Rebuilding after the fires

The permit path for rebuilding

Rebuild permits come from the jurisdiction your lot is in. Pacific Palisades is in the City of Los Angeles: permits go through LADBS and the city's One-Stop Rebuilding Center, and Mayor Bass's Emergency Executive Order 8 (July 2025) streamlines single-family rebuilds, including homes rebuilt larger than before.

Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County: permits go through the Altadena One-Stop Recovery Permitting Center. A like-for-like rebuild may grow by up to 10% or 200 square feet (whichever is greater) in floor area, height or footprint and must meet current building, fire and health codes; bigger changes follow current zoning, including the Altadena Community Standards District.

These programs have changed several times since 2025, so we confirm the current rules, deadlines and fees for your lot before design starts. We prepare the drawings, coordinate engineering and energy calculations, submit the plans, respond to plan-check comments and schedule every inspection, as on any Tulip project.

What we take on

Full ground-up rebuilds and partial rebuilds of damaged homes. Where it's needed, we coordinate debris clearance, soils reports and utility reconnection alongside design and permits.

Insurance documentation

Insurers usually ask for a clear scope and price. When your insurer requires it, we can help prepare a scope for your insurer and meet your adjuster on site if needed — whether that's the insurance company's adjuster or a public adjuster you've hired.

Rebuild like-for-like, or redesign

Some families want the house they had. Others use the rebuild to change the layout, add space or update systems. Either way, the design is developed to your budget and shown to you in 3D before anything is ordered.

Adding an ADU or junior ADU

We can add an ADU or junior ADU as part of your rebuild. A rebuild is often the simplest time to do it, since the site is already being planned and permitted. The Governor's January 2025 executive orders streamlined ADUs on lots that lost homes, including exemptions from CEQA and the Coastal Act; we confirm what currently applies to your lot.

Pricing and timelines

Every lot and every loss is different, so rebuilds are priced after a site visit. Timelines depend on site clearance, permit review, utilities and material lead times.

Typical ranges: design and permits 4–8 months, construction 10–14 months.

After the visit you get a written schedule for your lot.

Sources

Last reviewed: October 2026 · LADBS — Emergency Executive Order 8 implementation guidelines (opens in new tab) · LA County — like-for-like rebuild (opens in new tab) · LA County — fire rebuild FAQ (opens in new tab) · Governor's Executive Order N-4-25 (opens in new tab) · Governor's Executive Order N-9-25 (ADUs) (opens in new tab)