Property Care Guide
10340 Aspen St, Truckee, CA 96161
Truckee, CA 96161 · Elevation 5817 ft
Donner Woods #1
Location & Property Details
- Elevation
- 5817 ft
- Fire Hazard Severity Zone
- High (CAL FIRE FHSZ)
- Fire District
- Truckee Fire Protection District
- Water
- Truckee Donner PUD
- Electric
- Liberty Utilities
- Gas
- Southwest Gas
TR Tahoe provides year-round property care across Truckee and North Lake Tahoe.
Seasonal Maintenance Calendar for Truckee
At 5817 ft in a High fire hazard zone, this property has specific seasonal maintenance requirements. Actual timing shifts 2–4 weeks in heavy snow years.
Spring
- Clear winter debris, pine needles, and broken branches from roof, gutters, and around foundation
- Inspect roof for damage from snow load; check flashing and shingles
- De-winterize exterior plumbing and irrigation systems
- Check deck boards and railings for rot or separation from frost heave
- Inspect crawlspace and sub-floor - pre-1980 construction often has degraded vapor barriers and original insulation that retains moisture and reduces energy efficiency
Summer
- Create and maintain 100-ft defensible space (zones 0/1/2 per CAL FIRE)
- Stain or reseal decks during dry weather window
- Inspect and clean chimneys, stovepipes, and spark arrestors
- Test smoke and CO detectors; replace batteries
Fall
- Clear pine needles from roof, gutters, and within 5 ft of structures (Zone 0)
- Winterize exterior plumbing: drain hoses, shut-off exterior spigots, blow out irrigation
- Service heating system and replace furnace filters
- Check roof for loose shingles before snow season
- Check original single-pane windows and door weatherstripping; aging seals significantly raise heating costs in Tahoe winters and are a common source of pipe-freeze vulnerability
Winter
- Monitor snow load on roof
- Keep attic and crawlspace ventilation clear of snow to prevent ice dams
- Check for ice dam formation at eaves and roof valleys
- Ensure heat tape on exposed pipes is functioning
- Pre-1980 galvanized or original copper supply lines are more prone to freeze damage - verify heat tape covers all exposed runs under the structure, including any original un-insulated sections
What This Means for an Owner Here
A 1954-built cabin at 5,817 ft in Truckee carries the seasonal rhythm of its build era: shoulder seasons are when most work happens, deep winter is when most failures appear, and the gap between those two is where ownership cost is either contained or compounded. In the Donner Woods #1 area, The structures that have lasted this long did so because someone, somewhere along the chain of owners, treated annual envelope work as non-optional.
Service Area & Utility Context
Subdivision-level governance at this property shapes both the maintenance budget and the decision-making cadence. Most Donner Woods #1 communities run on annual assessment cycles with periodic special assessments for capital projects, and owners who engage with the board meetings catch the cost surprises earlier than owners who don't.
Property Profile
Public records show a 600-sq-ft home built in 1954 on a compact 0.11-acre lot, with 1 bedrooms and 1 bathrooms as of the last assessor update; current assessed value sits at $246,173. The combination of structure size and lot area at 5,817 ft typically drives both the seasonal-maintenance load and the defensible-space perimeter the Truckee Fire Protection District expects; the last recorded sale was in 2011 at a recorded price of $195,000; 1.5-story configuration.
Fire District Inspection: Truckee Fire Protection District
Truckee Fire Protection District inspects properties in High and Very High FHSZ zones on a rolling schedule through summer. The High designation in most of Truckee (vs Very High at the lake) allows slightly more tolerance in Zone 2, but Zone 0 requirements are the same. The district coordinates with the Town of Truckee on VHR permit renewals — properties with unresolved defensible space violations may face delays in STR permit renewal. Truckee Fire Protection District runs the Defensible Space Inspection Program program with field activity concentrated in May through August. For a 600 sq ft property at 10340 Aspen St, the highest-leverage owner habit is documented self-inspection: photograph each zone, note clearance distances, and store the record alongside the prior year's inspection report.
Donner Woods #1 — Community
This property is in the Donner Woods #1 subdivision in Truckee, Nevada County / Town of Truckee. Contact TR Tahoe for property-specific information about local maintenance considerations, neighbor patterns, and service availability in this community.
