Removal of dead and down vegetation on the property within 30’ of the home
- Mowing of seasonal grasses to 3” or less (this does not include irrigated lawns)
- Cleaning of organic material in gutters and on roof
- Hazard tree removal (trees that are dead or to improve thinning of forest within 100’ of home)
- Removal of limbs on trees within 6-10’ of the ground
- Removal of limbs that overhang the home or within 10’ of the chimney
- Removal of all piles of dead vegetation
- Clear vegetation 14’ overhead and 10’ from sides of roads and driveways
- Any items identified in a specific fire agency property evaluation or correction notice
Non-essential vegetation management / fire fuel reduction:
- Lawn Mowing
- Blowing
- Ornamental bush trimming
- Cosmetic weeding in irrigated home gardens
- Work on irrigation system for lawns, ornamental vegetation etc.
Doing the work yourself
You are still allowed to work on your own landscaping and wildfire mitigation work during the Shelter in Place order.
All essential and non-essential work may be performed on your own, without the assistance of a contractor/gardener/landscaper. You may not hire a contractor/gardener/landscaper to perform the following non-essential work:
- Lawn Mowing
- Blowing
- Ornamental bush trimming
- Cosmetic weeding in irrigated home gardens
- Work on irrigation system for lawns, ornamental vegetation etc.
For those that need assistance from someone outside your home, you may qualify for an exemption from the shelter in place to maintain wildfire safety- please contact us to learn more.
Still have questions?
Call the Fire Prevention Office at (415) 485-3308 or email us!