Temporary housing.
Where do you live for eighteen to thirty months while your home is being rebuilt? Here are every option we have seen work.
Where do you live for eighteen to thirty months while your home is being rebuilt? Here are every option we have seen work.
Eighteen to thirty months of temporary housing is the honest expectation for a Pacific Palisades rebuild. Your insurance ALE (Additional Living Expenses) coverage pays for this, within policy limits, but policy limits run out before rebuilds finish on a meaningful percentage of claims.
Options Palisades Fire families are actually using: long term rental housing in Santa Monica or Brentwood, extended stay hotels during early design months, temporary RV placement on the rebuild lot (with a permit), and temporary ADU construction that can convert to a legal ADU post rebuild.
The temporary ADU path deserves attention. If your lot can support an ADU under the California ADU law, building the ADU first provides housing during the main rebuild and adds a legal second unit when done. We have designed several of these as part of ongoing fire rebuilds.
Renting nearby: the dominant path. Most Pacific Palisades families rent a single family home or a two bedroom apartment within a twenty minute drive of their lot. Rental costs in 2026 are high because of post fire demand. Budget $6k to $14k per month depending on size and quality.
ALE coverage: your policy pays this rental cost, within the policy's total ALE limit, for the duration covered. Many policies have a 12 month or 24 month cap. Extensions are often granted for active rebuilds but are not automatic. Communicate with your carrier proactively.
RV on lot: requires a temporary permit from LADBS (Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety). Often granted for 12 to 18 months during the rebuild. Practical limits: space, utilities (water, sewer, power), and neighbors' response.
Temporary ADU approach: build the ADU first, live in it during main rebuild. Requires a phased permit strategy. Can shorten your displacement and leave you with a legal second unit.
Our role on Pacific Palisades rebuild projects covers design, permit documentation, and construction administration. David Foote, Associate AIA, draws every project personally. No junior designer intermediaries. Forty years of California residential design, 1,532 completed homes.
We accept new Palisades Fire rebuild clients on a limited basis to preserve project quality. If your rebuild lot is in Pacific Palisades and you want to explore working with us, the next step is a free 90 minute consultation. Call (805) 444 1230 or email dcfoote@dcfoote.com. We respond within one business day.
Published hourly rate $350. Most rebuild projects quoted as fixed fee or percent of construction cost after initial scope is clear. Insurance often reimburses the design fee as a covered claim expense.
Most policies: 12 to 24 months. Some high end policies: 36 months or unlimited. Check your policy declarations page. ALE has both a time limit and a dollar limit.
Often yes, when the rebuild is actively progressing and the delay is not caused by the homeowner. Request extensions in writing with supporting documentation (permit status, construction progress).
For some families yes, especially smaller families or those without school age children at the rebuild lot. For others no. Practical considerations: power, water, sewer, neighbors' response, on site storage.
This is a specific rebuild strategy we can design. Permit for the ADU is typically faster than the main home, so the ADU can be occupied within 8 to 12 months while main home construction continues. Resulting in a legal ADU after the rebuild.
Ninety minute consultation, no fee. We meet at our Camarillo office, your temporary housing, or your Pacific Palisades 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.