New Construction in Stevenson Ranch, Wood That Qualifies
Which siding and deck boards pass the ember rules on a mapped Stevenson Ranch lot, and how county plan review checks each listing before the build.
Is wood still allowed on the outside of a rebuilt house? We answer that at the first Stevenson Ranch site visit by looking up the address on the state fire hazard map. Parts of Stevenson Ranch are mapped, and a lot inside those lines comes under the ember chapter of the building code, which limits the materials on the walls and decks. Wood can stay, provided it is the right kind.
Walls that pass
On a mapped lot, the exterior wall covering must be noncombustible, ignition-resistant, heavy timber, or part of an assembly that passed the state fire marshal's wall test. Plain cedar boards do not meet that list by themselves. Fire-retardant-treated wood made and labeled for exterior use can qualify as ignition-resistant, because its treatment is tested to hold up through weathering. Fiber cement milled to look like lap siding or shingles gives a similar look with no treatment at all. We bring samples and listings to the design meeting, and the plans name the exact product.
Decks and county review
Deck boards within 10 feet of the house follow their own list: noncombustible boards, ignition-resistant material, exterior fire-retardant-treated wood, or a board that passed the state deck tests. Ordinary pressure-treated lumber is made to resist rot and insects, and it does not meet that list. Some composite boards carry the needed listing and some do not, so the brand and product line go on the drawings. Los Angeles County Building and Safety checks those listings at plan review, the county fire department reviews access and clearance, and the field inspector matches delivered boards to the approved sheet.
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New Construction in Stevenson Ranch: questions
Bring the name of any siding or deck board you already have in mind, and we will check its fire listing before design leans on it. The address also goes onto the state fire hazard map at that point. A boundary survey, a soils report and the county's limits on height and yard setbacks complete what design needs.
Siding and decking are priced as named products, so an exterior fire-retardant-treated deck and a listed composite one can be compared line against line. Construction is priced from the county-approved plans in stages, footings through paint, and those product lines sit within it. Before that, the paper side, from the survey to county plan check, carries its own price.
On an unincorporated lot like this one, coordinating reaches past the consultants to the county fire department and Building and Safety, and our office carries all of it. Survey, geotechnical and structural work run on one timeline we set. When a reviewer questions a siding or deck product, we send the listing and its test report with the reply.
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Tell us about the property and what you have in mind. We reply with a written next step.