Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, when they run. In the 2007 Ham Lake Fire, a University of Minnesota study found 46 of 47 structures with working exterior sprinklers survived, while only 18 of 48 without sprinklers did. Sprinklers pre-wet the roof, eaves and ground, so embers land on wet material. They add to defensible space and hardening, not replace them.

Every system is priced to the home, and FireRoofs does not publish system pricing. Cost depends on coverage (roof, eaves, full perimeter, and Class A foam as a Fortress tier option), your water supply and the terrain. A private consultation gives you a written design and quote. See what drives roof sprinkler system cost.

No, California has no Zone 3. PRC 4291 defines Zone 0 (0 to 5 feet), Zone 1 (5 to 30 feet) and Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet). People say Zone 3 loosely for land past 100 feet, but it is not in the standard. For protecting the house itself, the first 5 feet matter most.

They can help, but no carrier has to discount for them. Exterior sprinklers are not a named category under the Safer from Wildfires regulation (Reg 2644.9). A documented system can still strengthen your file at renewal, and our evidence packet covers listed categories your project touches, such as vents, eaves and fencing near the house.

FireRoofs designs and installs automated exterior fire sprinklers across the Bay Area, including Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills and Scotts Valley. Every system is designed on site and includes a smart controller and carrier-ready documentation. Call 831-705-0888 to request a private consultation.

Home hardening is the work of making a house harder to ignite in a wildfire. It covers the roof, vents, eaves, siding, windows, decks and fences. Most homes ignite from wind-blown embers, not direct flame, so hardening removes the places embers can catch. Regulation 2644.9 lists the measures insurers weigh.

For most existing homes, the firm requirement is defensible space under PRC 4291, not a retrofit. Statewide Zone 0 rules for the first 5 feet are proposed but not yet final. Chapter 7A covers new construction, but when you replace a roof, siding, windows or vents, the new materials must meet current fire standards.

Regulation 2644.9 lists the measures carriers weigh: Class A roof, enclosed eaves, ember-resistant vents, multipane windows, noncombustible materials in the first 5 feet and noncombustible fencing within 5 feet. None is mandated for existing homes. Each one you can document strengthens your file when your broker goes to market.

Vents are one of the most common ways embers get inside. Embers pass through standard mesh, land on insulation or framing and ignite the attic from inside. Ember-resistant vents (1/8-inch mesh or intumescent models that seal under heat) block that path. It is one of the most cost-effective upgrades, and carriers look for it.

Yes, because some siding can ignite from radiant heat or piled-up embers. Wood shingles and untreated wood panels are the weak spots, while fiber cement, stucco and metal resist fire. If your siding is already stucco or fiber cement, you are in good shape. Either way, keep records of the material and install date.

Yes. Anything attached to the house is a fuel bridge. A wood fence can carry fire straight to the wall, and a wood deck under living space is a major weak point. Carriers look at decks and fences, and replacing or detaching them with noncombustible materials is one of the highest-impact upgrades you can make.

Hardening is passive and a defense system is active. Hardened materials resist ignition on their own, while exterior fire sprinklers watch for fire and wet your property. A hardened home is far less likely to ignite, and water on those same surfaces adds another layer. Neither replaces the other, so the strongest position is both.

Defensible space is the managed area around a home where vegetation is cleared or thinned so a wildfire slows down and firefighters can work safely. PRC 4291 requires owners in fire hazard zones to keep 100 feet (or to the property line) around every structure, split into zones by distance from the house.

They are distance bands around your home. Zone 0 (0 to 5 feet) keeps out mulch, firewood and other combustibles. Zone 1 (5 to 30 feet) is lean, clean and green: trees 10 feet apart crown to crown, limbs 6 to 10 feet up, no ladder fuels. Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet) thins fuel to slow the fire.

Yes. PRC 4291 requires defensible space in State Responsibility Areas and local Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and CAL FIRE inspectors do issue violations. The statewide Zone 0 rules for the first 5 feet are proposed but not yet final, though some cities already enforce their own 5 foot rules.

Zone 0 is the first 5 feet from the exterior wall, and the goal is nothing for embers to burn. The proposed rules keep out combustible fencing, wood mulch, bark, leaves, firewood and combustible patio covers. Gravel, pavers, concrete or bare soil are preferred, and the statewide regulation is not yet final.

Trees and plants are fine in Zone 1 as long as you keep up spacing and upkeep. Keep trees 10 feet apart crown to crown and limbed 6 to 10 feet up. Do not plant shrubs under trees, and clear dead material often. Your Fire Safe Council or CAL FIRE office has plant lists.

Maintain it at least once a year before fire season, usually late spring in the Bay Area. Zones 0 and 1 need ongoing attention: clear debris after wind, keep gutters clean and trim new growth. A quick check after every windy stretch keeps leaves and needles from piling up against the house.

Defensible space keeps fire from easily reaching the house, and hardening helps the house resist what does reach it. Perfect clearance with a wood shake roof is still vulnerable, and a hardened home in dense brush is still at risk. Do both, then add exterior fire sprinklers on top as an active layer.

