Defensible Space and BMPs
Wildfire defensible space clearing and TRPA Best Management Practices for North Lake Tahoe properties, from a licensed, bonded, TRPA certified landscape contractor working the basin since 1996.
Space between your home and the next fire
Defensible space is the buffer you keep between a building and the vegetation around it, so embers and flames have less to work with. California law requires up to 100 feet of it around homes in fire hazard areas, and fire districts on both sides of the lake inspect for it.
We do the clearing, haul the debris, and keep it maintained through the season so the property stays compliant after the first cleanup.
- Needle, leaf and debris removal
- Ladder fuel and limb removal
- Brush thinning and spacing
- Roof and gutter clearing
- Clearing around decks and stairs
- Debris haul away and dump runs
Working out from the house
The zones fire agencies use, and what we do in each.
0 to 5 feet
The ember resistant zone. Needles, dead plants and anything combustible come out from against the house, decks and stairs.
5 to 30 feet
The lean, clean and green zone. Dead vegetation removed, shrubs thinned and spaced, tree limbs lifted off the ground.
30 to 100 feet
The reduced fuel zone. Brush and small trees thinned so fire stays low and slow.
Ongoing
Needles and debris come back every season. We can keep the property on a maintenance schedule.
Best Management Practices, done by a certified contractor
To protect Lake Tahoe’s water clarity, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) requires developed properties to install Best Management Practices. BMPs reduce soil erosion and capture runoff before it reaches the lake.
Reliable Services is a TRPA certified and licensed contractor. Our staff is certified in BMPs every year, and we work with TRPA to keep each project cost efficient, approvable, and good looking on the property. We also update and maintain existing BMPs.
- Drip line infiltration trenches
- Conveyance swales
- Infiltration systems and basins
- Subsurface conveyance systems
- Rock slope protection
- Sediment traps and slotted drains
More on the requirements at TahoeBMP.org.
Hillside planting and erosion control
North Lake TahoeCommon questions
Do I need a permit to remove trees?
Often, yes. Larger trees in the Tahoe Basin usually need a permit before they come down. We will tell you when a sign off is needed before any cutting starts.
Can you fix BMPs that were installed years ago?
Yes. We update and maintain existing BMPs as well as installing new ones.
Can defensible space work still look good?
Yes. We are a landscape design and maintenance company too, so clearing is planned around the plantings, stonework and paths you want to keep.
Where do you work?
Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Carnelian Bay, Tahoe City, Crystal Bay, Incline Village and Truckee.
Start with a walkthrough of the property.
We will look at the defensible space and drainage together and send a written estimate.