The Eaton and Palisades Fires devastated countless homes across Los Angeles, leaving many families struggling to rebuild. California wildfire rebuilding is complicated, emotional, and filled with unexpected challenges-especially in areas with strict environmental and coastal regulations.
At Pattern Planning & Development Inc., we’ve been at the forefront of post-fire recovery since the Woolsey Fire, successfully completing over a dozen fire rebuilds and helping families and businesses navigate complex regulations and get back to normalcy.
Our commitment to rebuilding communities led us to recently help organize an event at the American Institute of Architects, bringing together top building and design professionals to share insights and collaborate on solutions.
Erik Yesayan, Principal of Pattern Planning & Development Inc., speaking at a recent event at AIA LA on February 13, 2025 about California wildfire rebuilding challenges and solutions relating to the Palisades and Eaton fires affecting properties in the City of LA, Malibu and Altadena.
There are many rebuilding success stories, but huge delays are possible if the process is not approached correctly. See this L.A. Times article by Liam Dillon for many examples:
If you’re navigating this process now, we’re here to help. Here are some of the lessons we’ve learned about the challenges homeowners face, and how to rebuild smarter, safer, and faster.
Early Planning Tips for California Wildfire Rebuilding
- Our experience with Woolsey Fire rebuilds was that owners who started early received more exemptions and assistance. As time went on, projects had to contend with changing rules and additional restrictions.
Fire rebuilds can get complicated if these factors are involved:
- Lack of Accurate Building Records and Documentation
- Like-for-like rebuilding is smoother when homeowners have detailed records of their lost home, but often Permit and Assessor records are not consistent with what was built on site.
- If you don’t have detailed records, we can help track down crucial information by obtaining property records from the County Assessor, securing historical data from the County or City, and utilizing historical imagery from UCSB’s FrameFinder to verify prior structures. Even personal photos can be helpful.
- Fire Flow Requirements and How to Meet Them
- If the fire flow for nearby hydrants do not meet current requirements, then the proposed rebuild will not pass County or City Fire review. The solution to get adequate fire flow can be costly (eg. adding water tanks to the lot). As a result, we recommend doing the fire flow test with your local water provider as early as possible.
- Flood Zones, Height Restrictions, and Navigating FEMA Requirements
- For homes by beaches or in flood-prone zones, rebuilding often requires elevating structures to meet new FEMA standards. This can increase building heights to over 110% of the original, which can lead to certain limitations. For homes in Malibu and other coastal rebuilding permit zones, it’s crucial to understand view corridor requirements and how they could impact rebuilding of sites that may need additional height. In some cases, you may be able relocate the project elsewhere on your lot and still retain your exemptions.
- Rebuilding on Lots with Septic Systems
- Most lots in Malibu and some in Altadena rely on septic systems. Post-fire, these systems often need testing or replacement, adding complexity to the rebuild. If additional bedrooms are proposed in the rebuild, then it will likely trigger an upgraded septic system. We help clients explore opportunities to connect to new or existing sewer lines, where possible.
- Attempting to Build More Than 110% of Destroyed Square Footage (that is exempted from a coastal permit and/or has non-conforming zoning vesting)
- You can build more than the 110% of the destroyed square footage and still be exempted from Coastal and CEQA review within the Categorical Exclusion areas in Palisades and all of Altadena.
- For the remaining coastal areas, you’ll get some expediting help as a rebuild and will have much more flexibility in the size and scale of the rebuild, but will be required to have a public hearing and discretionary review. This can take a year and a half to obtain.
- If you want to build slightly bigger, an administrative permit may be possible.
- For the Woolsey Fire, these types of rebuilds were at first exempted in Malibu for up to 40% increases in floor area. However, they were later much more limited after the City received backlash by those who felt that these projects were circumventing coastal review. Consequently, many of these projects got stuck in limbo.
- Section § 30610 of the Coastal Act does allow for exemption for small additions to existing homes.
- Soil Issues and Stability Challenges after Wildfires
- Complex geology might not have been detected or was not an issue when the house was first built.
- Wildfires can significantly impact soil stability, especially on hillside lots, and can lead to costly surprises.
- Special grading and site prep work is often required in hillside areas.
Rebuilding also presents opportunities:
- ADUs and Lot Splits for Affordable Rebuilding
- For many underinsured homeowners, rebuilding a full-sized “like-for-like” home may be financially impossible. In these cases, leveraging California’s recent laws on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or lot splits can provide creative solutions for retaining your property.
- ADUs: Under the Governor’s recent executive order, homeowners can build ADUs first to return to their lots more quickly, while also providing long term rental income to offset rebuilding costs, or creating multigenerational living opportunities. More significantly, ADUs are exempted from coastal review for fire rebuild sites.
- Lot Splits: SB 9 allows for urban lot splits, potentially enabling homeowners to sell a portion of their property to finance their rebuild while contributing to local housing supply. In some areas, projects may qualify for SB684 or SB1123, which may defray costs and give you additional rebuilding options.
- For many underinsured homeowners, rebuilding a full-sized “like-for-like” home may be financially impossible. In these cases, leveraging California’s recent laws on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or lot splits can provide creative solutions for retaining your property.
- Neighborhood and Government Coordination
- Some damaged neighborhoods are discussing working together to build back entire blocks or groups of houses at one time with one contractor, similar to some Santa Rosa neighborhoods during their large-scale rebuild, rather than each neighbor working individually.
- Local contractors are discussing teaming up to work together on those coordinated projects and to use the resulting economies of scale to bring down costs.
- Local governments can play a significant role in expediting recovery by:
- Expediting permits and simplifying processes for those who are rebuilding (they’re doing this, but many gray areas remain.)
- Coordinating soil and geotechnical reviews across neighborhoods.
- Organizing group surveys for multiple properties.
- Upgrading infrastructure, such as extending sewer lines to lots previously on septic.
- Offering grants to harden existing homes against future fires, similar to the California Brace-and-Bolt program.
- Creating Fire-Resilient Neighborhoods
- There are examples of communities such as Coffey Park in Santa Rosa that have successfully implemented fire-resilient designs, including fire-resistant building materials and comprehensive defensible space planning.
Erik Yesayan, Principal of Pattern Planning & Development Inc., speaking at a recent event at AIA LA on February 13, 2025 about wildfire rebuilding challenges and solutions in California.
How Pattern Planning & Development Inc. Can Help
We work with local planning departments on a daily basis and stay up to date on fast-moving ordinance changes and executive orders to ensure your permits stay on track.
We have the expertise to maximize your rebuilding options. We work with architects, geotechnical, surveying, and engineering professionals to make the rebuilding process as painless as possible, saving you the hassle of coordinating with multiple disciplines and government entities. Even with rebuild allowances and expedited emergency processes, making sure your plans have been researched, vetted and submitted correctly will prevent delays.
Please contact us for a consultation today and let us help get your life back to normal.
Rebuilding Resources
- LA County Recovers
- Palisades and Eaton Disaster Recovery Centers
- US Army Corp. Debris Clean-up Status Page
- Unincorporated Los Angeles County (including Altadena and some sections of Pacific Palisades)
- City of Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery Resources
- City of Pasadena Building and Safety Division
- City of Malibu Palisades Fire Resources
- City of Sierra Madre Permits and Licenses
Erik Yesayan, Principal of Pattern Planning & Development Inc., speaking at another community event about California wildfire rebuilding challenges and solutions relating to the Palisades and Eaton fires affecting properties in the City of LA, Malibu and Altadena.