It is an automated exterior fire sprinkler system for Bay Area homes near wildland. Cameras watch for fire near the home, satellite monitoring tracks fires in the region, and the system turns on by itself. It wets the roof, eaves and perimeter from city water, a pool or a tank, whether you are home or not.

No. Interior sprinklers are heat-activated and control a fire already inside. FireRoofs protects the outside of the home: the roof, eaves, gutters and grounds, against the embers and heat that arrive before flames. The two systems do different jobs, and a home can have both without any conflict between them.

No. Irrigation is built for calm air and low flow, while a wildfire system has to run long in heat, wind and ash. We use commercial-grade sprinklers, industrial fittings, roof mounts and copper piping. Heads are laid out with full overlap for wind, so surfaces stay wet long enough to matter.

It uses two independent layers of detection. Cameras on the home watch the area around the property for fire, and regional satellite monitoring tracks wildfires in the area. Either layer can send you alerts, and the system turns on by itself when a fire threatens the home, with no one needing to press a button.

No. Every automated system responds on its own, whether you are home or away. You get a push notification as the situation changes and you can cancel from the app. Protection steps up on its own as a fire gets closer, and manual systems can upgrade to automatic anytime with no re-piping.

Yes. You can start the whole system or individual zones from the app, or cancel an automatic start at any time. The controller also has a physical emergency start button. You get a push notification whenever the system changes what it is doing, so you always know whether water is on the house.

The on-property cameras are built to catch close-range threats, including a burning neighbor. The system responds right away, and the eave and roof sprinklers keep your most exposed surfaces wet. That matters because a burning house next door can throw embers and radiant heat at yours long before a wildland fire arrives.

The system needs power to run, so it is designed to run on your home's generator or whole-home battery. Power lines often fail during a wildfire, which is why backup power is part of the plan. Satellite internet is recommended so the controller stays connected for alerts and remote control.

Yes. The FireRoofs app sends alerts, lets you start or cancel zones, and shows water pressure, backup supply and system health from anywhere. If you have already evacuated, you can still see what the system is doing at your home and step in from your phone if you need to.

No. Defensible space is the foundation, and the system adds an active layer on top. Clearance, fire-resistant materials and ember-resistant vents lower risk on their own, every day. Exterior fire sprinklers add water when a fire comes. Together they do more than either one alone, so keep up both.

It protects the roof, eaves, Zone 0 and, where needed, the perimeter. Roof rotors throw water up to 35 feet and wet 20 to 25 feet of ground around the house. Eave sprinklers wet the eaves, walls and first 5 feet. Perimeter sprinklers wet vegetation and ground 30 to 100 feet out.

Yes. Pre-wet surfaces are far harder for embers and heat to ignite. In the 2007 Ham Lake Fire, 46 of 47 structures with working sprinklers survived, against 18 of 48 without (University of Minnesota, 2008). The key word is working, which is why reliability matters. See the full evidence.

Yes. A pool is one of the best water sources for exterior fire sprinklers. It needs a dedicated pump and filtration, which we design into the build. The system can run straight from the pool or use it as an automatic backup to city water. Plan on a generator to run the pump during an outage.

FireRoofs designs systems to run at 60 to 80 PSI. If your home's pressure falls short, a booster pump is added to the design. We test your static and dynamic pressure during the evaluation, so the zones are sized to the water you actually have instead of a guess.

The system can run on city water alone. We check pressure and flow first. If supply is short, or could be unreliable when a whole neighborhood is drawing water during a fire, we add a booster pump, a storage tank or both to the design so the sprinklers keep running.

Wind moves water, so every system is designed for it. Heads overlap so coverage holds when the wind shifts, and head type and placement follow your property's wind exposure. Wildfires usually arrive with strong wind, which is why a professional design matters more than the number of heads on the roof.

Yes. Copper piping and custom zones account for slope and exposure. Hillside homes in Los Gatos, Saratoga and the Santa Cruz Mountains are among our most common installs. Perimeter sprinklers are usually placed facing the hillside or the side most exposed to wildfire, where fire tends to come from.

Yes. FireRoofs installs on tile, metal, composition shingle, wood shake and flat roofs. Each design fits your roof's shape and material, with roof mounts and head placement chosen so coverage overlaps across every slope. The roof type is one of the first things we check during your private consultation.

Both. FireRoofs designs for existing homes and new construction alike. Piping is exposed on the exterior either way, and standard installs paint-match the copper on the walls. Paint-matching on eaves or roof costs extra. The design starts with a walkthrough of your home as it stands today.

We walk the property and check roof type and pitch, vegetation and ember exposure, water pressure, slope and wind, the structures to cover, and install access. Then we design a system and give you a full scope with an investment range. There is no charge for homes in our Bay Area service area.

Only a little, because we keep it discreet. Heads are low-profile, and while piping is exposed, standard installs paint-match the copper on the walls. Eave or roof paint-matching costs extra. Head placement and pipe routes are part of the design, and the layout is planned with you before install.

