Assessments & defensible-space clearing
We offer two things: an on-site property assessment with an insurance-ready report, and the actual defensible-space clearing work across the zones around your home. Hire us for either, or both.
(303) 565-7408The zone system · closest in matters most
Immediately around the structure, the 0 to 5 foot band, and the most important zone of all. We remove every combustible fuel here: trees, pine needles, dry leaves, anything embers can catch. Wherever we can, we replace it with non-combustible material such as rock so wind-blown embers have nothing to land on.
Zone 1 clearing starts at $599
The 5 to 20 foot band, and still very important. We remove deadfall and ladder fuels, including trimming tree branches up to 10 feet off the ground, so that fire on the ground cannot climb up and reach the canopy or throw embers at the home.
Further out from the home, focused on your property more than the structure itself. We remove ground coverings and reduce fuels to keep fire away. It is less intense than Zones 1 and 2, but it is still part of a complete plan.
Step one
The assessment is an on-site visit. We take photos, walk the property, and explain what is needed. The visit takes a few hours, and we assemble your written report within a few days. That report documents how much work, and what kind, is needed or completed in zones 1, 2, and 3, in a form you can hand straight to your insurer.
Pricing starts at $199 for a basic, easy-access structure where we just need to show up and walk around. It can rise to $999 for properties with many outbuildings, distant locations, or complex terrain.
What it costs
We don't have a fixed price list yet, because every mountain lot is different and your choices matter, for example dirt versus rock in Zone 1. The numbers below are honest starting points and ranges, not firm quotes. Your assessment is where we pin down the real figure for your property.
Clearing all zones runs roughly $3,000 to $5,000 per acre for removing deadfall and combustibles and trimming ladder branches to 10 feet. If trees need to come down, that adds cost and can push into the $7,000 to $8,000 range.
How this helps with insurance
Insurers often won't insure mountain properties because they don't know the conditions. Here is how we change that: you pay for the assessment, we provide a report to your insurer showing exactly what defensible-space work has been done in each zone, and under Colorado's new insurance law they must consider it when setting your rates. Documented work also makes it harder for an insurer to drop your coverage.
Scope
Right now our work is defensible-space landscaping only. We do not modify the structure itself, so no vents, siding, or deck work at this time. We may add structural hardening in the future, but we will only ever tell you about work we actually do. Learn who we are
It is not a cheap service, but it is a necessary one. You are protecting your biggest assets: your family, your home, and the possessions inside it. A documented assessment also helps with your insurance, because an insurer is far less able to drop a mountain property once there is a report showing the work that has been done.
Under Colorado's new insurance law, insurers must take a documented wildfire mitigation report into account when setting a homeowner's rates, and having that documented work makes it harder for an insurer to drop coverage. Front Range Wildfire provides the report to your insurer showing exactly what defensible-space work was completed in each zone.
Zone 1 is the area 0 to 5 feet from the structure and is the most important. All combustible fuels like trees, pine needles, and dry leaves are removed and replaced with non-combustible material such as rock to stop embers. Zone 2 covers 5 to 20 feet and involves removing deadfall and ladder fuels, including trimming tree branches up to 10 feet off the ground. Zone 3 is further out, focused on the property more than the home, and removes ground coverings to keep fire away from the structure.
A property assessment with photos and a written report starts at $199 for a simple, easy-access structure and can rise to $999 for complex properties. Zone 1 clearing immediately around the home starts at $599. Clearing all defensible-space zones typically runs about $3,000 to $5,000 per acre and can reach $7,000 to $8,000 when tree removal is needed. There is no fixed price list yet, so these are starting points and ranges.
No. You do not need to be home, because all wildfire mitigation work is performed outside on the property.
The assessment itself is a few hours on site, where we take photos and walk the property. We then assemble your written report within a few days.
Clearing work can be done in spring, summer, and fall whenever there is no snow on the ground. Summer is the busiest season, and winter is generally not workable due to heavy snow.
Front Range Wildfire provides wildfire mitigation along Colorado's Front Range and foothills, serving communities from Monument up to Loveland, including Evergreen, Conifer, Bailey, and Woodland Park. We do not travel as far as Gunnison.