The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Irvine
Gutter fire hardening for South Orange County homes, before the next Santa Ana.
In September 2024 the Airport Fire ran out of Trabuco Canyon, burned 23,526 acres and destroyed 160 structures. Most homes in a wind-driven fire are not taken by the flame front. They are taken by embers landing in dry gutters, under roof edges and on anything plastic along the roofline. We replace vinyl with metal, cover the trough with non-combustible BroGuard mesh and clean before fire season, so there is nothing up there to catch.
- Free written estimates
- Seamless metal gutters formed on-site
- Serving Irvine and South Orange County
A hardened roofline,
done in one visit.
- Debris stripped from every run and downspout
- Vinyl and plastic replaced with metal
- BroGuard stainless mesh over the trough
- Downspout tops screened, fascia gaps closed
- Written scope and price before any work
Quick answer
Fire Hardening in Irvine and South Orange County, CA: The Brothers That Just Do Gutters Irvine hardens the roofline against embers with metal gutters formed on-site instead of vinyl, non-combustible BroGuard stainless mesh so dry debris cannot collect, screened downspouts, closed fascia gaps and cleanings timed before Santa Ana season. California’s Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Section 504.4, formerly Chapter 7A) calls for noncombustible gutters and downspouts in wildfire areas, with a means to keep leaves and debris from accumulating, and Cal Fire’s 2025 maps pushed fire hazard zones into Irvine villages like Orchard Hills and Turtle Rock and map most of Laguna Beach as Very High. Estimates are free. Call (949) 994-4410 or book online.
By the numbers
The Airport Fire and the 2025 maps rewrote what “fire zone” means in South County.
These are Cal Fire’s own numbers from the 2024 Airport Fire, and the state’s own hazard mapping for Irvine.
- 160structures destroyed by the Airport Fire in September 2024 across Orange and Riverside counties, per Cal Fire
- 23,526acresburned from Trabuco Canyon between September 9 and full containment on October 5, 2024
- 10,500acresof Irvine, about a quarter of the city, mapped Very High Fire Hazard Severity on Cal Fire’s March 2025 local map
- 100ftof defensible space required around homes under California Public Resources Code 4291
Sources: Cal Fire Airport Fire incident page; Cal Fire 2025 Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone map data, released March 24, 2025, measured within Irvine city limits; Cal Fire defensible space requirements.
What September 2024 did
Canyons, embers and dry rooflines: what the Airport Fire changed for South County homes.
The Airport Fire started on September 9, 2024 in Trabuco Canyon and burned for almost four weeks. It covered 23,526 acres, destroyed 160 structures and damaged 34 more across Orange and Riverside counties, and Cal Fire counted more than 20,000 structures threatened. It was not the first. In 2020 the Silverado Fire burned 12,466 acres off the 241 near Irvine, and the Bond Fire burned 6,686 acres out of Silverado Canyon and destroyed 31 structures. In a fire like these, the roofline is where the embers land first.
Get a Free Roofline CheckWhere the hazard is now
The new zones reach into neighborhoods that never carried the label.
Cal Fire’s March 2025 local map pushed fire hazard zones into Irvine villages like Orchard Hills, Woodbury, Portola Springs, Quail Hill and Turtle Rock, on top of canyon communities like Trabuco Canyon and Coto de Caza, where most of the land is mapped Very High in the State Responsibility Area. If your address is in one of those zones, the roof edge is the part of the house doing the most work.
- 01
Embers in the trough
A gutter holding a summer of eucalyptus leaves, pine needles and roof grit is kindling pressed against the fascia. In a Santa Ana wind that is how a house well back from the fire line catches.
- 02
Plastic on the roofline
Vinyl gutters and plastic guards soften, drop and burn. The state wildfire code (Section 504.4, formerly Chapter 7A) calls for gutters and downspouts of noncombustible material with a way to keep debris out.
- 03
Open downspouts and fascia gaps
An unscreened downspout top drops embers straight into the system. A gap at the fascia lets them work under the first course of tile or shingle.
- 04
Zone 0 is coming
The state Board of Forestry approved Zone 0 rules on August 19, 2026 (withdrawn from state review on September 8, 2026 for technical edits and not yet in effect) for Very High zones in cities and all state responsibility areas. Roofs and rain gutters kept clear of combustible debris is written into them.
