Remodeling & More
Fire Rebuilds in Los Angeles County
From a cleared lot to a certificate of occupancy, we rebuild homes lost to wildfire in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu and across LA County, with fire-resistant construction and permits handled.
- Licensed California general contractor
- Plans, engineering & permits handled
- Written, line-item estimates
- One team from design to final inspection
Fire Rebuilds
Rebuilding After a Wildfire, Step by Step
Simply Construction is a fire rebuild contractor in Los Angeles County, rebuilding homes destroyed or damaged by the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires and other wildfires. Working from our Monterey Park office, we take projects from a debris-cleared lot through design, permits and construction to a certificate of occupancy.
A fire rebuild is new construction with a history attached: insurance limits, original plans that may be lost, a lot that needs a fresh survey, and fire-resistant building rules that often did not exist when the first house went up. As a licensed California general contractor, we help owners choose between a like-for-like rebuild and a new design, then carry the project under one contract.
What's Included
What Our Fire Rebuild Service Covers
Lot and Records Review
We confirm debris-removal clearance, request original permits and plans from the agency where they still exist, and arrange a new lot survey.
Rebuild Path and Design
Plans for either a like-for-like rebuild within 110 percent of the original footprint and height, or a redesigned home that goes through standard review.
Foundation Evaluation
Fire heat can damage concrete and reinforcing steel, so an engineer evaluates any surviving foundation before we decide whether to reuse, repair or replace it.
Fire-Resistant Construction
In a mapped fire hazard severity zone, we build to Chapter 7A of the California Building Code and Section R337 of the Residential Code, from Class A roofing to ember-resistant vents.
Permits With the Right Agency
Submittals to LADBS for Pacific Palisades, LA County Public Works for Altadena, or the City of Malibu, plus coastal review where the lot requires it.
Utilities, Site Work and Insurance Documentation
New service connections, grading, drainage and driveways, plus a line-item scope you can share with your insurer, with code-required upgrades listed separately.
Is It Right for You?
Which Rebuild Path Fits Your Situation?
You Want the Home Back as It Was
A like-for-like rebuild keeps the same type of structure in the same location, within 110 percent of the original footprint and height, and qualifies for streamlined review.
You Want a Different or Larger House
Going beyond the like-for-like envelope means standard plan review under current zoning, which takes longer but lets you rethink the layout.
Your Home Was Damaged, Not Destroyed
Smoke, heat and partial structural damage call for a repair scope: assessing and replacing affected materials, and upgrading whatever the code requires once work is permitted.
Your Lot Is Near the Coast
In Malibu and parts of Pacific Palisades, the California Coastal Zone can add a coastal development permit or exemption review on top of the building permit.
Our Process
How a Fire Rebuild Moves From Lot to Occupancy
Consultation and Lot Review
We visit the lot, review your insurance scope and any surviving plans, and confirm debris clearance status and which agency has jurisdiction over your address.
Design and Written Bid
Plans are developed for a like-for-like or redesigned home, and you receive a written line-item bid with fire-resistant materials and code upgrades listed on their own lines.
Engineering and Permits
Structural, soils and energy documents are prepared and submitted to LADBS, LA County Public Works or the City of Malibu, and we respond to each round of plan check comments.
Foundation, Framing and Roof
The foundation is poured or repaired, framing goes up, and the house is sheathed and roofed with fire-rated assemblies, with an inspection at each stage.
Systems, Exterior and Final
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems go in, ember-resistant vents and tempered windows are set, finishes are completed, and final inspections lead to your certificate of occupancy.
Options Compared
Rebuild Options Compared
Your insurance, your goals and the agency governing your lot all shape the right option.
| Option | Best For | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| Like-for-like rebuild | Owners who want their home back on the fastest approval path | Same structure type and location at up to 110 percent of the original footprint and height, with streamlined review |
| Redesigned rebuild | Owners who want a new layout or more space | Standard plan review under current zoning, with its own fees and timeline |
| Repair of a damaged home | Houses still standing with smoke, heat or partial fire damage | Scope depends on assessment; permitted repair areas must meet current code |
| Coastal zone rebuild | Malibu and coastal parts of Pacific Palisades | Coastal review may apply on top of building permits; replacing a destroyed home near its original size can qualify for an exemption |
Budget Planning
What Shapes Fire Rebuild Costs
Rebuild budgets depend on the size and design of the new home, the fire-resistant materials the lot requires and site conditions. We price from plans, not square footage alone, and separate code-required items so you can compare them with your policy's coverages.
