AB-38 defensible space inspection in City of San Diego.

Does AB-38 apply when selling in City of San Diego?

Under Assembly Bill 38 (AB-38), selling a home in a California High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone requires documentation of a compliant defensible space inspection before close of escrow. The City of San Diego is a Local Responsibility Area where the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department performs AB-38 point-of-sale inspections through its Real Estate Defensible Space Inspection program. Unlike many California jurisdictions, San Diego publishes a flat inspection fee, and the inspection must be paid for before it is scheduled.

The 2003 Cedar Fire — at the time the largest wildfire in California history — burned 28,676 acres within San Diego city limits and destroyed 335 structures.

Whether AB-38 applies to a specific City of San Diego property depends on that parcel's Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation. The fastest way to confirm is to look up the address on the official Fire Hazard Severity Zone map — and our free readiness check flags it from your address as well.

Who runs the inspection in City of San Diego

AB-38 inspections in City of San Diego are performed by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department through its Real Estate Defensible Space Inspection program. As Local Responsibility Area land, AB-38 currently applies here in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

How to request an AB-38 inspection in City of San Diego

To create an account in the San Diego Fire-Rescue customer portal, request a Real Estate Defensible Space Inspection, and submit payment online — the inspection is not scheduled until payment is received.

• Online: San Diego Fire-Rescue inspection request
• Email: SDFDDSInspections@sandiego.gov
• Official program page: San Diego Fire-Rescue Department

Programs, fees, and contacts change — always confirm the current process on the official agency page before scheduling.

What it costs in City of San Diego

The AB-38 inspection in City of San Diego costs $118. Charged since July 1, 2022; payment must accompany the application or the inspection will not be scheduled. That is the inspection fee only — remediation work to pass is separate.

What's specific to City of San Diego

• San Diego is one of the few California jurisdictions with a published point-of-sale inspection fee ($118).
• Request and pay through the San Diego Fire-Rescue customer portal; the inspection is not scheduled until payment is received.

The timeline that trips sellers up

City of San Diego specifics: San Diego Fire-Rescue typically contacts applicants within a few business days and completes inspections in roughly 10–14 business days.

Under AB-38, the compliance documentation must come from an inspection completed within six months of the sales contract, and the seller delivers it to the buyer before close of escrow. If a passing document can't be obtained in time, AB-38 lets the buyer and seller sign a written agreement in which the buyer takes on obtaining compliance documentation within one year of closing — but that shifts the cost to the buyer and usually shows up in the negotiated price. The clean path is to request the inspection at listing, not in escrow.

How to pass the first time in City of San Diego

1. Run the free 12-item Zone 0 check before the inspector visits — it covers the items inspectors flag first. Start the check →
2. Clear the first 5 feet: combustible mulch, woodpiles, attached wood fencing, and dead container plants against the wall are the most-cited deficiencies.
3. Clean roof and gutters — the most visible item on any inspection.
4. Handle dead vegetation across the whole property — PRC §4291 covers the full 100 feet, not just Zone 0.
5. Request the San Diego Fire-Rescue inspection early so a deficiency list still leaves time to remediate and re-inspect inside the six-month window.

Related guides

• AB-38 Explained: California's Point-of-Sale Defensible Space Inspection Law
• Defensible Space Inspection: What to Expect and How to Pass
• Zone 0 Defensible Space Cost

Sources: AB 38 (Wood, 2019); California Civil Code §1102.6f and §1102.19; California Public Resources Code §4291; Office of the State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps; sandiego.gov; sdfrportal.sandiego.gov; sandiego.gov. Verify the current process with the agency before scheduling.