The Santa Clara County FireSafe chipping program is designed to assist residents and communities in their efforts to create and maintain adequate and safe defensible space by processing or disposing vegetative material such as brush and tree branches. Defensible space clearing is typically 100 to 200 feet from permanent structures and 30 feet from roadsides or driveways used for evacuation purposes.  Due to the varying natures of hillside neighborhoods, different types of chipping services may be necessary.

2020 community chipping program is no longer accepting applications.
Check back in Spring 2021 for our schedule and applications.

We Offer the Following Types of Scheduled Chipping Services

  • Community Chipping Piles: Residents drop off piles of brush at a specific location and chipping is performed on a scheduled date
  • Drive Up Chipping Event: A date the community has previously selected, at a location within the community, residents drive the brush up in their own vehicle and it is chipped on the spot.
  • At Home Chipping: Residents submit an application for chipping services to be performed at their home. Brush must be prepared in advance of the chipping appointment and must meet all specified guidelines
Community Chipping Program Application

Use this checklist to prepare your material to be chipped

  • Create defensible space! From your house: 5’ non-combustion zone, 30’ clean & green zone, 100’ reduced fuel zone.*** Clear 10’ around chimneys, remove limbs overhanging your roof. Reduce fuel 30 feet from roads and clear 14’ over & 12’ wide on your driveway.
  • Pile location must be safely accessible to a large box truck and chipper trailer. Extremely narrow or steep driveways may not be serviceable.
  • Piles must be located on the uphill side of the road or driveway.
  • Piles must be within 5 feet of the chipper location and less than 4 feet in height.
  • Piles must be hand stacked. Limbs must be under 8 inches thick.
  • Cut ends must face the same direction and point out toward the chipper location. (see photo)
  • No timber harvest debris, vineyard or orchard waste.
  • No poison oak, ivy, or blackberry vines. No broom or acacia with seed pods, or other invasive plant materials.
  • No piles of leaves, pine needles or yard clippings. Only woody brush/branches.
  • No non-compostable materials (painted or preserved lumber, trash, metal, wire, etc).
  • No palm fronds, roots, stumps, rocks or mud.
  • Chips will be blown back onto your property or hauled off at the contractor’s discretion.
  • Make sure your street address is posted on the road.
  • Loose dogs may prevent chipping. Inform us if you have dogs.
***100’ reduced fuel zone required by law in State Responsibility Areas, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Areas. See website for details about 30′ zones.