Wildfire Mitigation Grants Program for Residents

About the Program

The San Rafael Fire Department and Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority have partnered together to offer wildfire grant opportunities to help reduce costs of required action and motivate resident's to make further changes to reduce wildfire risk on their properties. This website outlines the San Rafael Fire Department grants. There are multiple types of grants available, and residents may qualify for more than one. For more information on MWPA funding, visit www.marinwildfire.org/resident-info/resident-grants. For questions or more information, please contact SRFD staff directly at srfd.grants@cityofsanrafael.org.

Grant funds are awarded as reimbursement for completed defensible space and/or home hardening projects identified in the evaluation. Pre-approval is available and recommended for larger projects.

Defensible Space is the buffer you create between buildings on your property and the grass, trees, and shrubs that surround it. This protects your home from wildfire by reducing the likelihood that flames will spread from your yard to your home. Residents can receive grant funding for removing or reducing high-risk flammable plants within 30 feet of a structure or 10 feet of a road.

Home Hardening addresses the most vulnerable components of a structure with building materials and installation techniques that increase resistance to wildfire heat, flames, and embers. Examples of eligible work include the installation of fire-resistant vents, gutter guards, and fire-resistant retrofitting of the exterior of the home.

Residents must prioritize the most hazardous risks on their property, including improvements required by San Rafael Municipal Code 4.12.

The maximum amount one parcel may receive during the 10-year tax measure is $15,000. 

Any property in the City of San Rafael or Marinwood CSD is eligible for wildfire grant funding from the San Rafael Fire Department.

Residents can choose to apply for San Rafael Fire Department or Marin Wildfire Prevention grants. You can not receive funds from both entities for the same project. Available funding will vary by property and work completed. The below are the grants available from San Rafael Fire for the 2024-25 fiscal year running from July 1st, 2024 to June 30th, 2025 or until funds are exhausted.

*The maximum amount one parcel may receive during the 10-year tax measure is $15,000. 

Only issues that are noted in your defensible space report are eligible for a grant. You must complete issues that are “first priorities” before resolving issues that are “second priorities.”

You may also decide to choose our “quick fix” option in lieu of a defensible space or home hardening grant. By resolving an issue on your defensible space report and uploading a picture of the resolution to your report, you can receive a flat rate of $250 if work is done within 60 days of your defensible space inspection done in 2024/2025. Each parcel is only eligible for 1 “Quick Fix” per fiscal year. “Quick fix” applicants will need to follow the first and second tier priority guidelines. 

Grant funding is intended to prioritize the most urgent wildfire risk reduction work. Projects must address issues within 100 feet of structures or within 10 feet of a road or driveway. Residents should complete defensible space improvements starting with the issues closest to their home and work outwards.

Only the expenses directly related to reducing wildfire risk will be covered. For example, if a contractor removes a Juniper bush and limbs a Redwood tree for aesthetic reasons, only the Juniper removal will be covered. Tax will be excluded from reimbursement if receipts include non-qualifying expenses.

All Tier 1 items must be completed/compliant before Tier 2 items are grant eligible. These items are eligible to be reimbursed 100% up to $2,500. Additional funding may be available for large projects with preapproval. 

1. Removal of ALL Italian Cypress, Juniper, immature shrubby Acacia, a significant amount of broom and dense Bamboo, within 100 ft of a structure or 10ft from a road or driveway.
2. Removal of continuous, dense or poorly maintained combustible vegetation as defined by SRMC 4.12 within 30 ft of a structure or 10 ft from a road or driveway. 

If items 1 and 2 are compliant... 

Gutter Guards and Vents will be covered 100% up to $2,500, if zone zero (5 feet from structures) is well maintained and clear of ‘combustible’ species. Gutter Guards must be installed if overhead vegetation is present within 30 feet of the structure. 

Tier 2 items are eligible for grant funding IF all tier 1 items are compliant/resolved. These items are eligible to be reimbursed 50% up to $1,000. 

Tier 2 Defensible Space items.  

These defensible space priorities are not listed in a particular order.  

