What's The Process?

What’s the Inspection Process?

Who conducts the inspections?

Though CAL FIRE used to conduct inspections, Truckee Fire is now the primary agency to conduct inspections within the Truckee Fire District. Tahoe Donner Forestry is authorized to conduct the inspections within Tahoe Donner Association. If in doubt, reach out to us at dspace@truckeefire.org.

What happens during a real estate defensible space inspection?

Our inspector will arrive in uniform in a marked District vehicle and knock on the door to alert anyone to their presence. The inspector will walk around the whole property and access exterior stairs and ground-level patios/porches as needed. They will take pictures of structure features and defensible space violations. Depending on the size of the property and the amount of violations that need to be documented, the inspector may be on site for about 10 - 30 minutes. They don’t need access into buildings. It’s very helpful to have property corners clearly identified. Gates into backyards and patios need to be unlocked. ***If the property has tenants or renters, you’re responsible for informing the tenant of the inspection in accordance with tenancy laws and rental agreements.***

Does someone need to meet the inspector?

No one is required to be present for a real estate inspection, though we welcome the opportunity to talk with whoever will be conducting the work to ensure that the requirements are clear. The inspector does not need access to the interior of the building, but gates into backyards and patios need to be unlocked. It’s very helpful to have property corners clearly identified.

What’s included in the inspection?

The report will include example photos of the defensible space violations that must be corrected to receive a compliant report. To understand what we’re inspecting for, review CAL FIRE’s detailed information on defensible space. The report will also include an informational section about both vulnerable and resilient features of your structure(s).

What about neighboring properties?

State of California Public Resource Code 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around homes; Truckee Fire Protection District Ordinance 02-2012 specifies that you are responsible for maintaining defensible space on your property where it is within 100 feet of neighboring structures. 

Planning to hire a contractor?

Great! Consider contacting providers on our Defensible Space Service Provider list. The quickest way to get a compliant report is to get the work done BEFORE requesting the inspection from Truckee Fire. That way our inspector only needs to visit the property once to confirm compliance. Many of the local providers have been offering these services for many years and are familiar with Truckee Fire’s inspections and what we’re looking for to achieve a compliant report. Ask your provider to offer a guarantee of compliance. That way, they won’t charge you again if they missed something and have to come back out. Chances are good in those instances that we can coordinate directly with the contractor and once they’ve addressed the outstanding item, we can resolve if without having the schedule and additional inspection.

Does a contractor need to see an inspection report to know what work is required?

There are commonly accepted principles of defensible space; knowledgeable providers can identify the same types of hazards that Truckee Fire would call out on a report. There are a LOT of individuals and companies in our area that offer defensible space work. Many of our tree service and defensible space service providers are well versed in state and local requirements, familiar with Truckee Fire’s reports and inspection standards and have been fulfilling compliancy requirements with their defensible space work for years.  Our service provider list includes 30+ local contractors that attended Truckee Fire’s annual contractor training. Whether you work with someone from the list or not, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to confirm that a contractor is appropriately licensed and bonded to perform the work.  If you work with one of the many qualified professionals not yet on our service provider list, have them reach out to us at dspace@truckeefire.org!

I’m going to do the work myself, how do I know what to do?

We absolutely support property owners doing the work themselves! In these instances, we encourage you to meet with us when we conduct the initial inspection so we can talk you through what work needs to be done. You can get started on the work by reviewing CAL FIRE’s detailed information on defensible space.

I had an inspection recently, does that count?

Reach out to us to check if we have an inspection on file for your property that fulfills the real estate requirements. dspace@truckeefire.org, 530-582-7888, or submit a request through defensiblespacereport.org/truckee.

What happens AFTER the inspection? How do I get my report?

Once the inspector’s tablet fully syncs (usually within 24-48 hours of the inspection), a system-generated email will be sent to the email address you provided. It will include a property-specific code that you can use to access the digital report at defensiblespacereport.org/truckee.

Do you provide a Certificate of Compliance?

We don’t provide a certificate of compliance. We understand that the front page of the inspection report is commonly used instead. It shows the date of the most recent inspection and, following a compliant inspection, will show Zero Defensible Space Issues Observed.