Service Area · Los Angeles County
General Contractor in Pacific Palisades, CA
For families rebuilding after the Palisades Fire and owners adding space to homes that survived, we coordinate plans, LADBS permits, coastal clearances and wildfire-rated construction under one contract.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Custom homes, ADUs & additions
- Permits with LADBS
- Written, line-item estimates
Pacific Palisades, CA
Building and Remodeling in Pacific Palisades
Simply Construction works as a general contractor in Pacific Palisades for households rebuilding after the January 2025 Palisades Fire and for owners whose homes are still standing and need more room. We are a licensed California general contractor focused on large residential work: ground-up custom homes, fire rebuilds, ADUs, room additions and second stories. We take a project from a cleared lot or an existing house through plan coordination, permits and construction, with one point of contact the whole way.
Rebuilding here involves more agencies than most Los Angeles neighborhoods. Permits run through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, much of the community sits in the Coastal Zone, and new exterior work has to meet the state's wildfire construction standards. We plan around those requirements from the first site visit, so the drawings we build from are drawings the City can approve.
Local Knowledge
Building and Rebuilding in Pacific Palisades
The Palisades Fire started on January 7, 2025 and burned 23,448 acres before it was contained on January 31. Los Angeles County counts 6,837 structures destroyed and 973 damaged across Pacific Palisades, parts of Malibu and Topanga. Reporting after the fire described heavy losses in the Alphabet Streets, the Village, Marquez Knolls and the El Medio Bluffs, and homes burned on the hillside streets of Castellammare as well.
Pacific Palisades is part of the City of Los Angeles, so LADBS issues building permits and LA City Planning handles zoning. Less than a week after the fire began, Mayor Bass's first emergency order created a One-Stop Rebuilding Center and directed City departments to complete building permit reviews in 30 days or less. Emergency Executive Order 8 later opened a streamlined Coastal Zone path for zoning-compliant single-family homes that go beyond the 110 percent like-for-like limit.
The ground and the utilities matter too. LADWP has said it will move the neighborhood's power lines fully underground, noting that the Palisades lies entirely within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Near Pacific Coast Highway, the Castellammare area has a long record of slope movement, including the Tramonto Slide, which moved again after heavy rain in early 2024.
Services
Construction & Remodeling Services in Pacific Palisades
From ground-up homes to kitchens, here is how each of our services applies to Pacific Palisades properties.
Custom Home Building in Pacific Palisades
Many Palisades owners are deciding whether to rebuild what they had or design something new. A custom home larger than 110 percent of the old house leaves the like-for-like lane, but Emergency Executive Order 8 still offers streamlined coastal review if the design complies with underlying zoning. Floor area is capped by the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance on flat lots and the Baseline Hillside Ordinance on slopes, and hillside lots usually need soils and geology reports before the design is final. We test the plan against those limits early so it doesn't outgrow the lot.
ADU Construction in Pacific Palisades
An ADU can go up alongside a Palisades rebuild or behind a house that survived. State law requires the City to allow at least an 800 square foot ADU with 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and to act on a complete application within 60 days. Here an ADU is also new construction in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and, on many lots, in the Coastal Zone, so we confirm the coastal clearance and the Chapter 7A detailing (roof, vents, siding and windows) before framing starts.
Garage Conversions in Pacific Palisades
For households whose Palisades home came through the fire, converting a garage is one of the quicker ways to create a separate living space, whether for a relative who lost their own house or for a caregiver. California does not require replacement parking when a garage becomes an ADU. Older garages often need new footings or a new slab, a full insulation package, egress windows and upgraded electrical, and any new vents or exterior finishes have to meet ember-resistance rules for the fire zone.
Room Additions in Pacific Palisades
A ground-floor addition on a surviving Palisades home counts as new exterior construction in a fire hazard zone, so the added walls, roof and vents follow Chapter 7A even when the original house predates that code. The new square footage also counts toward the lot's floor area limit under the City's baseline ordinances, which is often the real ceiling on size. Before sketching anything, we pull permit records to measure the existing floor area and see how much room the lot actually allows.
Second-Story Additions in Pacific Palisades
Adding a second story in Pacific Palisades means checking several limits before design: height and floor area under the City's baseline ordinances, whether the lot sits in the Coastal Zone, and whether the original foundation can carry the new load. Bluff and hillside lots usually need a geotechnical review as well. When the numbers work, we build the upper floor to current wildfire standards, with a Class A roof and ember-resistant vents, and plan the sequence around whether the family will live in the house during construction.
Garage Construction in Pacific Palisades
Where a detached garage was lost along with the house, a new one can be planned with the main rebuild or permitted on its own, and it is a natural place to pair parking with an ADU above or beside it. We also think about where the electric service will enter the property, since LADWP is trenching new underground lines through the neighborhood and the garage wall is often where the panel, battery storage and EV charger end up.