Home Size and Design
A like-for-like home is priced against the original plans and footprint, while a redesign is priced against new drawings, finishes and structural choices.
Fire-Resistant Materials
Noncombustible or ignition-resistant siding, Class A roof assemblies, ember-resistant vents and tempered multi-pane windows cost more than the materials many older homes used.
Foundation and Soils
Reusing a sound foundation saves money; a damaged one must be removed and replaced, and hillside lots may need engineered footings or retaining walls.
Energy Code Path
Since 2020, Title 24 has called for solar PV on most newly built single-family homes. We confirm with your agency which energy requirements apply to your rebuild path.
Local Knowledge
Rebuilding Across LA County From Our Monterey Park Office
Monterey Park itself has no high-hazard areas on the state fire map its City Council adopted in 2025, but our office sits within reach of the communities hit hardest in January 2025. The Eaton Fire destroyed 9,414 structures across 14,021 acres, most of them in Altadena, where permits go through LA County Public Works and LA County Regional Planning because the community is unincorporated.
The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres and destroyed 6,837 structures across Pacific Palisades, parts of Malibu and Topanga. Pacific Palisades permits run through LADBS and LA City Planning, while Malibu is its own city with its own departments and much of it lies in the Coastal Zone. We track each agency's procedures.
Why Choose Us
Why Homeowners Choose Simply Construction for Fire Rebuilds
Three Agencies, Three Rulebooks
A rebuild in Altadena is permitted by LA County Public Works, one in Pacific Palisades by LADBS, and one in Malibu by the City of Malibu, each with its own procedures. We prepare submittals for the agency that governs your address and track like-for-like eligibility, which lets a rebuild reach 110 percent of the old footprint and height under a faster review.
Licensed, and Easy to Verify
After a disaster, checking your contractor matters more than usual. California requires a CSLB license for any job of $1,000 or more, and state law treats unlicensed contracting on disaster repairs as a more serious offense than ordinary unlicensed work. We are a licensed California general contractor, and you can check our license, bond and workers' compensation status on the CSLB website before you sign.
Contract Terms That Protect Your Funds
Insurance and mortgage funds for a rebuild are often released in stages, and California law already limits how a contractor can collect. The down payment can't exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less, and no later payment may outrun the work performed or the materials delivered to the lot. Our written contract ties each draw to a completed stage you can inspect.
Service Area
Fire Rebuilds Across Los Angeles & Ventura Counties
We take on fire rebuilds projects in every community below. Each link leads to that city's page, where you can see how our full range of services applies there.
San Fernando Valley
Fire Rebuilds in Burbank
For foothill homes damaged by wildfire, we rebuild to Burbank's Mountain Fire Zone construction standards and coordinate the hillside permit, soils review and utility reconnection through final inspection.
Fire Rebuilds in Studio City
Rebuilding fire-damaged homes in the Studio City hills below Mulholland, with plans prepared to current ember-resistant standards and permits carried through LADBS.
Fire Rebuilds in Sherman Oaks
Fire rebuilds for hillside homes in Sherman Oaks, permitted through LADBS and built with the ember-resistant vents, glazing and siding the fire zone now requires.
Fire Rebuilds in Encino
For Encino homes in the hills below Mulholland Drive, we manage fire rebuilds from cleared lot to final inspection, building to wildland-urban interface standards and coordinating hillside grading review with LADBS.
Fire Rebuilds in Woodland Hills
For Woodland Hills homes on fire-prone slopes south of Ventura Boulevard, we rebuild after fire damage with wildland-urban interface materials and handle LADBS permits from cleared lot onward.
Fire Rebuilds in Toluca Lake
Rebuilding fire-damaged Toluca Lake homes through LADBS or Burbank, with early records of surviving trim and tile so the finished house keeps its original character.
Fire Rebuilds in Valley Village
Rebuilding fire-damaged Valley Village houses through LADBS, with the Specific Plan height limit and current energy code folded into the plans from the start.
Fire Rebuilds in Tarzana
Wildfire-standard rebuilds for Tarzana's hillside homes above Ventura Boulevard, from insurance scope and debris removal through LADBS approval and final inspection.
