Fog rolling over forested hills in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Pacific Coast

Firescaping

& Land Maintenance

Whole-property wildfire hardening for homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains. One partner to assess your property, plan the work, and manage it to completion. Documented for your insurer.

Schedule a Free Consultation Call 831.713.6414

Most homes lost in wildfire are ignited by embers, not the flame front. The right preparation, done in the right order, changes the outcome.

What we do

From Risk to Resilience

Hardening a home spans landscaping, roofing, vents, decks, water systems, and paperwork. We carry all of it, so you do not have to become your own general contractor.

Step 01

Assess

A structured walk of your Home Ignition Zone: vegetation, roof, vents, siding, decks, and water supply, evaluated against CAL FIRE and IBHS standards.

Step 02

Plan & Budget

A prioritized plan with real numbers, sequenced by risk reduction per dollar. Every recommendation cites the standard behind it and the insurance discount it can unlock.

Step 03

Build

We manage vetted local trades under one contract. One schedule, one budget, one accountable party from the roofline to the property line.

Step 04

Verify & Certify

Photo documentation, product specs, and support for the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation and insurer discount paperwork. Annual maintenance keeps it current.

Defensible space

The Three Zones

Fire science divides your property into zones by distance from the home. We work all three, starting where it matters most.

Zone 0

0–5 ft · Noncombustible

Zone 1

5–30 ft · Lean & clean

Zone 2

30–100 ft · Reduced fuel

Zone framework per CAL FIRE and the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard.

Sunset over a silhouetted forest ridgeline

Hardening Is the Path Back to Insurability

Every California insurer is now required to offer premium discounts for specific mitigation work under the Safer from Wildfires regulation. Carriers increasingly recognize the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation.

We map every project to the discounts it can unlock and hand you the documentation your insurer or broker needs.

Start With a Free Consultation

Local, Licensed, Accountable

Pacific Coast Firescaping is led by Andy Hawley, a Santa Cruz local with 15 years leading landscape operations across the Bay Area and Central Coast, including multi-branch operations serving hundreds of properties.

We are not a brush crew, and we are not a product salesman with one system to sell. We assess against published fire science, plan the work in priority order, and manage trusted local trades to a verified finish.

Plainspoken advice, concrete numbers, and one clear next step. That is the standard.

Felton, Santa Cruz Mountains

Where we work

Santa Cruz Mountains & Central Coast

Based in Santa Cruz. Serving mountain and coastal communities across Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Monterey counties.

Santa CruzScotts ValleyFeltonBen Lomond Boulder CreekBonny DoonSoquelAptos CorralitosLos GatosLa HondaLoma Mar PescaderoWatsonville

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the free consultation include?

We walk your property with you, look at the most common ignition points (roof, vents, decks, the first five feet, and surrounding vegetation), and leave you with clear, prioritized advice. It takes about an hour. No cost, no obligation.

What does wildfire hardening cost?

Many of the most effective retrofits, such as ember-resistant vents, gutter protection, and converting the first five feet to noncombustible materials, run in the $2,000 to $15,000 range. Comprehensive structure and landscape hardening on larger properties can run to $100,000 or more. Your plan is phased and sequenced by risk reduction per dollar, so you can start where it counts most.

Will this lower my insurance premium or help me keep coverage?

Often, yes. Under California's Safer from Wildfires regulation, every insurer must offer discounts for specific mitigation measures, and a growing number of carriers recognize the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home designation. We document completed work in the format insurers and brokers need. No one can guarantee a carrier's decision, but hardening is the strongest step a homeowner can take toward insurability.

Do you do the work yourselves?

We manage your project as the single accountable partner and bring in vetted, licensed local trades for roofing, vegetation, water systems, and specialty work. You get one schedule, one budget, and one point of contact from start to verified finish.

Do I have to remove all the vegetation around my home?

No. Defensible space means the right plants in the right places with the right spacing, not bare dirt. Healthy, well-maintained landscaping can stay. The first five feet around the structure is where noncombustible matters most.

How do I keep my certification and insurance discounts current?

Vegetation grows back, so most standards expect upkeep. An annual maintenance agreement keeps your defensible space in shape and keeps your documentation, designation, and insurer discounts current year after year.

Get started

Free Defensible Space Consultation

A no-cost walk of your property with clear, prioritized advice. No pressure, no obligation.

Call or Email

The fastest way to get on the calendar.

831.713.6414

andy@pcfirescaping.com

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