• Removal of other hazardous vegetation that is more than 30ft from a structure. This includes Pampas Grass and Broom. 

• Trees or shrubs obstructing the roadway 
• Combustible growth near the roadway 
• Within 30ft of structures 

• Trees that require limb removal
• Large tree branches overhanging a structure 
• Removal of ladder fuels 
• Additional spacing for trees, shrubs, or ground cover 
• Poorly maintained vegetation 
• Dead palm fronds 
• Dead shrubs or trees 

Tier 2 Home Hardening Items 

These home hardening priorities are not listed in a particular order. To qualify for grant funding of these items all Tier 1 items must be completed, vents must be compliant, and gutter guards must be installed if overhead vegetation is present within 30 feet of the structure. Pre-approval on the below is highly recommended and required in some cases. Staff can discuss the amount of funds you may expect to receive.    

Wood fence replacements may be eligible for Grant funding: 

• Transition wood fencing to a non-combustible fence that connects to a structure. 5 feet, or single panel cost will be covered 100% 
• Replacing wood fence within 5 feet of a structure. 100% costs will be covered up to $2,500 per shared fence line. Pre-approval is recommended.  
• Replacing a combustible gate that separates a continuous wood fence may be eligible with pre-approval. Reach out to staff to determine if this is your most effective risk reduction effort. 

Windows 

• Ground level single pane windows that are replaced for dual pane and tempered windows. 
• Replacement of windows within 10 ft of another structure from single pane to dual pane and tempered. 

Siding 

• Replacement of combustible siding within 2 feet of the ground with non-combustible (7A compliant materials) 
• Wood shingle siding replacement may be eligible for funding with pre-approval 

Decks 

• Deck projects require preapproval. Please discuss with staff the best way to reduce the risk with your particular deck. 
• Underside of deck must be enclosed or completely void of vegetation to be considered for funding.  
• Highly combustible deck surfaces attached to a structure may be eligible for funding to replace up to 5 feet from the house or retrofitted to include metal flashing at the point where the deck meets the structure. 

Additional Projects  

1. Wood Shake Roofs – Residents are eligible for up to $7,500 for replacement. The funding amount will be determined by the SRFD staff and will depend on the square footage of the roof that is being replaced. (Contact SRFD staff before completing work. Multiple bids are required) 

1. Garage Door Battery Backups  - Residents are eligible for full reimbursement up to $200. 

1. Clearing ALL vegetation (ground to sky) within zone zero will be reimbursed 100% up to $1,000. Additional funding may be available for large projects with pre-approval. 

What is NOT eligible for wildfire grant funding?*

• Routine or seasonal maintenance such as trimming grasses or removing dead leaves
• Purchasing tools or equipment
• Installation or maintenance of exterior Sprinkler Systems
• Basic home improvements
• Coating flammable materials with "fire-retardant" coatings
• Dump fees 
• Rock Mulch 

* These are not complete lists. Please reach out if you have questions about whether a project would qualify for grant funding.

Residents must have a complete comprehensive wildfire safety evaluation before applying for grant funds.

Payments must be made directly from the resident to a business.

Bills and invoices must be itemized to clearly demonstrate all costs are related to mitigation work included in your defensible space report. If none-eligible costs are included in a receipt or invoice tax will be excluded from reimbursement. 

Grants are provided as reimbursements after residents have completed wildfire mitigation projects on their property.

For the “quick fix” grants, a full Defensible Space Evaluation is also required and work will need to be completed within 60 days of the evaluation. 

The maximum amount one parcel may receive during the 10-year tax measure is $15,000. 

Required Documentation: 

• A full Defensible Space Evaluation is required and must have been completed within 1 year of a grant application. 
• Itemized Invoice of the work that was completed 
• A filled out W-9 (This can be found on the IRS website) 
• Proof of payment (Credit Card Statement, Bank Statement, Cancelled Check) 
• Photographs of the completed work. 
• Signed grant agreement available in the grant portal. 

Residents can receive grant funding after completing the following three steps: