Field notes / Homeowner guide
Rebuilding a home after a wildfire: a planning sequence
Rebuilding the house that burned, replacing a house you chose to tear down, repairing a damaged one and designing a different, larger home are four different paths. Each can face different rules, so name your path before design starts.
Written · Revised · KB Remodeling
In brief
Confirm the reviewing agency for the parcel, the site-clearance status and whether the plan is a like-for-like replacement or a new design. Then sequence the survey, utilities and design team around those answers.
01
Name the path: rebuild, repair, teardown or a new design
A disaster-loss rebuild replaces a legally established structure destroyed or damaged by the fire. A repair keeps a damaged structure. A voluntary teardown of a house the fire did not destroy is an ordinary demolition and new-build project. A different, larger house is a new design even when it replaces a burned home.
Los Angeles County describes like-for-like rebuilds as projects with structures of the same size, in the same location and for the same purpose as those damaged or destroyed by the fire. It allows limited modifications and publishes separate modification limits for the Palisades and Eaton fire areas. The County says it is expediting permitting timelines for specific types of rebuild projects, including like-for-like rebuilds. Do not assume every project qualifies.
Ask yourself
- Was the existing house legally established, and what do the permit records show?
- Does the plan stay within the like-for-like limits that apply in this fire area?
02
Confirm the agency and the jurisdiction
A community name does not tell you who reviews the parcel, and a burn area does not cover every street in a named community. Unincorporated areas such as Altadena are reviewed by Los Angeles County; incorporated cities, including the City of Los Angeles, run their own rebuild programs. Look up the parcel and read the guidance of the agency that actually has jurisdiction.
For County parcels, County Planning says a non-like-for-like project is subject to current Title 22 development standards. In Altadena that includes the Altadena Community Standards District, with some Zoning Code requirements modified for fire rebuilds. Ask the assigned land-use planner for the current rules.
Ask yourself
- Is the parcel in a city or in unincorporated County territory?
- Is the parcel inside the mapped fire-affected area, or only nearby?
03
Site clearance comes before the permit
The County's like-for-like page describes site clearance as the first step. Household hazardous material removal comes first, then fire debris removal, either through the government program or by the owner's approved contractor. The County's rebuild FAQ states that debris removal must be completed before a building permit can be issued.
Keep the clearance records with your project file. Your design team and the permit reviewer may ask for them.
Ask yourself
- Which debris-removal phase is complete, and where is the documentation?
- Did the owner opt in to the government program or hire a contractor?
04
Gather records before design
Collect the original permits and approved plans, any survey, title report, photos of the former house, and the insurance policy and claim documents. Records of the legally established size and location support a like-for-like application and help any designer start from facts.
A new boundary and topographic survey and, where the site warrants it, a soils or geotechnical review show what the fire and cleanup changed. These include retaining walls, grades, trees and utility locations.
Ask yourself
- Do you have permit records and approved plans for the former house?
- Has the site been surveyed since debris removal?
05
Utilities, design team and code requirements
Utility services may have been cut, removed or damaged. Ask each provider how service is restored or re-established for a rebuild, and whether the meter or service location must change. The County's FAQ states that like-for-like structures need not meet current Zoning Code requirements but must meet current Building, Fire and Health and Safety Codes.
Decide early who prepares drawings: an architect, a designer with engineers, or a County preapproved plan where that program applies. Also decide who coordinates utilities, structural and civil work and the energy and fire-code documents. Fire hazard severity zone status, set by the State Fire Marshal, can bring construction requirements; the map describes hazard, not the risk to one house.
Ask yourself
- Which utility services need restoration, relocation or a new application?
- Who coordinates fire-code and energy-code documents?
06
Insurance and changes of scope
The California Department of Insurance publishes wildfire resources, including guides on residential property claims, home inventories and the disaster insurance process, and a consumer hotline for coverage questions or disputes. Coverage and reimbursement depend on your policy and claim. This guide and any builder conversation are not insurance or legal advice.
If you enlarge, move or redesign the house, the project can leave the like-for-like path and face current standards and different review. Price and sequence that decision before it reaches the drawings.
Ask yourself
- What does your policy cover for rebuilding to current codes?
- Would the scope change move the project out of like-for-like review?
07 · The decision
Keep four conversations separate, and check each rule where it applies
Recovery runs on several tracks at once, and mixing them causes avoidable mistakes. Keep site and debris documentation, plans and records, the choice of rebuilding path, permit review and insurer or lender conversations in separate notes, each with its own contact and date.
