Rebuild timeline.
What every month of your rebuild will actually look like, from the day of the fire to the day you move back in.
What every month of your rebuild will actually look like, from the day of the fire to the day you move back in.
Most families rebuilding after the Eaton Fire are telling themselves the project will take twelve to eighteen months. This is the number the carrier gives. It is not the number that describes what will actually happen. The honest range is twenty four to thirty six months from fire date to move in.
Families who plan around the realistic number come through the process without emergencies. Families who plan around the optimistic number end up in rental housing longer than their ALE insurance coverage allows, make compromised design decisions under pressure, and sometimes settle for a home they do not love.
Months 0 to 6: debris and assessment. Phase 1 government debris removal (free if you opt in) or Phase 2 private removal (at your expense). Site survey, soil testing if hillside, foundation engineering report.
Months 4 to 10: design. This phase can run concurrent with late stage debris removal. Schematic, DD, CDs. Six to nine months of focused design work with weekly or biweekly client meetings.
Months 9 to 15: permit. LA County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division submittal. Plan check can run eight to sixteen weeks. Expect two or three rounds of corrections even on a clean set.
Months 12 to 30: construction. Fourteen to twenty months of actual building depending on size, site access, and complexity. Foundation and framing run fast. MEP rough ins and finish work take disproportionate time.
Months 28 to 36: final inspections and move in. Certificate of Occupancy, punch list, furniture arrival, actual move back.
The single largest timeline variable is plan check responsiveness at LA County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division. The expedited post fire track, when used correctly, can cut four to eight weeks. An incomplete submittal can add three months. Good drawings are the fastest path through plan check.
Other factors that shift the total timeline by weeks or months: contractor availability (the Altadena market is saturated with post fire demand), hillside site complexity, structural steel lead times, custom window delivery, and your own decision making pace during design.
The fastest honest path is a simple plan on a level lot using contractor familiar detail patterns. If you want fast, tell us that in the first meeting. We can design to a contractor who has an open slot and a permit reviewer who recognizes our format. Realistic fast track: eighteen to twenty two months.
Most ALE policies run twelve to twenty four months. If your policy is twelve months, the rebuild will not finish in time. Contact your carrier early about extensions. Extensions are often granted when a good faith rebuild effort is underway and documented.
Yes, and often should. Early phase work (site analysis, goals conversation, schematic concepts) does not require lot access. Starting six to eight months earlier saves measurable calendar time.
Mid project design changes and slow plan check corrections. Both are within your control. A decisive client paired with clean drawings is the difference between twenty four and thirty six months.
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.