How much wooded land should be cleared around a new home site

designlandscapingnew-homeplanning

I'm planning to build in a wooded lot, and want to leave as much woods as possible. What is the minimum buffer that is required or recommended to allow around the home's footprint, taking into account tree fall risk, fire risk, needs for construction equipment and workmen around the house, etc?

Are there any official recommendations or best practices for this?

Best Answer

In California, if you build in the "wildland interface", wildfire risk drives the clearance requirement of 100'. The following quote is from the CalFire web page:

Protecting a building from wildfire takes a two-pronged approach: Remove flammable materials from around the building; Construct the building of fire resistant material. The law requires that homeowners do fuel modification to 100 feet (or the property line) around their buildings to create a defensible space for firefighters and to protect their homes from wildfires.