The hardening visit
A fire-hardened roofline, done before the wind picks up.
A Solutionist walks the whole roofline and gives you a written scope and price first. Then the crew does the work, usually the same day. You get a report of what was cleared, what was replaced and what we recommend before the next red flag warning.
Get a Free Roofline Check(949) 994-4410
- Metalaluminum, bonderized steel or copper, never vinyl
- StainlessBroGuard mesh is non-combustible
- LocalSouth OC crews, local phone number: (949) 994-4410
- Strip the fuel out of every runCleared by hand, downspouts flushed and tested, and the debris carried off your property.
- Replace vinyl with metalSeamless aluminum, bonderized steel or copper formed on-site to the exact length of your roofline.
- Cover the trough with BroGuardNon-combustible stainless micro-mesh. Leaves and needles stay out, rain still flows through, nothing plastic on the roof edge.
- Screen the downspouts, close the gapsDownspout tops screened, hangers reset and fascia gaps closed so embers have nowhere to work in.
- Time it to the seasonCleanings scheduled before Santa Ana season, not after the first red flag warning.
- Put it in writingA written scope and price before any work, and a roofline report when it is done.
The rules in 2026
What California’s wildfire rules actually say about gutters
A lot of what homeowners hear about fire rules is out of date. Here is where things stand for gutters as of October 2026, with the source behind each one.
State building code
Metal gutters that keep debris out
Since January 1, 2026, California’s wildfire construction rules live in the new California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which took over the old Chapter 7A. Section 504.4 says gutters and downspouts shall be constructed of noncombustible material, and gutters need an approved means to keep leaves and debris from building up. It applies to new construction and permitted work in mapped fire hazard areas.
Irvine and the County of Orange
Irvine’s new map took effect July 23, 2025
Irvine adopted the State Fire Marshal’s 2025 map without changes, and it took effect July 23, 2025. New construction and major renovations permitted after that date have to meet the wildfire building and fire code in the new zones. The County of Orange adopted it for unincorporated local areas such as Ladera Ranch by Ordinance No. 25-015 on August 26, 2025, and the state’s own map for Coto de Caza and Trabuco Canyon has been in effect since April 1, 2024.
Zone 0, the first five feet
Approved, then pulled back for edits
The Board of Forestry approved Zone 0 rules on August 19, 2026, including keeping roofs and rain gutters clear of leaves, needles and other combustible debris. The filing was withdrawn from state review on September 8, 2026 for technical edits, and as of early October 2026 no state approval has been posted, so the rules are not in effect yet. When they are, they cover Very High zones in cities and all state responsibility areas, which takes in Coto de Caza and Trabuco Canyon.
IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home
Metal gutters, then metal guards
The insurance industry’s wildfire standard asks for noncombustible gutters and downspouts plus routine debris removal at its base level, and adds noncombustible gutter guards at the Plus level. Metal gutters with BroGuard stainless mesh check both boxes.
Insurance discounts
Gutters are not on the state discount list, and they still matter
California’s Safer from Wildfires discount list covers Class A roofs, ember-resistant vents, enclosed eaves, upgraded windows and the five-foot zone, but not gutters. The reason every fire agency still talks about gutters is embers: IBHS research found embers account for up to 90 percent of home ignitions in wildfires, and a gutter full of dry debris is where they land.
Sources: California Building Standards Commission, State Fire Marshal final code text, Section 504.4, City of Irvine fire hazard maps, State Fire Marshal, County of Orange, Board of Forestry, Board of Forestry Zone 0 rule summary, California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, Office of Administrative Law, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home, IBHS ember research, CA Department of Insurance.
Fire hazard zones
Is your South County neighborhood in a Very High zone?
The State Fire Marshal released the new local fire hazard maps for Orange County cities on March 24, 2025. In Irvine the new map reaches into Orchard Hills, Woodbury, Portola Springs, Quail Hill, Turtle Rock, Laguna Altura, Los Olivos and the Irvine Spectrum area. About 86 percent of Laguna Beach and about two thirds of Rancho Santa Margarita are mapped Very High, and most of Coto de Caza and Trabuco Canyon is Very High on the state responsibility map.
These hillside and canyon communities we serve sit in or right next to Very High zones, so we treat every roofline there as a fire-hardening job:
Check your exact address
Zones are drawn parcel by parcel, so two houses on the same street can land in different zones. The state map viewer shows yours in about a minute.
