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Home hardening made simple.

Protect what matters most by changing your space to resist fire. It should be functional and beautiful.

 

Home is where the heart is.

At Defensible Designs LLC, we specialize in helping homeowners in the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) navigate and implement fire safety regulations.

Our concierge-style approach ensures you receive hands-on support at every stage—from understanding MOFD and Cal-Fire requirements to gathering quotes and coordinating defensible space projects. We aim to simplify compliance, making it easier for you to protect your home and community from wildfire risks.

Kids at home looking out the window
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
 

Just as a bike helmet can save your life in a fall, home hardening is your most important first line of defense in a wildfire.  It could be what keeps your home from igniting when wildfire or ember storms head your way.

What Defensible Designs does:

  • Fundamentally, we help your home or business be better prepared for wildfire by planning, coordinating, and executing home hardening projects. We work with qualified, licensed vendors to get the work done to your satisfaction.
  • Help you understand the requirements and opportunities.
  • Understand your priorities when it comes to protecting your home and business.
  • Manage the project, including gathering quotes, sourcing vendors and materials, creative problem solving, and overseeing completion.
  • Communicate regularly so you know what's going on.
  • Integrate applicable programs and grants, such as the Lawn-to-Garden rebate, ember-resistant vents, gutter guards, chipper program, etc.
  • Coordinate fresh landscape solutions -- the right plants in the right spots.
  • Give back to the community through our Pay it Forward Community Fund and volunteer days.
  • Help your whole neighborhood be safer.

What is Zone Zero?

It's the first 5 feet from your home. Think of it as a picture frame around your most valuable asset.

Fire Safe Marin_Zone zero_flagstone and concrete
Zone Zero with flagstone and concrete; plants are in islands with air gaps between.
Fire Safe Marin_Screen area under deck for zone zero
Screen the areas under decks to keep embers (and critters!) out.
Fire Safe Marin_Concrete and lawn
Check out this clean concrete path between the home and the grass. It's simple and straighforward.
Fire Safe Marin_flagstone and river rocks
Flagstone and river rocks are chosen for Zone Zero.
Fire Safe Marin_Zone 0 patio seating
Slate, stamped concrete or flagstone in this path provide a clear walkway and keep the home protected from embers.
Fire Safe Marin_brick in zone zero
Bricks are next the home in Zone Zero.
Fire Safe Marin_Flagstone and potted plants
Metal patio furniture and potted plants (on casters) in Zone Zero
Fire Safe Marin_stone and decomposed granite
Decomposed granite and stone are featured in this Zone Zero. 
Fire Safe Marin_Stone mulch at Zone Zero
Stone mulch at the base of the home meets the noncombustible requirement.
Fire Safe Marin_Limb trees 6 up or 3x high

Air gaps are key. That's why trees need a minimum clearance of 6' and shrubs need 3x their height of minimum vertical clearance. 

*All photos are courtesy of Fire Safe Marin. They have amazing resources are definitely worth checking out!

Zone Zero is the 0–5 foot area immediately touching your home and deck. This is where many homes have established bushes and foundation plantings. Everything in this space should be hard, clean, and fire-safe. Current local mandates require:

  • Removal of bark mulch, dead plants, and leaf litter (ongoing)

  • Replacement of combustible materials with gravel, pavers, decomposed granite or other noncombustible  materials (one time)

  • Keeping this zone free of wood piles, fencing, or shrubs that could catch a spark

  • Relocating trash cans away from your house

  • Planting your garden 5' away from your house or use moveable pots with fire-resistant plants.

Our aim is to bring more safety to your home, your family, the neighborhood and the community. Change can be difficult...but this can be an opportunity to increase both safety and beauty at the same time.

Book a Free Discovery Call
Learn more: How Zone Zero Fits Into Defensible Space

What's my risk?

Enter your address on the updated CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone tool. 

We can help you navigate and understand your Zone and what it means for you. If you'd like to check it out, click the image below and it will open in a new tab. 

CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zone map link

What do the colors mean? Here's the key:

Fire Hazard map Legend

Can you help a neighbor by supporting the Defensible Designs Pay It Forward Community Fund?

CalFire Defensible Space

Community-wide hardening reduces risk and increases safety for all.

“Changes to individual structures may not be sufficient to reduce overall risk when homes are densely spaced — community-wide mitigation provides the strongest protection.” — Fire risk to structures in California’s Wildland-Urban Interface

Wildfire doesn’t stop at property lines. That’s why Defensible Designs created the Pay it Forward Community Fund to help our neighbors in need. Contributions can be financial or practical such as volunteering time or materials. 

Read more about the donating to the fund or volunteer opportunities

Meet our Founder

Naomi Redding, Owner

Naomi Redding

Naomi Redding is the founder of Defensible Designs LLC, helping homeowners in Orinda, Moraga, and Contra Costa County prepare their properties to resist wildfire. She focuses on practical solutions like Zone Zero planning, home hardening upgrades, and fire-resistant landscaping while balancing safety and beauty. 

Having worked as a project manager, consultant, and executive assistant in roles that demanded precision, resourcefulness, and creative hands-on problem solving, Naomi saw firsthand how complex or onerous regulations can overwhelm homeowners. She founded Defensible Designs to bridge that gap: to turn regulatory jargon into simple action, and “fire mitigation” into something manageable, attractive, and deeply rooted in community care.

When she’s not meeting with clients or learning about the latest fire science videos, Naomi enjoys cycling the East Bay’s roads, camping in Yosemite with her family, and gardening. She draws inspiration from her grandmother Blanche's gardens in Mendocino.