Rebuild permits.
The LA County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division has stood up an expedited rebuild track. Here is exactly how it works.
The LA County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division has stood up an expedited rebuild track. Here is exactly how it works.
Every Altadena rebuild goes through LA County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division. The office has stood up an expedited post fire rebuild track that runs parallel to the normal permit queue and cuts review time significantly for rebuilds of single family homes on their original footprint.
The expedited track is not automatic. You qualify by submitting a complete set of drawings in the specified format, including post fire disclosure items, WUI compliance documentation, and a rebuild affidavit. An incomplete submittal falls back to the standard queue and loses the expedited advantage.
A complete Eaton Fire rebuild permit submittal includes:
Plan check at LA County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division splits into three concurrent reviews: building (code compliance), planning (zoning and setbacks), and fire (access, defensible space, WUI). Each reviewer issues corrections. You address all corrections in one resubmittal. Second round typically closes the set. Third round is rare on well prepared drawings.
Expedited post fire rebuild track: seven to twelve weeks from submittal to issued permit is typical. Standard track: fourteen to twenty weeks. The difference pays for itself on a single rebuild project.
If your lot is on a slope greater than fifteen percent or has historically expansive soils, yes. Flat lots with known stable soil can often proceed without a new geotechnical investigation, though LA County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division may require one based on the specific address.
Plan check and permit fees for a typical Altadena rebuild run $18k to $45k total, depending on valuation and jurisdiction specifics. School fees, CFD, and utility connections are separate. This is paid at permit issuance, not at submittal.
No. Work before permit is not only a violation but also voids insurance coverage on the work performed. Site prep like debris removal and grading is different and has its own smaller permits.
It happens. Fire overlay zones, hillside ordinances, and updated setback lines all get applied to rebuilds. We do a zoning analysis in pre design to surface any variance requirements early.
Ninety minute consultation, no fee. We meet at our Camarillo office, your temporary housing, or your Altadena lot. From there, we decide together whether we are the right match for your rebuild.
David C. Foote, Principal Designer, Associate AIA. 40 years practicing residential design. 1,532 completed homes since 1986.