Open the state fire zone mapOCFA, the fire department for Irvine and most South County cities, runs an online home assessment that asks whether your gutters are metal or vinyl, whether they have guards and how much debris they hold, and you can ask for an in-person visit from an OCFA Fire Prevention Specialist.
Sources: CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones, CAL FIRE 2025 local zone map data, City of Irvine, OCFA member cities, OCFA home assessment.
Checklist
The ember-ready roofline checklist
This is the order our crews work in on every fire-hardening visit. Steps one and seven you can do yourself. Everything that needs a ladder, call us.
- Clear the roof and every gutterState law already requires roofs in fire hazard areas to be kept clear of leaves and needles, and Cal Fire’s defensible space guidance says the same for gutters. Start there, then flush every downspout.
- Swap vinyl for metalIBHS asks for noncombustible gutters and downspouts, and so does the state wildfire code for new work. We form aluminum, bonderized steel or copper on-site, so nothing on the roof edge melts or burns.
- Cover the trough with a metal guardA noncombustible guard like BroGuard stainless micro-mesh keeps dry leaves out between cleanings, the IBHS Plus step and a CAL FIRE recommendation.
- Close the gap at the roof edgeCAL FIRE recommends a noncombustible metal drip edge at the roof edge and closing off gaps under roof tiles and shingles, which matters on the concrete and clay tile roofs all over South County.
- Clear valleys, dormers and cornersCAL FIRE calls the roof the most vulnerable part of the home and says to clear leaves, needles and debris off it regularly. Valleys and corners are where that debris piles up.
- Keep the ground under the gutters cleanSwap bark mulch and plants under the downspouts for gravel or hardscape, part of the five-foot ember-resistant zone on the state discount list.
- Trim what hangs over the roofThe Board of Forestry’s Zone 0 rules call for branches trimmed five feet above the roof and ten feet back from chimneys.
- Book it before Santa Ana wind seasonSchedule the work in late summer or early fall, before the dry offshore winds that drive ember storms.
Sources: CAL FIRE defensible space, IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home, CAL FIRE, Board of Forestry Zone 0 rule summary, Office of Administrative Law, CA Department of Insurance.
Services
More Ways We Help South County Homeowners
Related services from the same local crews.
Aluminum, copper and bonderized gutters formed on-site to the exact length of your roofline. No seams to leak, matched to your trim.
Learn more Gutter CleaningGutters and downspouts cleared by hand, flushed and tested. We do not leaf-blow debris onto your patio.
Learn more Gutter RepairLeaking seams, sagging runs, loose hangers and rotted fascia, repaired the same visit when possible.
Learn more BroGuard Gutter GuardsStainless micro-mesh that stops leaves, needles and grit while heavy rain flows through. Non-combustible.
Learn more Maintenance ProgramScheduled cleanings before and after storm season so your system is ready when the rain arrives.
Learn more Free estimateRequest a Free EstimateTell us what is going on with your South Orange County gutters. A local Solutionist walks the roofline, explains what you actually need and leaves a written price. No pressure, no obligation.
Book my free estimate or call (949) 994-4410How it works
What happens on cleaning day
- 1Pick a date
Call or book online and we line up a visit, ideally before the wet season gets going.
- 2Clear by hand
Debris comes out of every gutter by hand and goes straight into bags, not over the side.
- 3Flush and inspect
Each downspout gets water run through it while the crew checks seams, hangers and fascia.
- 4Report and clean up
You get a rundown of what we found, and walkways and patios are swept before we leave.
Why the Brothers
Why Irvine Homeowners Call the Brothers
Blowing debris off a roof just moves the problem onto your plants, pool and windows. Bagging it by hand takes longer and leaves nothing behind.
Working at gutter level along every run means small problems get spotted early. You hear about them with a free written estimate, not a hard sell.
Sara Baayoun owns the local operation, and calls go to the team that does the work in South Orange County. Questions about your visit get answered by the people who were on your roof.
We plan cleanings around Santa Ana season, jacaranda season and the rainy season. That is how we decide when your visit does the most good.
Year-round
Your South County gutter calendar
What we are doing on South County rooflines each season, so your system is ready before the weather asks it to work.
- Fall · Oct to NovPre-storm cleaning and repairs
Troughs and downspouts cleared and flush-tested, loose hangers and leaking seams fixed before the first big system.
