Home / Printable checklist A PRINTABLE FIELD CHECKLIST
Observe. Ask.Make a plan. Use this sheet to organize a property walk and the questions you want to take to a local professional.
This is a planning checklist, not a wildfire risk assessment, compliance certificate, quote, or emergency plan. Confirm site-specific work with your local fire authority and an appropriately qualified professional.
Check local guidance before choosing work Ask your local fire or forestry authority about a property assessment, current restrictions, and any requirements that apply to your address. Mark the boundaries and constraints Note property lines, utilities, drainage, sensitive areas, slopes, and features to keep. Do not plan clearing beyond your authority or property boundary. Keep emergency preparation separate Sign up for official local alerts and make an evacuation plan with your household. Do not begin clearing work when a wildfire threatens; follow official instructions. Begin at the home and work outward Review the structure and attached decks or fences with the appropriate professional. Use the common 0–5, 5–30, and 30–100 foot zones to organize questions, not as universal legal requirements. Review the first five feet Identify combustible mulch, stored materials, dead plants, and debris close to structures. Discuss a noncombustible near-home area and attached features with your local assessor. Map the vegetation you want reviewed Note dense growth and connections between low vegetation and tree branches. Ask which vegetation should remain, how it will be spaced, and how soil and desirable trees will be protected. Ask what happens to the cut material Compare hauling, chipping, mowing, and mulching as site-specific options. Mulching changes fuel arrangement; it does not eliminate fuel and is not appropriate as combustible cover next to a home. Review access with your local fire authority Ask about address visibility, driveway and gate access, overhead clearance, and turnarounds. Do not use a generic clearance number in place of local requirements. Prepare a written scope Define the work area, vegetation to keep, equipment, disposal, exclusions, and follow-up maintenance. Ask for an on-site assessment and a written price for that scope. Check the professional independently Verify applicable licensing and insurance with the relevant issuer or authority. Ask for comparable references and clarify permits and responsibility for accidental damage. Set a property review date Choose a routine that reflects local conditions, new growth, and seasonal debris. Recheck after storms, new landscaping, or changes to storage and access. Bring this checklist to a local assessment. Ask which work comes first, what permission is needed, and what should be maintained afterward.
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