For families rebuilding in Pacific Palisades and across Los Angeles County, we build new homes from the foundation up, working with your architect, engineers and insurer, and to California’s wildfire construction standards.
Six stages every rebuild moves through. The rules behind several of them have changed during the recovery, so we confirm the current requirements for each lot.
Pacific Palisades is in the City of Los Angeles (LADBS). Altadena and other unincorporated areas are permitted by Los Angeles County. Malibu runs its own rebuild center. Each has its own process, forms and timelines.
Compare your policy limits and the insurer’s scope with realistic construction costs for your lot, including soft costs, code upgrades and fire-resistant construction. Many owners find a gap; knowing it early shapes the design.
Rebuild like-for-like under the recovery rules, use a pre-approved or standard plan where available, or design a new custom home. The choice affects permit time, coastal review and cost.
Plans go through the City or County rebuild permit process. Dedicated rebuild teams and, in some programs, self-certification by licensed architects and engineers can shorten review.
Homes in fire hazard zones are built to California’s wildland-urban interface requirements: ignition-resistant exteriors, ember-resistant vents, Class A roofs and protected openings, with Zone 0 rules for the first five feet around the home being finalized.
Foundations, framing, systems and the finished home are inspected at each stage before the certificate of occupancy is issued and you can move back in.
Homes in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones are built to California’s wildland-urban interface standards: Class A roofing, ember-resistant vents, ignition-resistant siding and decks, and tempered glazing. New Zone 0 rules for the first five feet around a home are being finalized.
Many of these choices can look exactly like the wood, plaster and glass of a classic Palisades home.
Look up the license number on the Contractors State License Board website (cslb.ca.gov) and confirm the business name, status and classification match the contract. In a declared disaster area, contracting without a license is a felony in California. CSLB’s disaster hotline is (800) 962-1125.
For home improvement and disaster repair contracts in California, the down payment can be no more than $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less, and progress payments should never get ahead of the work completed.
Recovery rules in the City and County of Los Angeles have allowed like-for-like rebuilds with streamlined review, including modest increases in size. The details have changed over time, so confirm the current rules for your lot with the permitting agency before design is final.
Design and permits commonly take several months, and construction of a custom home typically takes well over a year. Lot conditions, design path, insurance timing and permit review all affect the schedule.
Yes. We work alongside owners, architects, engineers and insurance adjusters, help reconcile the insurance scope with the construction budget, and price the work from the drawings.
Updated October 2026. Recovery rules, executive orders and fire-zone regulations continue to change. This page is general information, not legal or permit advice; confirm current requirements with the permitting agency for your property. See our Terms of Use.
Share your property’s location, where you are in the process and any plans or insurance scope you have. We will help you understand the next step.
