Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in Altadena, CA
Whether your family is rebuilding after the Eaton Fire or improving a home that survived, we handle LA County permits, wildfire construction standards and the build itself under one contract.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with LA County Public Works
- Written, line-item estimates
Altadena, CA
Building and Remodeling in Altadena
Simply Construction serves as a general contractor in Altadena for households rebuilding after the January 2025 Eaton Fire, and for neighbors whose houses came through it and are now ready for an ADU, an addition or a remodel. As a licensed California general contractor, we center our work on larger residential projects: new homes, rebuilds, ADUs, room additions and second stories, each managed from drawings through final inspection.
Altadena is unincorporated, so the permit counter belongs to Los Angeles County rather than a city hall, and the County's rebuild rules differ in useful ways from those in the City of Los Angeles. We plan every project around those rules, the state's wildfire construction code and the realities of building on foothill lots below the San Gabriel Mountains.
Local Knowledge
Rebuilding in Altadena After the Eaton Fire
The Eaton Fire began on January 7, 2025 and was contained on January 31. It burned 14,021 acres, destroyed 9,414 structures and damaged 1,074 more, most of them in Altadena. Many blocks that were once rows of Craftsman bungalows, Spanish-style houses and postwar ranch homes are now a mix of cleared lots, fresh framing and houses that made it through.
Permits come from LA County Public Works Building and Safety, with zoning review by LA County Regional Planning. A rebuild application is routed internally to Planning, Building and Safety, Fire and Public Health, and site clearance has to be finished before a building permit is issued. For complete like-for-like applications, the County committed to a first plan review within 10 business days and 5 business days for later rounds, and it runs One-Stop Permit Centers in the burn areas.
The County also recognized something particular about Altadena. Most of the homes lost in the Eaton Fire were under 2,000 square feet, so a flat 10 percent allowance might not leave enough room to meet current codes. Its like-for-like rule for the Eaton Fire area therefore allows growth of 10 percent or 200 square feet, whichever is greater.
Services
Construction & Remodeling Services in Altadena
From ground-up homes to kitchens, here is how each of our services applies to Altadena properties.
Custom Home Building in Altadena
Some Altadena owners are using the rebuild to start over with a new design instead of recreating the old house. Once a plan goes beyond the like-for-like allowance, it has to meet current County zoning in addition to building and fire codes, so setbacks, height and lot coverage come back into play. We review the parcel under County zoning, coordinate the architect and engineers, and build to Chapter 7A and to the energy code in force when the permit application is filed.
ADU Construction in Altadena
A detached ADU can give an Altadena family more room, rental income or space for relatives, whether the main house survived or is being rebuilt. Under state ADU law, the County cannot hold a unit below 800 square feet or require more than 4 feet of side and rear setback for it, and a unit smaller than 750 square feet pays no impact fees. On a fire lot we confirm the County's current rules on sequencing before planning around the ADU, and the unit gets the same Class A roof and ember-resistant vents as the house.
Garage Conversions in Altadena
In Altadena homes that came through the fire, a garage conversion creates a separate unit without building new walls on the lot. Parking lost to the conversion does not have to be replaced once the garage is a permitted ADU. Older detached garages often sit on thin slabs with shallow or missing footings, so we check the structure first, then add insulation, egress, a bathroom and utility runs, with any new vents, siding and doors brought up to wildfire standards.
Room Additions in Altadena
A modest Altadena house can gain a bedroom or a bigger kitchen with a ground-floor addition, and the County reviews the new space under current zoning, building and fire codes. The wildfire construction rules apply to the new work, so the addition gets rated roofing, vents and siding, and we can price hardening the older roof and walls at the same time if you want it. For families who are rebuilding, the Eaton Fire allowance of 200 square feet may cover an extra room within the like-for-like path, which we look at before designing a separate addition.
Second-Story Additions in Altadena
A second story can double the living space on a smaller Altadena lot without giving up the backyard, but an engineer has to confirm the original foundation can carry it before anything is drawn. County height limits and setbacks apply, and the new floor is built to the wildfire code: Class A roofing, ember-resistant attic and eave vents, and ignition-resistant exterior walls. For owners starting from a cleared lot, designing both stories together from the ground up is usually simpler.
Garage Construction in Altadena
A new detached garage in Altadena is permitted through LA County Public Works and built to the same wildfire standards as the house, including the roof, siding, doors and vents. A garage can also share a foundation or a wall with a detached ADU, which saves on excavation and utility runs. When the garage is part of a rebuild, we site it together with the main house so utility trenches, the driveway and drainage are done once rather than twice.
Whole-House Remodeling in Altadena
Altadena homes that survived the fire can still carry smoke damage, aging wiring and exteriors that fall short of today's wildfire code. A whole-house remodel is a chance to handle those together: new electrical and plumbing, better insulation, and an exterior with ember-resistant vents and a Class A roof. We phase the work around County inspections and, when the layout allows, keep part of the house usable while the rest is under construction.
