Phone Numbers, Contacts & Homeowner Basics

Brush Management Is the Owner’s Job

San Diego is a city of canyons, and a house on a canyon rim often comes with a legal duty to manage the vegetation around it. In Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, the city divides defensible space into three zones extending 100 feet from any structure.

• Zone 0, 0 to 5 feet. Keep it clear of dead plants, debris and flammable material; hardscape such as gravel or concrete works well here.
• Zone 1, 5 to 30 feet. Fire-resistant plantings kept low, with dead vegetation removed regularly and tree canopies spaced apart.
• Zone 2, 30 to 100 feet. Thin native vegetation, remove dead wood and invasive species. In environmentally sensitive habitat, clearing is limited to a seasonal window that protects nesting birds, so check the rules before you cut.

The full requirements live in the Fire-Rescue Department’s Guide to Defensible Space. If you are buying near a canyon, ask early which zones fall on the property and which fall on a neighbor’s or on city open space.

Your Trash Day Depends on Your Address

City-serviced homes have three containers: gray for trash and green for organic waste, both collected weekly, and light blue for recycling, collected every other week. Your day depends on where you live, so look it up with the city’s Collection Schedule Lookup instead of copying the neighbors. Businesses and privately serviced residences use a city-approved private franchise hauler instead.

The Tree at the Curb Is a City Tree

Trees in the public right-of-way are street trees, and the City of San Diego maintains them. Report a damaged sidewalk, a hazard, or a tree that needs trimming through Get It Done. If you want to trim, remove, plant or root-prune a street tree yourself, the city offers a no-fee permit after an inspection by city staff; details are on the street tree maintenance page. Branches touching power lines are SDG&E’s to handle.

Get It Done Is the Front Door to City Hall

Potholes, graffiti, streetlights, illegal dumping, missed collections, parking problems and park repairs all start in the same place. Get It Done works as a phone app or at getitdone.sandiego.gov, and lets you attach photos so crews can see the problem before they roll out. It is for non-emergencies only; anything urgent is still 911.

Remodels Usually Need a Permit

Building, demolition, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits all run through the city’s Development Services Department, which also handles inspections, zoning review and code enforcement. Most applications are filed through the department’s online portal, and the city publishes a plain-language guide, When Is a Permit Required?, worth reading before you hire anyone. Start at sandiego.gov/development-services or call (619) 446-5000.

Homes 45 Years or Older Get a Historic Look

When a permit application involves a building that is 45 years old or older, San Diego screens it for potential historic significance before work goes ahead. Owners supply photographs and the building’s permit records; if the city finds the property may be significant, the Historical Resources Board can review it for designation. Projects that follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards generally have an easier path.

For a remodel or teardown of an older house, read the city’s guide to fixing up, changing or demolishing a building 45 years old or older before you draw plans. For the architects and landmark houses behind the rule, see Neighborhoods and Field Notes.

Renting Out Your Home Takes a License

San Diego regulates short-term residential occupancy through a tiered license system run by the Office of the City Treasurer.

• Tier 1. Rentals of 20 days or less per year.
• Tier 2. Home sharing, with the host living on site.
• Tier 3. Whole-home rentals outside Mission Beach, capped citywide at 1% of the city’s housing units.
• Tier 4. Whole-home rentals in Mission Beach, with a separate cap.

Every operator also needs a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate. If you are buying with rental income in mind, check license availability first at sandiego.gov/treasurer; whole-home licenses are limited.