Nevada County / Town of Truckee — Permits, Taxes & Compliance
Permits
Portal: Town of Truckee Building Department (townoftruckee.com)
For 10340 Aspen St, structural and mechanical work routes through Town of Truckee Building Department (townoftruckee.com). Permitting jurisdiction splits between the Town of Truckee (incorporated areas) and Nevada County Building (unincorporated). The Town has rolled out updated fire-resistant construction standards in recent code cycles, and any project started after 2022 must meet the new materials and systems requirements. Owners of a 1954-built home at 5,817 ft should budget review time accordingly - TRPA overlap on Tahoe Basin parcels is the dominant timeline driver.
Short-Term Rental Rules
TOT Rate: 10% (Town of Truckee VHR program, separate from county TOT)
Running this 600 sq ft property as a vacation rental falls under Nevada County / Town of Truckee rules: TOT applies at 10% (Town of Truckee VHR program, separate from county TOT). The Town of Truckee has a Vacation Home Rental (VHR) permit program separate from any county-level TOT. VHR permits require an annual application, proof of insurance, a designated local contact person, and compliance with occupancy caps and noise ordinance requirements. The Town has capped total VHR permits in certain zones. Each HOA (Tahoe Donner, Glenshire, Martis Camp) may impose additional STR restrictions that are more limiting than Town minimums. For a 1954-built structure, registration and renewal cycles align with annual fire-district inspections - sequence them together.
Property Tax & Transfer
Nevada County / Town of Truckee administers the assessor records for this parcel (current assessed value $246,173). Truckee's incorporated status means planning and zoning sit with the Town; unincorporated parcels fall under Nevada County. Prop 19 applies to all parent-to-child transfers. Recent Town zoning updates have been adding residential density allowances - useful context for any future ADU or lot-split work. A 1954-built structure that has been in a family for decades typically faces the largest gap between assessed value and current market - that gap shapes both transfer strategy and inheritance planning.
Fire Compliance
Agency: Truckee Fire Protection District
Under Truckee Fire Protection District oversight, this parcel sits in a High FHSZ tier. Truckee Fire Protection District covers most of the Truckee area for fire and emergency services. The district runs annual defensible-space inspections, and most Truckee parcels sit in High FHSZ with specific clearance requirements per zone. The district's website publishes the current inspection checklist. The maintenance cadence the agency expects is roughly: clear in spring, verify in summer, reconfirm before red-flag season - three touchpoints per year, not one.
Short-Term Rental Context: Truckee (96161)
Operating an STR at 10340 Aspen St in the Truckee zip means competing inside a 0.1%-density market. Truckee (96161) is governed by the Town of Truckee, which requires a Vacation Home Rental (VHR) permit separate from any county TOT. The Town imposes occupancy caps, noise ordinance requirements, and an annual renewal process. Despite low TOT registration in the county database, Truckee has a substantial STR market — the VHR program is administered locally. Tahoe Donner, Glenshire, and Martis Valley each have their own HOA rules on top of Town requirements; verify restrictions before listing. The properties that consistently land in the upper half of $32,000–$50,000 are the ones whose owners reinvest 8-12% of gross back into the unit annually - appliances, soft goods, deferred maintenance - rather than skimming.
Income estimates are based on Placer/El Dorado County TOT filings and publicly reported AirDNA/VRBO North Lake Tahoe data, 2023–2024. Actual results vary by property type, condition, and operator.
Truckee: Community Background
Development era: 1868 (railroad) — town established
Neighborhood texture in Truckee is layered rather than uniform: Truckee's commercial district dates to 1868 when the Central Pacific Railroad arrived during construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Chinese laborers, who comprised the majority of the railroad workforce, established a Chinatown in Truckee that was a significant community through the 1880s. The town served as a timber and ice industry center through the early 20th century before transitioning to recreation. The historic downtown's brick commercial facades survive from this era, and the town's year-round civic infrastructure — hospital, schools, services — reflects its origins as a working town rather than a resort. 10340 Aspen St sits in that mix, and a 600 sq ft home at 5,817 ft inherits both the advantages of an established neighborhood and the maintenance obligations that came with whichever 1868 (railroad) — town established build cycle produced the surrounding inventory.