Fire Rebuilds in Reseda
Rebuilding Reseda homes after a structure fire, with insurance coordination, current electrical and seismic upgrades, and LADBS permits managed to final sign-off.
Fire Rebuilds in Northridge
Rebuilding Northridge homes after a structure fire, including current seismic connections, updated electrical and LADBS permits managed to final inspection.
Fire Rebuilds in Porter Ranch
Hillside rebuilds in Porter Ranch built to wildfire standards, with insurer coordination, site clearing, LADBS permits and HOA review handled together.
Fire Rebuilds in Granada Hills
Rebuilding Granada Hills homes after fire, from valley-floor ranch houses to foothill properties under wildfire rules, with HPOZ coordination in Balboa Highlands.
Fire Rebuilds in Chatsworth
After a wildfire loss in the hills above Chatsworth, we rebuild through LADBS to current wildland-urban interface standards, using ignition-resistant materials for the house, barn and fencing.
Fire Rebuilds in West Hills
For West Hills homes damaged by wildfire, especially lots near Valley Circle Boulevard and the Simi Hills, we rebuild through LADBS with fire-rated roofing and ember-resistant construction.
Glendale, Pasadena & Northeast LA
Fire Rebuilds in Glendale
Rebuilding Glendale foothill homes after wildfire, including the soils reports, retaining walls and ember-resistant detailing that steep lots in the Verdugos and San Rafael Hills require.
Fire Rebuilds in Pasadena
For Pasadena foothill homes affected by wildfire, we handle the full rebuild, from engineering and permits to construction, using materials chosen for ember and flame resistance.
Fire Rebuilds in Altadena
We rebuild Altadena homes under LA County's Eaton Fire rules, including the 10 percent or 200 square foot like-for-like allowance and Chapter 7A wildfire construction.
Fire Rebuilds in South Pasadena
Rebuilding after fire in South Pasadena, including Monterey Hills lots in mapped fire hazard severity zones where ember-resistant construction and defensible space shape the new house.
Fire Rebuilds in San Marino
Fire loss rebuilds for San Marino owners, coordinated with insurance adjusters and planned so any change to the exterior is ready for the city's design review.
Fire Rebuilds in La Crescenta-Montrose
Rebuilding foothill homes in La Crescenta-Montrose after fire, with wildfire-resistant construction, updated soils and drainage work, and county or Glendale plan check handled for you.
Fire Rebuilds in Eagle Rock
Post-fire rebuilding for Eagle Rock homes, from flat-lot houses to hillside properties in the San Rafael Hills that must meet wildfire and LADBS hillside standards.
Fire Rebuilds in Silver Lake
Rebuilds for fire-damaged Silver Lake hillside homes, covering insurance scope, soils and structural review, LADBS plan check and fire-resistant construction.
Westside, Hollywood & the Coast
Fire Rebuilds in Santa Monica
With Pacific Palisades next door rebuilding after the 2025 fire, we help Santa Monica and Westside owners rebuild with fire-resistant construction and carry permits through final inspection.
Fire Rebuilds in Beverly Hills
Rebuilding after fire damage in the hillside neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, with plans drawn to ignition-resistant standards and permits handled through the city's own building department.
Fire Rebuilds in Pacific Palisades
From like-for-like replacements to larger homes under Emergency Executive Order 8, we carry Palisades rebuilds through coastal clearance, wildfire-code construction and final LADBS inspection.
Fire Rebuilds in Malibu
We rebuild Malibu homes lost in the Palisades Fire and earlier fires, using the City's 110 percent path, fee waivers for primary residences and full wildfire construction.
Fire Rebuilds in Brentwood
Rebuilding in Mandeville Canyon and other fire-affected parts of Brentwood under LADBS wildland-urban interface standards, including the streamlined path for homes lost in January 2025.
Fire Rebuilds in Bel Air
Rebuilding fire-damaged Bel Air homes through LADBS, with hillside, soils and wildland-urban interface requirements folded into a single permit set.
Fire Rebuilds in Westwood
Fire and smoke damage rebuilds for Westwood homes through LADBS, with fire-zone checks for lots toward Sunset Boulevard and Bel Air.
Fire Rebuilds in West Hollywood
Post-fire rebuilding for West Hollywood properties, including damage that spreads between closely spaced buildings, carried from insurance scope through city plan check.
Fire Rebuilds in Hollywood Hills
Rebuilding Hollywood Hills homes after fire to Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone standards, coordinated with insurers, hillside engineers and LADBS.