It depends on the property, so your timeline comes with your design. Size, number of zones, water setup and access all play a part. Every system is commissioned and tested before handoff, and you get app training so you know how to check, start and cancel the system yourself.

It depends on property size, zones, roof pitch, water setup and whether foam is included, and FireRoofs does not publish system pricing. Every design is custom. You get a full design and investment range after your private consultation, before you commit to anything.

FireRoofs uses copper piping, commercial-grade sprinklers, industrial fittings and roof mounts. The copper is exposed on the exterior and can be paint-matched on the walls. Everything is built for permanent outdoor use and fire conditions, so the system is ready when it is needed.

A DIY kit needs someone home to start it, and a FireRoofs system turns on by itself. DIY kits use irrigation parts with no detection. A FireRoofs system has commercial-grade hardware, dual detection and a pool or tank water supply. See DIY roof sprinkler system cost vs professional installation.

It can help, though discounts vary by carrier. Many surplus lines carriers and some admitted carriers recognize documented mitigation. After install we provide an evidence packet with specifications, test records and coverage maps. The Safer from Wildfires framework names 12 measures, and exterior sprinklers are not one of them.

Yes. Regulation 2644.9 requires carriers that price for wildfire risk to discount for verified mitigation, including roof, vents, eaves, windows and the first 5 feet around the home. The key word is verified. Carriers need documentation, not just the work, so keep photos and material records for every upgrade.

Yes. It is one of the first things underwriters check, and it is a listed category under Regulation 2644.9. Documented 100-foot clearance and a clean first 5 feet, with photos, put you in a far better position than no records at all when your broker shops your policy.

We photograph every upgrade before, during and after the work. Each category (roof, vents, eaves, siding, windows, decking, fencing) gets material specs, compliance data and photos, packaged for your broker. You get one organized file you can send to any carrier that asks what you have done.

It can help in two ways. It can make coverage easier to get and keep, which affects insurability and resale in fire zones. And buyers in high-risk areas increasingly see a working system as an asset. The system transfers with the home, and we walk the new owner through it.

No. Exterior fire sprinklers are a voluntary upgrade in California, even in wildland-urban interface zones. Code requires interior sprinklers in new homes, but exterior defense is a separate choice above code minimums. Homeowners add it to keep the roof, eaves and nearby ground wet before embers arrive.

SB 429 created the Wildfire Public Catastrophe Model, a public tool that shows how wildfire risk is scored for insurance. It took effect January 1, 2026. For homeowners, it means more visibility into the risk factors insurers use, which makes documented mitigation work easier to point to.

Yes. FireRoofs handles home hardening from evaluation and scoping through the finished work and documentation. That includes ember-resistant vent retrofits and noncombustible fencing near the house. Every upgrade is photographed and packaged for underwriting, so your broker has proof of what was done.

No. FireRoofs refers 5-foot zone and vegetation work to trusted Tree & Vegetation partners. We point out what we see during the consultation, and our documentation package covers the vent, fence and sprinkler work we do. That way each part of the job goes to people who specialize in it.

FireRoofs systems come with an 18-month workmanship and installation warranty covering labor, technology and the installed system. Clients also get 20 percent off upgrades or technology additions for three years after installation, so adding coverage or new features later costs less.

The system transfers with the property. We give the new owner a one-hour on-site walkthrough, at no charge, of the system, the app, manual control, maintenance and what to expect in a fire. That makes the system easier to explain to buyers and keeps it working after you move.

It needs one service visit a year. An optional annual plan covers inspection and testing, head cleaning, camera checks, controller diagnostics, foam refill if applicable, and a pre-season readiness check. You can also do it yourself using what we cover at handoff.

FireRoofs serves 41 communities in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains, including Saratoga, Los Gatos, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills, Scotts Valley, Danville and Morgan Hill. Every system is designed for its terrain, and homeowners elsewhere in California can order an online wildfire assessment report.

Yes. Many homeowners handle Zones 1 and 2 themselves: clearing brush, trimming trees and keeping spacing between plants. For bigger jobs like tree removal, FireRoofs refers you to trusted Tree & Vegetation partners. Doing it before fire season each year keeps the work manageable.

It sprays water from your supply: city, pool or tank. On Fortress tier systems with the foam option, Class A foam can be added during the most serious threat. It is the type wildland fire agencies use, it is biodegradable, and it rinses off after the threat clears.

Yes. Class A foam is non-corrosive, non-toxic and readily biodegradable, with no Proposition 65 listed chemicals. Wildland firefighters use the same type around plants, pets and landscaping. After the threat clears, the system rinses it away with plain water, so nothing lingers on your property.

No. Class A foam is non-corrosive to roofing, siding and paint, and it is made for use on structures. Fire agencies have used it for decades. It washes away with water without staining, so your roof and walls look the same once the rinse cycle is done.

Cleanup is simple: after the threat clears, the system runs a rinse cycle. Foam rinses away with water, with no hazmat steps. Plants may look flattened for a while but recover. The app shows you water supply and system health afterward, so you can see that the system is ready again.