Truckee: Local Events & Lifestyle
Truckee is a real town — with a hospital, schools, a newspaper, and a commercial district that functions year-round. Unlike the lake-oriented resort communities, Truckee has a permanent population that gives it infrastructure and civic services the smaller communities lack. This makes it attractive for primary residences as well as vacation properties, and explains why year-round values in Tahoe Donner and Martis Valley command premiums despite being 15+ minutes from the lake. For an owner at 10340 Aspen St, that character translates directly into property-level decisions: which weeks command rental premium, which seasons demand the highest maintenance attention, and which amenities matter to long-term resale.
Truckee Film Festival
August (4 days)
An independent film festival held annually in downtown Truckee, using historic venues including the Truckee Theater. Draws a creative, arts-oriented visitor base and contributes to late-summer occupancy in the 96161 zip. A property at 5,817 ft in Truckee sees this in the surrounding ecosystem of dining, lodging, and traffic patterns each year.
Truckee Thursdays
June–September (weekly, Thursday evenings)
A weekly street fair in historic downtown Truckee with live music, vendors, food, and craft beer. One of the most consistently attended community events in the region; gives Truckee's downtown a summer vitality that distinguishes it from more resort-oriented communities.
Truckee Tahoe Air Show & Family Festival
July (biennial)
Held at Truckee Tahoe Airport, this event draws aviation enthusiasts and families to a venue that doubles as a scenic gateway into the mountains. A distinctive regional event tied to Truckee's identity. For owners at 10340 Aspen St, this is one of the calendar markers worth knowing - both for personal use planning and rental availability.
Railroad Heritage
Year-round
Truckee was a Central Pacific Railroad hub beginning in 1868, and downtown's commercial character reflects that history. The old commercial blocks along Donner Pass Road retain their 1870s–1920s brick facades. The Transcontinental Railroad Museum in the restored depot building provides year-round cultural draw. A property at 5,817 ft in Truckee sees this in the surrounding ecosystem of dining, lodging, and traffic patterns each year.
Property Record
- Bedrooms
- 1.0
- Bathrooms
- 1.0
- Living Area
- 600 sq ft
- Lot Size
- 0.11 acres
- Year Built
- 1954
- APN
- 017-140-005-000
Data from county assessor public records. May differ from current as-built condition.
Managing a Renovation or Remodel?
Out-of-area owner planning a project in Tahoe? TR Tahoe provides owner’s representative and construction oversight services — real-time photo documentation, invoice review with broker oversight, weekly progress reports, and budget tracking against your contractor’s estimate.
- Real-time photo documentation
- Invoice tracking with broker oversight
- Weekly progress reports
- Budget tracking against contractor estimate
Seasonal Care, Handyman & Maintenance
TR Tahoe has served North Lake Tahoe since 1997. Pine needle clearing, defensible space, snow load monitoring, pipe freeze prevention, deck staining, fire prep — the work that keeps a Tahoe property in good shape and your insurance in force.
Considering Buying 10340 Aspen St, Truckee, CA 96161?
I’m Tristan Roberts — a licensed Lake Tahoe Realtor (DRE #01259729, Coldwell Banker) and the founder of TR Tahoe Property Care. I represent buyers, and I bring both the brokerage and the property-care lens to every showing.
When you view this home with me, I’ll point out:
- What this property’s elevation (5817 ft) and High fire hazard zone mean for ongoing maintenance and insurance.
- How the Truckee Donner PUD water source and Truckee Fire Protection District district affect long-term costs.
- Issues common to 1954-era construction in Truckee.
- STR (short-term rental) viability and county compliance for Truckee.
Broker of Record: Coldwell Banker Realty — DRE #01259729 — 475 N Lake Blvd Unit 102, Tahoe City, CA 96145 (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §10140.6)
Equal Housing Opportunity. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation.
Or text/call directly: (530) 448-1734 · tristan@cblaketahoe.com
Looking to buy, sell, or value this property?
Tristan Roberts is a licensed Coldwell Banker real estate broker with 27 years in North Lake Tahoe (DRE #01259729).
View sale history and market data at cblaketahoe.com →
This page is a property care and maintenance reference, not a real estate listing or appraisal.