Fire Rebuilds in Marina del Rey
Structure fire repairs and rebuilds for Marina del Rey condos and houses, coordinated with associations, insurers and the correct county or city permit office.
Fire Rebuilds in Oakwood
Rebuilding Oakwood homes after a house fire, from insurance scope to current-code reconstruction, including the coastal review steps that Venice requires.
Fire Rebuilds in Manhattan Beach
House fire rebuilds in Manhattan Beach through the city's permit process, with care taken to protect closely spaced neighboring homes.
Santa Clarita, Conejo & Las Virgenes
Fire Rebuilds in Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita rebuilds inside fire hazard severity zones pass through Los Angeles County Fire's fuel modification review. We manage that review, the city permits and construction to current wildfire building standards.
Fire Rebuilds in Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks homes near open space face real wildfire exposure. After a loss, we rebuild with ignition-resistant materials and coordinate fire department and city requirements through final inspection.
Fire Rebuilds in Calabasas
After a wildfire in the Calabasas hills, we rebuild through the city with ember-resistant construction and arborist care for any surviving oaks on the lot.
Fire Rebuilds in Hidden Hills
Fire rebuilds in Hidden Hills can cover the house, barn and guest house, built to California's wildfire standards and taken through both city permits and association review.
Fire Rebuilds in Bell Canyon
For Bell Canyon owners rebuilding after the 2018 Woolsey Fire or any later fire, we handle Ventura County permits, association review and arborist protection for surviving oaks.
Fire Rebuilds in Topanga
Topanga owners rebuilding after the 2025 Palisades Fire can use streamlined like-for-like review; we coordinate county permits, fire, septic and coastal requirements.
Fire Rebuilds in Oak Park
Oak Park lost homes to the Woolsey Fire in 2018; we rebuild to current wildfire standards through Ventura County, protecting surviving oaks and sycamores along the way.
Fire Rebuilds in Moorpark
Moorpark fire recovery, whether after a brush fire or a kitchen fire, handled from insurance scope through city approvals, with fire-resistant exteriors on lots mapped in hazard zones.
Related Services
Often Paired With Fire Rebuilds
New Construction & Additions
Custom Home Building
Ground-up custom homes and tear-down rebuilds, managed from plans and permits to final inspection.
Explore Custom HomesNew Construction & Additions
ADU Construction
Detached and attached accessory dwelling units designed, permitted and built under one contract.
Explore ADUsRemodeling & More
Patios, Decks & Outdoor Living
Patio covers, decks, outdoor kitchens and hardscape that extend usable living space outdoors.
Explore Outdoor LivingWant to know who you would be working with? Read about Simply Construction, see our project gallery, or contact our Monterey Park office.
FAQ
Fire Rebuilds Questions, Answered
What does like-for-like mean for a fire rebuild?
Under the state and local executive orders issued after the January 2025 fires, like-for-like means putting the same kind of structure back on the same spot, at no more than 110 percent of the original footprint and height. The City of Los Angeles also waived plan check and permit fees for that portion.
Do I have to use fire-resistant materials?
If your lot is in a mapped fire hazard severity zone, yes. Chapter 7A of the California Building Code and Section R337 of the Residential Code set rules for roofing, vents, exterior walls, windows, decks and eaves. Many burned lots in Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu fall within these zones.
Can you rebuild a larger home than the one I lost?
Yes, but going beyond the like-for-like envelope moves the project into standard plan review under current zoning, with its own fees and timeline. Some owners rebuild within the like-for-like limits first and add on later; others redesign from the start. We walk through both with you.
Do you work with insurance companies?
We prepare a detailed line-item scope and estimate you can give your insurer, and we list code-required upgrades separately, since many policies handle those under a separate ordinance or law coverage. We do not act as your adjuster or negotiate your claim on your behalf.
Your office is in Monterey Park. Do you work in Altadena and the Palisades?
Yes. We take fire rebuild projects across Los Angeles County, including Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and serve communities across LA and Ventura counties. Each fire area has a different permitting agency, and we prepare plans and submittals for the one that governs your lot.
Start Your Project
Ready to Plan Your Fire Rebuilds Project?
Share a few details and we will set up a site visit, review your goals and give you a written, line-item estimate.
Licensed California General Contractor · CSLB [CSLB LICENSE # PLACEHOLDER]