The inspection is the same $249 photographed action plan. The authority that accepts paperwork, and the fee it charges for its own inspection, changes with the parcel. City versus county, and how I schedule the visit, lives on Service Areas.
A dollar amount appears only when it is a line in the adopted fee schedule. Web-page and form numbers stay in the note. Compiled and verified 2026-09-21.
| Jurisdiction | Adopted AB 38 fee | Schedule line | Effective | Zone 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of San Diego San Diego Fire-Rescue Department |
$122 | Wildland Management and Enforcement -Real Estate Defensible Space Inspections. City of San Diego Fiscal Year 2026 User Fee Schedule (Fire-Rescue extract published as crrfeeschedule.pdf, “Revised: August 29, 2025”). Expedited $183.Fire-Rescue’s FAQ still shows a stale $118. The adopted schedule is $122. | 2025-07-01 | Phased. New structures 2026-02-28; existing 2027-02-28. |
| Alpine Alpine Fire Protection District |
$159 | Real Estate Inspections (AB38). Alpine Fire Protection District Cost Recovery Schedule, Adopted: 7-21-2026 (Exhibit A to Resolution No. 26/27-04).The district’s own AB 38 web page still says $175. The adopted schedule is $159. | 2026-07-21 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled. |
| Carlsbad Carlsbad Fire Department |
$236 | Defensible Space Inspection. City of Carlsbad Master Fee Schedule FY 2026-27. | 2026-09-01 | New construction only. |
| Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District |
$321 | 3.8 Defensible Space Inspection for Real Estate Transactions. 2024 Fee Schedule (Attachment A to Ordinance No. 2024-01). Includes two field inspections; plus third-party billing fee, amount not published. | 2024-10-05 | In force for existing homes, with grandfathering. |
| Poway Poway Fire Department |
$404 | Real Estate Defensible Space (AB38). City of Poway Master Fee Schedule. Reinspection is a separate $202 line and is not this inspection’s price. | 2026-07-20 | Guidance only. |
| Bonita-Sunnyside Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District |
None published | Fee Schedule (web page under Fire Prevention). District publishes no AB 38 process or fee. | Not dated | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled. |
| Chula Vista Chula Vista Fire Department |
None published | No dedicated line. Fee bulletin 15-100 lists other fire services at $160/hour; the AB 38 page says 1.5 hour minimum. No total is printed. | 2017-07 | Defined in code; defers to state guidance. |
| El Cajon Heartland Fire & Rescue |
None published | No AB 38 line in the City of El Cajon Schedule of Miscellaneous Fees, Res. 036-26. No dedicated El Cajon process published. | 2026-07-13 | No adopted Zone 0 instrument found. |
| Escondido Escondido Fire Department |
None published | No AB 38 line in the published fire fee table (Res. 2024-72). | Not dated | Department standard, not in the adopted code. |
| Fallbrook North County Fire Protection District |
None published | No AB 38 line in Ordinance 2023-01 fee schedule. The district’s AB 38 page states no fee. | 2024-02-22 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled. |
| Julian San Diego County Fire, staffed by CAL FIRE |
None published | Inherits unincorporated San Diego County Fire. No adopted schedule line. | Not dated | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled. |
| Ramona San Diego County Fire, staffed by CAL FIRE |
None published | Inherits unincorporated San Diego County Fire. No adopted schedule line. | Not dated | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled. |
| San Marcos San Marcos Fire Department |
None published | Development Fees, City of San Marcos, Effective 9/1/2026. $50 appears on the City’s AB38 request form only; no matching line in the adopted fee schedule (Res. 2026-9632). | 2026-09-01 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled. |
| Unincorporated San Diego County San Diego County Fire Protection District |
None published | County Admin. Code Sec. 362.5 has no AB 38 line. County Fire publishes no process or fee. Published route is CAL FIRE’s statewide request form. | 2026-06-18 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled. |
Verified 2026-09-21 against adopted fee schedules. Sources: City of San Diego crrfeeschedule.pdf, Alpine Cost Recovery Schedule, Carlsbad Master Fee Schedule FY 2026-27, Rancho Santa Fe 2024 Fee Schedule, Poway Master Fee Schedule. The nine blank fee cells are the story: a seller in El Cajon or Chula Vista cannot find a published total or, in several cities, a process at all.
Every row is from the canonical San Diego County jurisdiction set. Depth lives on zonezerosandiego. Julian and Ramona inherit San Diego County Fire.
