What is this program?

The Berkeley Fire Department provides FREE CITY-WIDE curbside chipping, pickup, and disposal of vegetation material from residential properties to assist residents in their efforts to create and maintain a defensible space around their home.

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• Material Accepted:

  • Shrubs, brush, limbs, woody bushes, broom, cypress, eucalyptus, juniper, firewood, etc.

  • Limbs and firewood MUST NOT exceed 8” in diameter.

• Material Not Accepted:

  • Bagged or tied material of any kind.

  • Trash, construction materials, lumber, and regular yard waste.

  • Poison oak, blackberry brambles, leaves, lawn clippings, bamboo roots, roots with dirt, rocks, or gravel.

• Pile Size:

  • Pile must not exceed 25 feet (length) x 4 feet (width) x 4 feet (height).

  • Piles with unpermitted items or any portion of a pile greater than 25 x 4 x 4 feet may be left behind and will become the resident’s responsibility to remove.

• Pile Placement:

  • Place piles within five feet of a roadway that the chipper truck can access.

  • Place piles in a location that is not blocking a roadway or driveway.

  • Provide a minimum of 10 feet between the pile and a utility pole or fire hydrant.

  • Place piles in an unobstructed location, e.g. - not behind fences, closed gates, or other obstructions.