What Standard 222 requires on an existing home
| Part of the house | When it applies | What is required |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | All roofs | Class A or higher |
| Attic, eave and cornice vents | When reroofing permits are issued and the covering is removed | Remove or replace; eave and cornice vents only if they resist flames and embers |
| Windows | Any new or replaced window | Insulated glass with at least one tempered pane (preferably outside), or glass block, a 20-minute rating or SFM 12-7A-2 |
| Exterior doors | Any new or replaced door | Non-combustible, solid-core wood of the required thickness, a 20-minute rating or SFM 12-7A-1 |
| Siding | Work needing more than 50% of a wall elevation | Non-combustible or ignition-resistant material, heavy timber or log, or SFM 12-7A-1 |
| Decks | Repairs removing more than 50% of the deck surface; decking within 10 feet of the house | Ignition-resistant, heavy timber, exterior fire-retardant-treated wood or approved non-combustible |
| Gutters | Covers or another way to keep leaves out |
Standard 222 says the code sections it summarises hold the full requirements. Marin County Fire lists it, with the vegetation and sprinkler standards and the County Fire Code (Ordinance 3775), on its standards page; Fire Prevention is at 415-473-2125.
The vegetation management plan
Standard 220 (27 January 2020) requires a vegetation management plan (VMP) for all new homes and structures, subdivisions, and buildings "undergoing substantial remodel" in the WUI. The standard does not define "substantial" by square feet or percent, so ask Fire Prevention before you assume an addition or kitchen-and-bath job is below it.
- Zones. Immediate 0 to 5 feet; intermediate 5 to 30 feet; extended 30 to 100 feet, or more on steep slopes.
- Submittal. PDF to firesubmittals@marincounty.org, with the preparer's name, address and phone on the plans, plus a Marin County Fire permit application and fees.
- Timing. Mitigation must begin before construction and be finished before the project is complete. For a remodel, that is a landscaping line item on the schedule, not an afterthought.
What it means when you hire
- Put it in the bid. Ask every roofer, window installer and siding contractor to state in writing that the product meets Standard 222: a Class A assembly, the vent model, the tempered pane, the SFM test number.
- Know your fire agency. County Building and Safety permits only unincorporated Marin, and Standard 222 is Marin County Fire's. If another fire agency serves your parcel, ask it which rules apply; the County's property lookup is linked from the fire standards page.
- License. Every one of these trades needs a CSLB license; see the Marin County contractor license lookup.
What the trades that carry the rules filed
| Trade | Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | Usual filed value | Usual days to final | Finished | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 1,943 | $20,421 | 58 | 85.9% | August |
| Windows and doors | 488 | $12,214 | 94 | 88.5% | July |
| Siding and stucco | 204 | $25,498 | 119 | 90.9% | August |
| Decks and stairs | 151 | $50,000 | 335 | 75.7% | August |
Window work is concentrated: Jemico LLC alone holds 47.5% of window and door permits. Siding is the most seasonal of the four, peaking in August at 353 against an average month of 100, and decks peak in August (175). A deck permit took 335 days to final, so a deck rebuild started in summer may still be open in fire season the following year.
Compare Marin County roofers by permit record →
Related
The reroof permit itself: Marin County roofing permit. Heat pumps and furnaces: Marin County HVAC permit. Looking up a permit: Marin County building permit search. Other filed values: Marin County home improvement costs. Permit counts by year: Marin County permit statistics. Compare window, siding and deck firms on the window, siding and deck lists.
What this does not tell you
Our records are County of Marin permits for unincorporated Marin; they do not say whether a parcel is in the WUI, whether a VMP was filed, or which products were used. Cities and towns in Marin issue their own permits and may have their own fire rules. The standards are dated 2020 and summarise code sections that are updated with each code cycle, so confirm with Fire Prevention.
How we know this
Requirements are from Marin County Fire Department Fire Protection Standards 222 (rev. 2, 9 April 2020) and 220 (27 January 2020), linked from the department's standards page, all read 23 October 2026. Permit counts and filed values are County of Marin permits on homes in our roofing, windows and doors, siding and stucco, and decks and stairs categories, October 2023 to September 2026; the finished share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from Marin County Community Development Agency building permits on homes in unincorporated Marin (the County's open-data permit and inspection files), data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a Class A roof in Marin County?
In the wildland-urban interface, yes. Marin County Fire's Standard 222 for remodels and alterations says 'Class A or higher is required for all roofs', and when a reroof permit is issued, eave and cornice vents must be removed or changed to ember-resistant ones (Standard 222, rev. 2, 9 April 2020, read 23 October 2026).
- When does replacing siding trigger WUI rules in Marin?
When the work needs more than 50% of the lineal or square feet of a wall elevation. Below that it is exempt; above it, the wall must be non-combustible or ignition-resistant material, heavy timber or log, or pass the state test SFM 12-7A-1.
- Do replacement windows have to be tempered in Marin County?
In the WUI, Standard 222 says new or replaced windows must be insulated-glass units with at least one pane of tempered glass, preferably the outer one, or glass block, a 20-minute rated unit, or a unit that passes SFM 12-7A-2.
- What is a vegetation management plan in Marin County?
A plan of the defensible space around a building, by zone: 0 to 5 feet, 5 to 30 feet and 30 to 100 feet or more on steep slopes. Marin County Fire requires one for all new homes and structures and for substantial remodels in the WUI. It is emailed as a PDF to firesubmittals@marincounty.org, mitigation starts before construction and must be finished before the project is complete.
- Do deck repairs in Marin have to meet wildfire rules?
If the repair removes more than 50% of the existing deck surface, yes, and decking with any part within 10 feet of the house must comply: ignition-resistant material, heavy timber, exterior fire-retardant-treated wood or approved non-combustible materials.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Home improvement costs in Colorado Springs, CO (2026): what 12 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Minneapolis contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Home improvement costs in Minneapolis, MN (2026): what 11 kinds of jobs were filed at
- San Francisco building permit search: DBI tracking, records and job cards
- My Safe Florida Home in Orlando: the free inspection, the $10,000 grant and hiring the roofer
For one city
- Read standards and ordinances — Marin County Fire Department (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Fire Protection Standard 222: Wildland-Urban Interface Remodels and Alterations to Existing Buildings, rev. 2 (9 April 2020) — Marin County Fire Department (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Fire Protection Standard 220: Vegetation Management Plan (27 January 2020) — Marin County Fire Department (accessed 2026-10-23)