- Winter · Dec to MarStorm season response
Overflow and clog calls prioritized ahead of forecast storms, plus emergency repair when a run pulls loose.
- Spring · Apr to MayPost-bloom clean-out and guards
Jacaranda blossoms, sycamore and eucalyptus drop cleared, and BroGuard installed so the trough stays clear all summer.
- Summer · Jun to SepInstall season and hardening
Best window for new seamless runs, metal upgrades and non-combustible guards before fire season peaks.
The Work
Real Crews. Real Irvine Homes.
Reviews
What Irvine Homeowners Say
“The whole experience was first rate. They stuck with their quote, showed up on time did the work expeditiously and did a quality job. What else is there?”
Posted on Google“Steve installed new gutters today and was such a professional about the work. He came on time, finished on time, explained everything as he was doing it and clearly is a gutter specialist. I highly recommend him for any gutter work that’s needed.”
Posted on Google“Quality service and friendly people. They were fast and solved my problem with expertise. Would recommend at any time.”
Posted on GoogleService area
Irvine and South OC communities we serve
Every community on this list is inside our service area and gets the same local crew, on-site seamless gutters and free written estimates. Cities with an arrow have their own local page. Call (949) 994-4410 or request a free quote and a Solutionist will come out.
- Aliso Viejo
- Capistrano Beach
- Costa Mesa
- Coto de Caza
- Dana Point
- Foothill Ranch
- Irvine
- Ladera Ranch
- Laguna Beach
- Laguna Hills
- Laguna Niguel
- Laguna Woods
- Lake Forest
- Mission Viejo
- Newport Beach
- Newport Coast
- Rancho Santa Margarita
- San Clemente
- San Juan Capistrano
- Trabuco Canyon
Frequently Asked Questions
Embers land on the roof edge first. A gutter full of dry leaves, needles and roof grit is kindling pressed against the fascia and roof deck, and IBHS research found embers account for up to 90 percent of home ignitions in wildfires, not the flame front.
We clean and flush the whole system, replace vinyl or failing runs with metal gutters formed on-site, install BroGuard stainless micro-mesh, close gaps at the roof edge and downspouts, and walk you through anything else on the roofline worth fixing before fire season.
Not yet. The Board of Forestry approved Zone 0 rules for the first five feet around homes on August 19, 2026, but the filing was withdrawn from state review on September 8, 2026 for technical edits, and no approval had been posted as of early October 2026. State law already requires homes in fire hazard areas to keep roofs clear of leaves and needles, and the approved rules spell that out for rain gutters too.
Since January 1, 2026, the rule is Section 504.4 of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code, which replaced Chapter 7A and R337. It says gutters and downspouts shall be constructed of noncombustible material, and gutters must have an approved means to keep leaves and debris from building up. It applies to new construction and permitted work in mapped fire hazard areas.
Gutter guards are not on California’s Safer from Wildfires discount list, which covers roofs, vents, eaves, windows and the five-foot zone. The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard does call for noncombustible gutters, and noncombustible gutter guards at its Plus level, so ask your insurer how they treat that designation.
Yes. Vinyl gutters and plastic or foam guards can melt or burn when embers land in them, and a melted gutter lets debris and embers sit right against the fascia. Metal gutters with a stainless mesh guard give embers nothing to catch.
For new construction and permitted work in a mapped fire hazard zone, yes. Section 504.4 of the state wildfire code calls for gutters and downspouts of noncombustible material plus an approved way to keep leaves and debris out. Irvine’s 2025 fire hazard map took effect July 23, 2025 and reaches into villages like Orchard Hills, Portola Springs and Turtle Rock, so check your address before you pull a permit.
Mostly, yes. Most of the land in both is mapped Very High in the State Responsibility Area, where CAL FIRE has primary responsibility for wildfire protection, and the state map there has been in effect since April 1, 2024. Public Resources Code 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space, and CAL FIRE says to keep the roof and gutters clear of leaves and needles.
Free estimates
Ready for a roofline that will not feed the next fire in South Orange County?
Free, no-pressure estimates from local Solutionists. Metal gutters formed at your home, non-combustible BroGuard protection and pre-season cleanings scheduled before the wind picks up.
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Irvine · (949) 994-4410 · Serving Irvine, CA and South Orange County
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