Whole-House Remodeling in Pacific Palisades
Palisades homes that survived the fire may still need significant work: smoke and ash exposure, damaged roofing or fencing, and systems that were due for replacement anyway. A whole-house remodel lets owners deal with all of it in one permit, and it is a sensible time to bring the exterior closer to current wildfire standards with ember-resistant vents, ignition-resistant cladding and a Class A roof. We sequence structural, electrical and exterior work so LADBS inspections happen in a logical order.
Kitchen Remodeling in Pacific Palisades
Mayor Bass directed City departments to develop streamlined permitting for owners who rebuild all-electric, more fire-resistant homes, and plenty of Palisades kitchens are now being planned around induction cooking. In a rebuilt house that is simply a design choice. In a surviving home it can mean a larger electrical panel, which we coordinate with the new underground LADWP service. Layout, custom cabinetry and stone counters come after the utility plan is settled, not before.
Bathroom Remodeling in Pacific Palisades
In a Palisades rebuild, bathrooms are planned from scratch, so we lay out drain lines, ventilation and waterproofing before the slab or subfloor goes in. In a home that survived, a bathroom remodel often happens alongside smoke cleanup, when wall cavities and exhaust ducts are being opened anyway. Either way, we install proper membranes under tile, size exhaust fans to each room, and have every stage inspected before it is covered.
Fire Rebuilds in Pacific Palisades
A like-for-like rebuild in Pacific Palisades is the same type of structure in the same location at up to 110 percent of the original footprint and height. Projects within that limit can apply for a coastal exemption, and the City suspended plan check and permit fees for that portion of the work. Lots near the beach or a bluff edge may fall in the Coastal Commission's dual permit area, where the exemption request goes to the Commission's South Coast District office. We sort out which path fits your lot first.
Junior ADUs (JADU) in Pacific Palisades
A junior ADU of up to 500 square feet fits inside the walls of a home, including an attached garage, and needs at least an efficiency kitchen. For families rebuilding in the Palisades, it is far easier to plan one into the new floor plan than to carve it out later: a separate entrance, a second sink location and sound separation cost little on paper and a lot after drywall. The owner has to live in either the main house or the JADU.
SB 9 Lot Splits & Duplexes in Pacific Palisades
SB 9 allows two units or an urban lot split on many single-family parcels, but it generally excludes Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones unless the site adopts the required fire mitigation measures. Because the entire Palisades carries that designation, an SB 9 project here starts with a hard eligibility check against the fire rules, the Coastal Zone and the lot's hillside status. If a parcel qualifies, we build the units; if it does not, an ADU is often the workable alternative.
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living in Pacific Palisades
Decks and patio covers attached to a house are part of the ember exposure that Chapter 7A regulates, so a new Palisades deck needs decking and framing that meet the code's ignition-resistance standards. We lean toward concrete, stone and noncombustible pavers close to the walls and keep combustible storage out from under decks. On bluff and hillside lots, deck footings may need an engineer's design tied to the soils report, and drainage has to be planned with them.
Why Choose Us
Why Pacific Palisades 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 Pacific Palisades homeowner to do exactly that before signing with anyone, including us.
Permits Handled With LADBS
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 LADBS, 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 Pacific Palisades 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 Pacific Palisades
FAQ
Building in Pacific Palisades: Common Questions
Do I need a coastal development permit to rebuild in Pacific Palisades?
Often not. A rebuild that keeps the same use, stays in the same location and remains within 110 percent of the original size can apply for a coastal exemption instead of a full coastal development permit. Larger projects may qualify for a categorical exclusion where the map allows it, or for the streamlined path under Emergency Executive Order 8 if they comply with zoning. Lots in the dual permit area near the beach or bluffs involve the Coastal Commission directly.
Is Pacific Palisades permitted by the City or the County?
Pacific Palisades is part of the City of Los Angeles, so building permits come from LADBS and zoning review from LA City Planning. Altadena, by contrast, is unincorporated and permitted by LA County Public Works, and Malibu runs its own departments. Neighbors comparing notes across burn areas should keep that difference in mind, because the rebuild rules and allowances are not identical.
Are hillside lots in the Palisades harder to rebuild on?
They usually take more preparation. The Baseline Hillside Ordinance limits floor area based on lot size, zone and slope, and it also limits grading. Most hillside rebuilds need a soils and geology report from a licensed geotechnical engineer before the foundation can be designed, and areas near Castellammare have a documented landslide history. We order that work early because it sets the pace for everything after it.
How does LADWP's undergrounding affect our rebuild?
LADWP intends to put the Palisades' power lines fully underground, working through the community in sections based on its historic neighborhoods. Some residents have reported that trench requirements slowed the restoration of power to their homes. We ask about the timing for your block early and plan the service entry, panel location and any temporary power around it.
Start Your Project
Start Your Pacific Palisades 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]