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Artificial turf in Zone 0
Artificial turf is not a noncombustible five-foot band. IBHS Base wants the 0–5 foot zone to mineral soil. It names artificial turf among combustible items to keep off attached-deck walking surfaces, and it strips combustible groundcover in that band. Gravel, pavers, river rock, decomposed granite, and concrete are permitted. Oregon R327 does not print turf.
You are looking at a plastic lawn against the foundation. It looks tidy. It is still a fuel.
ZON-020’s mulch comparison lives on the bark-mulch finding. This page is the plastic lawn. Do not use a house-level hub graphic as a turf swatch.
Why it matters
Embers ignite plastic and rubber at the wall. Zone 0 is a materials band, not a style. See Zone 0.
How the rules split
| Document | Artificial turf in 0–5 ft |
|---|---|
| IBHS Base | Combustible. Remove. Hardscape OK |
| Oregon R327 | Not named |
| CWRC 502.1.2 | Not named. Immediate Zone hardscape is rock, gravel, sand, concrete, bare earth, or pavers |
| CAL FIRE home hardening | Ember-resistant zone. Hardscape |
Do not invent a BOF Zone 0 turf clause from a rule that was voted and not yet in force as of 23 August 2026.
The paths
1. IBHS. Pull the turf. Put inorganic ground. Walk the deck too.
2. Oregon construction. R327 still does not care about turf. OSFM five-foot guidance still names rock, gravel, or pavers.
3. Under a deck. Same combustible-groundcover rule. See gravel under the deck.
What people mix up
- “It is not a plant, so it is Zone 0.”
- Rubber mulch as a cousin that is fine. It is not. See the finding.
- Writing turf onto R327.
How to check
- Tape five feet from walls and from the outermost deck posts.
- If it is plastic lawn, it is not that band for IBHS.
- Name the document you are scoring.
Limits
This page does not spec a turf SKU. FireApproved is not the AHJ. IBHS is a designation.
Related records
Questions
Is artificial turf noncombustible?
IBHS Base treats it as combustible groundcover to remove in the 0–5 foot zone, along with wood and rubber mulch and exposed weed cloth. Noncombustible hardscape such as gravel, pavers, river rock, decomposed granite, steppingstones, and concrete is permitted.
Does Oregon R327 ban turf?
No. R327 is construction. The five-foot band is IBHS, CAL FIRE home-hardening, and Oregon OSFM guidance. Those are not R327.
Can I keep turf outside five feet?
IBHS Base’s 0–5 foot sentence is the one that names artificial turf. Do not invent a 5–30 foot turf ban from that sentence. Read the band you are scoring.