| Place | Authority | Ordinance / section | Zone 0 | Authority real-estate fee | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | Alpine Fire Protection District | AFPD Ord. 2026-02, Sec. 604.12.1 (identical in County 2026 Consolidated WUI Code Sec. 96.2.604.12.1)Effective 2026-04-02 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled | $159 · Real Estate Inspections (AB38). Alpine Fire Protection District Cost Recovery Schedule, Adopted: 7-21-2026 (Exhibit A to Resolution No. 26/27-04), effective 2026-07-21 | Jurisdiction detail |
| Bonita | Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District | 2026 Consolidated WUI Code Sec. 96.2.604.12.1Effective 2026-04-02 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled | District publishes no AB 38 process or fee. | Jurisdiction detail |
| Carlsbad | Carlsbad Fire Department | CMC § 17.06.070 (Ord. CS-500, 12/2/2025)Effective 2026-01-01 | New construction only | $236 · Defensible Space Inspection. City of Carlsbad Master Fee Schedule FY 2026-27, effective 2026-09-01 | Jurisdiction detail |
| Chula Vista | Chula Vista Fire Department | CVMC 8.32.010(A)(1) (Ord. 3599 § 2, 2025)Effective 2026-01-01 | Defined in code; defers to state guidance | No dedicated line. Fee bulletin 15-100 lists other fire services at $160/hour; the AB 38 page says 1.5 hour minimum. No total is printed. | Jurisdiction detail |
| City of San Diego | San Diego Fire-Rescue Department | SDMC §512.0604(e)Effective New structures 2026-02-28; existing 2027-02-28 (SDMC §512.0604(e)) | Phased | $122 · Wildland Management and Enforcement -Real Estate Defensible Space Inspections. City of San Diego Fiscal Year 2026 User Fee Schedule (Fire-Rescue extract published as crrfeeschedule.pdf, 'Revised: August 29, 2025'; citywide version 'Revised: December 3, 2025'), effective 2025-07-01 | Jurisdiction detail |
| El Cajon | Heartland Fire & Rescue (the fire department of the City of El Cajon, managed jointly with La Mesa and Lemon Grove) | Ordinance No. 5168 (fire code); Ordinance No. 5166 (WUI code)Effective 2026-01-01 | No Zone 0 instrument found | No AB 38 line in fee schedule eff. 2026-07-13 (Res. 036-26); no dedicated El Cajon process published. | Jurisdiction detail |
| Escondido | Escondido Fire Department | Escondido Fire Department 'Hazard Reduction and Vegetation Clearance Standard', Form Prevention 30.0, Revised 9-25Effective date not published | Department standard, not in the adopted code | No AB 38 line in the published fire fee table (Res. 2024-72). | Jurisdiction detail |
| Fallbrook | North County Fire Protection District | NCFPD Ord. 2025-03, AMENDMENT to Section 604.12, Sec. 604.12.1Effective 2026-01-01 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled | No AB 38 line in Ordinance 2023-01 fee schedule; AB 38 page states no fee. | Jurisdiction detail |
| Julian | San Diego County Fire Protection District (San Diego County Fire), staffed by CAL FIRE, successor to the dissolved Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District | 2026 WUI Code Sec. 604.12.1 (SDCFPD Ord. No. 10981 (N.S.))Effective 2026-04-02 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled | Same as unincorporated San Diego County Fire (no adopted schedule line). | Jurisdiction detail |
| Poway | Poway Fire Department | PMC 15.24.100 (Zone 1 and Zone 2). No adopted Zone 0 text located on poway.orgEffective Not in the published Poway materials reviewed | Guidance only | $404 · Real Estate Defensible Space (AB38). City of Poway Master Fee Schedule, effective 2026-07-20 | Jurisdiction detail |
| Ramona | San Diego County Fire Protection District (San Diego County Fire), staffed by CAL FIRE | 2026 WUI Code Sec. 604.12.1 (SDCFPD Ord. No. 10981 (N.S.))Effective 2026-04-02 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled | Same as unincorporated San Diego County Fire (no adopted schedule line). | Jurisdiction detail |
| Rancho Santa Fe | Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District | RSFFPD Ord. 2025-04 Sec. 604.12.1Effective 2026-01-01 | In force for existing homes, with grandfathering | $321 · 3.8 Defensible Space Inspection for Real Estate Transactions. 2024 Fee Schedule (Schedule of Fire District Services and Fees, Attachment A to Ordinance No. 2024-01), effective 2024-10-05 | Jurisdiction detail |
| San Marcos | San Marcos Fire Department | Ord. 2025-1570, Exh. A, Sec. 604.12.1 (Exhibit page 53 of 80; PDF page 55)Effective 2026-01-08 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled | $50 stated on the City's AB38 request form only; no matching line in the adopted fee schedule (Res. 2026-9632, eff. 2026-09-01). | Jurisdiction detail |
| Unincorporated San Diego County | San Diego County Fire Protection District (operating as San Diego County Fire) | 2026 WUI Code Sec. 604.12.1 (SDCFPD Ord. No. 10981 (N.S.))Effective 2026-04-02 | Adopted text; existing-home applicability unsettled | County Fire publishes no AB 38 process or fee; County Admin. Code Sec. 362.5 has no such line. Published route is CAL FIRE's statewide request form. | Jurisdiction detail |
Canonical records: RESEARCH/data/sd-jurisdictions/fable/. County Zone 0 first required April 13, 2023 under the County Consolidated Fire Code, 8th ed., Sec. 96.1.4907.9.1, now Sec. 604.12.1 of the 2026 WUI Code for the unincorporated San Diego County fire districts, effective April 2, 2026. San Marcos 150 feet is Sec. 604.6 fuel modification, not Zone 2.
Every dollar amount on this page is a line in an adopted schedule. Form numbers and web-page prices stay in the note. Verified 2026-09-21.