County of Sonoma
Permit Sonoma › Divisions › Fire Prevention & HazMat › Services and Fees › Chipper Program › Chipper Program Guidelines
Fire Prevention and Hazardous Materials Division

Sonoma County Chipper Program Guidelines

tO AVOID DELAYS TO CHIP REQUESTS, PLEASE Meet ALL Program Guidelines Before YOU SCHEDULE A RESERVATION.

Upon arrival at your property: The Chipper Crew will inspect, approve, and chip piles meeting guidelines all in that one visit. IMPORTANT information if the pile is not approved for chipping: Pile(s) not meeting all guidelines cannot be approved. The scheduler automatically voids the chip request. The customer will receive an email notification and notes describing what corrections are needed. When the pile fix is completed, the customer must go online and schedule a new reservation. The Chipper Crew will come back to reinspect the pile and chip if approved.

The Reservation Scheduler automatically voids chip requests for piles not meeting the guidelines below.
Click Link at Bottom of Page for Reservation Information and Instructions. 

Read the guidelines below before creating your chipper pile.

Questions? Contact Us
Phone: (707) 565-6070
CA Relay Service: 711

Email: Chipper@sonomacounty.gov

All guidelines must be met before making a reservation. Piles are inspected for compliance with the guidelines. Service may be denied, or corrections may be required if piles are not stacked or placed according to the guidelines or if they contain prohibited materials (see below). The reservation is automatically voided if chip piles are not ready when the Chipper Crew arrives or when the pile doesn't meet the guidelines. The customer must schedule a new reservation when the pile is fixed and ready for reinspection.

Please note: Delays to your chipping request will likely occur if you haven’t met all of the program guidelines.

The crew can chip a pile in an approved location of no more than 3-feet tall, 10-feet wide, and 50-feet long, in about two hours. The crew may opt to return at a later date or ask that the remaining material be removed at the applicant's expense.

Photo example of woodpile meeting guidelines. Pile approved for chipping. *Guidelines met for placement, contents, stacking, and size. *Pile no more than 3-ft tall, 10-ft wide, up to 50-ft long. *Pile placed in a row with cut ends facing road or driveway. *Pile placed within 10-ft from road or driveway.

Things that can go in your pile:

  • The Chipper Program is intended for trees and brush cut to create or maintain defensible space.
  • The chipper can handle limbs from trees or brush no more than 4-inches in diameter and up to 10-feet long.
  • Freshly cut and stacked materials chip much better than old, dry wood. If your piles have been in place for a long time and/or contain old, dry material, our crews may not be able to chip them.

Things that cannot go in your pile:

  • No nails, wires, or any metal pieces!
  • No roots or stumps.
  • No Poison Oak or other poisonous species.
  • No vines or materials entangled with vines.
  • No Oleander.
  • No bamboo or fibrous materials such as palm tree fronds.
  • No spiny plants or trees with thorns (roses, blackberries, thorny fruit trees, etc.).
  • No Scotch/French broom or gorse.
  • No construction-type wood (Example: fence posts or 2x4s).
  • No rocks, dirt, and/or mud.
  • No rakings or piles of needles, leaves, and/or grass.
  • No fire debris, burned logs, branches, or trees from past fires.
  • No firewood or logs cut into wood rounds.
  • No wood older than a year; no rotten wood.
  • You WILL be responsible for disposing of any unchipped materials.

Placement of Piles

Piles must be placed along road or driveway frontages so that crews can work safely without the need for additional personnel, signage, or road closure permits. The crew will not chip piles that are more than 10-feet from an accessible road or driveway. The chipper cannot go up very steep slopes.

  • Do not place piles where they might block roadways or access.
  • Do not put piles within 10-feet of power poles.
  • The chipper and truck must be able to get to a place they can turn around.
  • Place piles on road or driveway within 10-feet of chipper access, preferably on the uphill side of the road or driveway. The Chipper Crew will not work around obstructions.
  • Your reservation is automatically voided when piles are placed in a field, stable, orchard, or any location that doesn't meet program guidelines.
  • Customer will schedule a new reservation when the crew-recommended issue is fixed. 
  • Disposal of any unchipped material is the responsibility of the property owner.
  • All material chipped will be blown back onto the property in a place the crew deems practical and safe. Customer is responsible for spreading out the piles of chips. Special accommodations for chip locations will be the determination of the chipping crew.
  • The crew has the right to deny chipper service when a request or service area is outside the scope of the program or does not meet the guidelines of the free Chipper Program.

Stacking Your Piles

  • Piles must be no more than 3-feet tall, 10-feet wide, with rows no longer than 50-feet.
  • The chipper can chip wood up to 10-feet long and no more than 4-inches in diameter. It is quicker for the crew to chip one 10-foot branch then multiple short lengths. Materials should be between 4-feet long and 10-feet long.
  • Piles must be stacked with the cut ends lined up facing the same direction and pointing towards the road or driveway, preferably on the uphill side.
  • Do not use large equipment, such as tractors or bobcats, to stack piles.
  • No burn or debris piles.
  • When your piles are complete, take digital photos of your pile(s) to submit with your reservation. 

« Go Back to main Chipper Program | Go to Chipper Program Reservation Scheduler Information and Instructions »