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Placer County Chipper Program - Placer Resource Conservation District

Placer County Chipper Program - Placer Resource Conservation District

Phone number
(530) 390‑6680 – contact phone for inquiries.
Category
Home
Auto tags
Eligibility
Placer County residents; landowners who meet the “Very Low Limit” criteria.
Auto Summary
The Placer County Chipper Program offers low‑cost residential chipper services funded by Placer County and CAL FIRE, charging $80 per hour and providing cost‑share fee waivers for eligible landowners. It aims to reduce fuels, promote defensible space, and support fire prevention, with details on eligibility, service requests, contact information, and links to additional resources and program updates.
Value
$80
Espanol
Programa de Trituradora del Condado de Placer - Distrito de Conservación de Recursos de Placer
URL
https://placerrcd.org/programs/chipperprogram/
Last verified 2026-05-17. Program active for the 2026 season.

What you get

A trained Placer RCD crew comes to your property, runs your piled brush and limbs through a chipper, and broadcasts the chips back onto your land as mulch. This is how most Placer County residents knock down a big defensible-space project without hauling debris or burning piles.
  • Cost: $80 per hour for the crew. Most jobs are billed by the time on site.
  • Funded by: Placer County and CAL FIRE, run by Placer Resource Conservation District (a local nonprofit special district).

Who qualifies

  • You own land inside Placer County and inside the Placer RCD service area.
  • The program cannot serve addresses inside the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) boundary — that includes Tahoe City, Kings Beach, and Homewood. If you're up there, contact the Tahoe RCD instead.
  • Your piles must already be built and meet the program's size and placement rules before you submit a request. Don't apply until your piles are ready. [Source: placerrcd.org/programs/chipperprogram (accessed 2026-05-17)]

Fee waiver (free chipping for low-income landowners)

Cost-share fees can be waived entirely for landowners whose household income meets HUD's "Very Low Income" limit for Placer County. If money is the only thing keeping you from booking, apply for the waiver first.
  • You'll need to document household income. Approval is per-landowner, not per-job.

How to request service

  1. Read the requirements so you don't get bounced: Chipper Program Information and Requirements.
  1. Build your piles to spec (size, distance from structures, access for the crew).
  1. Submit the request form: placerrcd.org/chipperrequest.
  1. If you want the fee waived, apply for the waiver before the crew shows up.
  1. Questions: email chipper@placerrcd.org or call (530) 390-6680.

Common pitfalls

  • Applying before piles are built. Requests get rejected if the crew can't work right away. Pile first, apply second.
  • Wrong jurisdiction. Tahoe-side properties aren't eligible — check the service area map before applying.
  • Missing the waiver step. The waiver isn't automatic. If you don't apply, you pay $80/hour even if you'd qualify for free service.
  • Piles too far from road access. The crew needs to reach your piles; placement rules matter.

Where to get help

  • Outside Placer County? Look up your own RCD — most California counties have one running a similar chipper or defensible-space program.

Sources