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Zone Zero in Marin comes down to the fence or gate that touches your house: plan to make the first 5 feet of it metal, and apply for local money before you order. Marin has no countywide Zone 0 ordinance, so the state rule sets the dates (when they start), and San Rafael already reimburses 50% up to $1,250 per gate or 5 ft section, and Marin Wildfire grants cover the same work.
Does Marin have its own Zone Zero ordinance?
Not countywide. Each city council and fire district board will decide, and Marin’s fire agencies are working toward “a consistent countywide approach.” Local agencies may adopt rules stricter than the state’s; AB 1455 (2025) allows that. Once the state rule takes effect it will apply in the State Responsibility Area, which covers most of unincorporated Marin, and in mapped Very High zones inside cities and towns. Other cities are compared on Zone 0 rules by city.
Marin’s fire agencies started early. They were the first in California to adopt local fire standards for the area next to structures, in 2018, and the term “Zone 0” grew out of that work. In May 2026 Marin fire officials backed the Board of Forestry’s approach of replacing the portion of fence attached to the home with a five-foot metal gate or panel.
Where in Marin will the state rule apply?
The text the Board of Forestry approved on August 19, 2026 covers buildings in the State Responsibility Area (14 CCR 1299.03) and buildings in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in local areas (14 CCR 1298.04). In Marin that works out like this:
| Where the home is | Does the state Zone 0 rule apply? |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Marin in the State Responsibility Area (most of it) | Yes, regardless of hazard class |
| Inside a city or town, or an unincorporated Local Responsibility Area neighborhood, mapped Very High | Yes |
| Same areas, mapped High, Moderate or unzoned | No, unless a local agency adopts its own rule |
| Federal Responsibility Area | No |
Most homes inside Marin’s cities and towns are not mapped Very High. Look up the parcel on CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone viewer; who Zone 0 applies to explains the terms.
What will the state rule require for Marin fences?
The same as everywhere it applies. Any fence or gate attached to the house, or within 1 foot of it, needs a 5 foot noncombustible span from that point (14 CCR 1298.04(b)(9)(A); 1299.03(d)(9)). New combustible fences within 5 feet are barred from the effective date; repairs with existing materials are still allowed. Existing homes get 3 years in local areas, or up to 5 on a local timeline, and 5 years in the State Responsibility Area, or not less than 3 on the CAL FIRE Director’s timeline (1298.04(c)(4); 1299.03(e)(4)). The span is explained on wood fence attached to house.
Two fence points go further than the rule. Fences running parallel to the house within 5 feet trap debris, and even a three-foot gap between two fences is not enough. And a hog wire gate connected to the house does not meet Zone 0 standards.
Who pays for Zone 0 fence work in Marin?
Three programs cover fences. All require a wildfire risk evaluation first.
City of San Rafael (residents of San Rafael and the Marinwood Community Service District):
- 50% up to $1,250 per gate or 5 feet of fence to switch fencing or gates that connect to a structure to noncombustible material, no more than 2 areas per property.
- 50% up to $2,500 per shared fence line to replace all parallel wood fences within 5 feet of a structure.
- A combustible gate in a continuous wood fence “may be eligible with pre-approval.”
- Pre-approval is required, funds are held 90 days after it, treated wood does not qualify, and fencing is Phase 1 work, which must be finished before Phase 2 items.
- Up to $15,000 per parcel over the 10-year tax measure period. The contractor must be a licensed San Rafael business.
San Rafael sets no program budget or application deadline in public, so ask whether funds remain this year.
Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (countywide). “Installing a non-combustible gate or fence section attached to a structure” is eligible, with no match required, up to $2,500 per parcel and a $15,000 lifetime cap across its programs. The posted terms are for fiscal year 2024/25, so ask the grants team for this year’s cap. San Rafael describes the authority’s grants as “similar” with “a slightly different application process.”
Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District. Its 2026 Zone Zero pilot removes combustibles within 5 feet at no cost, including “the portion of a wooden fence connected to a structure.” It does not pay for a replacement gate or panel. Applications opened on or about May 15, 2026, first come, first served until the budget runs out.
The statewide list is on home hardening grants in California. For the county to the north, see Zone Zero in Sonoma County.
How does Measure C fund this?
The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority is a joint powers agency of fire agencies, cities and towns, utility districts and the county. Voters funded it with Measure C in March 2020: a parcel tax of 10 cents per square foot of building space for 10 years, passed with 70.8% of the vote. On May 21, 2026 its board approved a $24.1 million budget for the year, with over $3 million for town and city reimbursements, resident grants and direct assistance, about 30,000 home evaluations planned, and a “house out” workplan that starts with Zone 0.
Worked example: a San Rafael side yard
Take a hypothetical San Rafael house with a wood gate meeting the house on one side, a wood fence attached on the other, and a neighbor’s wood fence running parallel 3 feet from the wall. Suppose quotes come in at $3,000 for a metal gate, $2,000 for a 5 foot metal section and $6,000 for the parallel run.
| Item | Quote | 50% | Cap | Reimbursed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal gate at the house | $3,000 | $1,500 | $1,250 | $1,250 |
| 5 ft metal section | $2,000 | $1,000 | $1,250 | $1,000 |
| Parallel fence within 5 ft | $6,000 | $3,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 |
| Total | $11,000 | $4,750 |
That uses both allowed connection areas and leaves $10,250 of the $15,000 parcel limit. The prices are placeholders; get real quotes.
What should a Marin homeowner do now?
- Check the parcel on CAL FIRE’s map: SRA or local area, and the hazard class.
- Request a free wildfire risk evaluation if you have not had one in the past year. Every program above needs it.
- In San Rafael or Marinwood, get pre-approval before ordering a gate. Elsewhere, ask the Marin Wildfire grants team for this year’s cap.
- If the fence is coming down anyway, build the house end in metal. A wood section within 5 feet has to be replaced once the state deadlines arrive.
- Ask your city or fire district whether it plans a local Zone 0 ordinance. Each city council and fire district board decides for itself.
Questions people ask
Does Marin have a Zone Zero ordinance?
Not countywide. Each city council and fire district board will decide. Once the state rule takes effect it will apply in the State Responsibility Area, which covers most of unincorporated Marin, and in mapped Very High zones inside cities and towns.
Where is the very high fire hazard severity zone map for California?
CAL FIRE publishes it in its Fire Hazard Severity Zone and Local PIO Viewer, searchable by address. In Marin it settles whether the state Zone 0 rule will reach a home: inside a city or town, only where the parcel is mapped Very High; in the State Responsibility Area, which covers most of unincorporated Marin, regardless of hazard class.
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