Rules differ by jurisdiction. As read on October 13, 2026, Los Angeles County describes like-for-like rebuilds in unincorporated areas as structures of the same size, location and purpose, with expedited review and limited modifications that differ between the Eaton and Palisades fire areas; they must still meet current building, fire and health codes. The City of Los Angeles says it has taken emergency executive action to streamline rebuilding and publishes its own guidance for Pacific Palisades. Malibu is a separate city with its own process. None of these is an entitlement for a particular parcel: confirm the current rule, its effective dates and whether it applies to your address with the agency that has jurisdiction.
Insurance questions belong with your insurer, adjuster or the California Department of Insurance. This guide does not predict coverage, reimbursement or settlement amounts.
| Track | What to document | Who decides | How to check current rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site and debris | Photos, debris-removal status, site clearance records | Agency running the debris program | Agency recovery page for the parcel's jurisdiction |
| Plans and records | Prior permits, drawings, survey, utility records | Owner, with the records office | Building department records request |
| Rebuilding path | Like-for-like versus new design brief | Owner, with the design team | Jurisdiction's definition and modification limits |
| Permit review | Submittal set, corrections, inspections | Building and planning departments | Current agency guidance and effective dates |
| Insurer and lender | Claim number, adjuster notes, lender requirements | Insurer, lender | Policy documents; Department of Insurance resources |
Ask yourself
- Which agency has jurisdiction over the parcel, and which of its current rebuild rules apply?
- Have you confirmed the effective dates of any expedited or fee-related program you are relying on?
- Is each insurer or lender conversation recorded with a date and contact?
Questions that change the sequence
| Question | Why it matters | Who answers |
|---|---|---|
| City or County jurisdiction? | Determines the rules and the permit office | Parcel lookup; the agency |
| Like-for-like or new design? | Changes which standards and expedited processes may apply | Agency planner, with records |
| Debris removal complete? | Required before a County building permit | Clearance records |
| Utilities restorable at the old location? | Can move meters, trenching and design | Each utility provider |
| Insurance coverage for code upgrades? | Shapes budget and scope | Your insurer; Department of Insurance resources |
A scenario to consider
Illustrative scenario, not a client project: an owner planned a larger replacement house, then learned the addition would take the project out of like-for-like review. They kept the original footprint for the first phase and documented the decision before drawings advanced.
Planning scenario
Part of the custom-home planning series: Custom home planning
Bring this to your conversation
- Confirm city or County jurisdiction for the parcel
- Collect permits, approved plans and the survey
- Document debris-removal status
- Decide like-for-like or new design with the planner
- Contact each utility about service restoration
- Read your policy and the Department of Insurance guides
Terms used here
- Jurisdiction
- The public agency with authority over the address; a postal city or neighborhood name alone does not prove it.
- Clearance
- A required sign-off or referral from another agency or discipline when applicable to the project.
- Preapproved plan
- A previously reviewed design option, not approval to build it on a particular parcel or a substitute for a site-specific permit.
One more question
Does every wildfire rebuild qualify for expedited permits?
No. Expedited processes the County describes apply to specific rebuild types such as like-for-like rebuilds. A larger or different house can face current standards. Confirm with the agency that has jurisdiction.
Official references
Plan fire recovery · Web resource · English source
Los Angeles County — Like-for-like rebuildUse this for: Compare the County’s like-for-like pathway with the actual loss and proposed scope.
Plan fire recovery · Web resource · English source
Los Angeles County Planning — Eaton Fire: rebuilding and other developmentUse this for: Prepare County Planning questions for Eaton-fire rebuilding or other development.
Plan fire recovery · Web resource · English source
Los Angeles County — Rebuilding after the Eaton and Palisades firesUse this for: Locate the County recovery offices and confirm which process applies to the parcel.
Plan fire recovery · Web resource · English source
California Department of Insurance — Wildfire resourcesUse this for: Find insurance consumer resources; coverage questions belong with your insurer or the Department.
Plan fire recovery · Web resource · English source
City of Los Angeles — Palisades recovery and rebuildingUse this for: For City of Los Angeles parcels such as Pacific Palisades, read the City’s current rebuild guidance and progress updates.
Research the property · Web resource · English source
Office of the State Fire Marshal — Fire Hazard Severity ZonesUse this for: Check fire-hazard mapping context and confirm parcel requirements with the responsible agency.
For requirements specific to your property, consult the local reviewing authority.
About this guide
Published by KB Remodeling from the official sources cited. It is not attributed to an individual author and does not claim review by an architect, engineer or attorney. We receive remodel, ADU, new-home and rebuild inquiries; scope, licensing and location are reviewed before any next step.