Kitchen Remodeling in Altadena
Kitchen work in Altadena ranges from reworking dated layouts in surviving Craftsman and ranch homes to designing kitchens from nothing in rebuilt houses. In either case we plan circuits for induction or gas, range ventilation and the cabinet layout before ordering materials, and we keep the permit with LA County Public Works current as changes come up. Custom cabinetry, stone counters and new lighting follow once the rough work passes inspection.
Bathroom Remodeling in Altadena
The Eaton Fire's 200 square foot like-for-like allowance gives some rebuilding families room for a second bathroom the old house never had. In homes that survived, a bathroom remodel usually means replacing old supply lines and drains, adding a properly ducted exhaust fan, and waterproofing the shower correctly before any tile goes on. We schedule each step so the County's inspections happen before the walls close.
Fire Rebuilds in Altadena
Under LA County's rules, an Altadena like-for-like rebuild is generally the same size, in the same location and for the same use as the home that burned. In the Eaton Fire area it can grow by 10 percent or 200 square feet, whichever is greater, without meeting current zoning, though it must meet current building, fire and health codes. We help families decide whether that path fits their plans, then manage the permit and the construction.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Altadena
Carving a JADU, capped at 500 square feet, out of the main house can give an Altadena family a place for an aging parent or a tenant without building on more of the lot. It can occupy an attached garage, an efficiency kitchen is the minimum, and the owner has to live in one of the two units. When the house is being rebuilt, planning the JADU's entrance and plumbing into the new floor plan costs far less than adding them later.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Altadena
California's duplex and lot-split law, SB 9, leaves out parcels in the highest fire hazard class unless the project takes on the fire mitigation measures the law requires. Many Altadena parcels carry a fire hazard designation, so eligibility has to be confirmed parcel by parcel before design. We check the fire zone, lot dimensions and County requirements first and give owners a straight answer about what is possible.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Altadena
Embers that land on a deck or a pergola next to the house are exactly what the wildfire code tries to stop, so new Altadena decks use code-listed decking and framing. We favor concrete, stone and gravel against the walls and build patio covers from noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials. On sloped foothill lots, deck footings and drainage are engineered to the site so runoff moves away from the house.
Why Choose Us
Why Altadena Homeowners Choose Simply Construction
Licensed, Bonded and Easy to Verify
Simply Construction inc. is a licensed California general contractor, CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]. State law requires a license for any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and anyone can check a contractor's license, bond and workers' compensation status on the CSLB website in about a minute. We encourage every Altadena homeowner to do exactly that before signing with anyone, including us.
Permits Handled With LA County Public Works
Most delays on large residential projects start at the permit counter. We prepare the drawing set, coordinate structural and Title 24 energy calculations, answer plan-check comments and schedule inspections with LA County Public Works, so you are not the one chasing corrections. For ADUs, state law requires the agency to act on a complete application within 60 days, and a complete, well-coordinated submittal is what starts that clock.
Care for Your Street and Your Neighbors
Large projects happen next door to people who live there. We plan staging, dumpster placement, deliveries and working hours around Altadena rules, keep the site secured at the end of each day, and give you notice before loud or disruptive phases such as demolition, concrete pours or crane lifts, so you can give your neighbors a heads-up too.
Nearby Service Areas
We Also Build Near Altadena
FAQ
Building in Altadena: Common Questions
Who issues building permits in Altadena?
Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County, so building permits come from LA County Public Works Building and Safety and zoning review from LA County Regional Planning. Rebuild applications are also routed to County Fire and Public Health. Neither the City of Los Angeles nor the City of Pasadena permits construction in Altadena, even though Pasadena sits right next door.
Does an addition to a surviving Altadena home have to meet the wildfire code?
Chapter 7A applies to new buildings and to additions, alterations and repairs within a designated fire hazard severity zone or wildland-urban interface area. For an addition, that means the new roof, walls, vents and windows meet the wildfire standards. We check your parcel's designation early, since state fire hazard maps have been updated and some properties have been added.
Can you help if we have not decided whether to rebuild?
Yes. Some families need a realistic picture before they commit. We can review the lot, your insurance scope and any prior permits, explain what the County's like-for-like allowance would let you build, and outline the steps and trade-offs of a larger design. That gives you something concrete to weigh alongside your other options.
Is there in-person help with County rebuild permits?
LA County runs One-Stop Permit Centers in both the Eaton and Palisades burn areas, where owners can meet the building and planning departments responsible for their property. We can prepare submittals, handle correction responses and coordinate with each County reviewer, so you are not managing every agency's comments on your own.
Start Your Project
Start Your Altadena Project
Tell us what you are planning. We will visit the property, talk through options and costs, and send a written, line-item estimate.
Licensed California General Contractor · CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]