Rebuilding Your Pacific Palisades Home After the Wildfire Starts With Records, Not a Floor Plan

This article draws on City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County resources. Rebuilding rules, lookup tools, and support services can change, so confirm every date-sensitive item on the official pages linked below before you act on it. This article does not cover the City of Malibu. If your property is in Malibu, confirm the permitting authority and current requirements with the appropriate city or county office directly.

If you lost your home in the January 7, 2025 Palisades Fire and are asking where to start, the answer is this: confirm your parcel’s current status and which agency has jurisdiction over it, then assemble a records file. Do not start with a floor plan, and do not start by signing a construction contract. Design and contracts come after you know what you own, what the site allows, and what your insurance picture looks like.

This applies whether your lot is already cleared or not, whether your claim is open or settled, and whether you plan to rebuild what you had or build something different. The order matters because one costly early mistake is designing a house and then discovering that the site, the rules, or the funding do not support it.

This guide walks through a sequence a homeowner can follow before any builder is involved. It has four main parts: a stage sorter so you can find your own starting point, a first-meeting readiness file with the official mechanism for getting each record, a plain breakdown of who decides what, and the key decisions that come before design. A short glossary at the end defines the acronyms.

The short answer: confirm, gather, then decide

Three moves, in this order:

1. Confirm status and jurisdiction. Use the City’s address-level lookup tools to see what the official record says about your property, and find out which agency handles your parcel. Do not assume.
2. Gather your records. Original plans, permits, Certificates of Occupancy, photos of the original home, your title report, HOA documents, any prior soils report, your insurance policy, and all claim correspondence. The table below tells you where each comes from.
3. Make the big fork decision with the file in hand. Rebuild essentially what you had, or redesign. That choice can affect review, cost, and timing, and it is easier to make once you know what the records and the site say.

Only then does it make sense to sit down with a builder, an architect, or an engineer. A first meeting with a complete file is productive. A first meeting without one is mostly a conversation about what you still need to find out.

Find your starting point

Families in the Palisades are at very different stages. Find the line that matches you and start there. Each one points to rows in the readiness file further down.

• Your lot has not been cleared, or you are unsure of its status. Start with the status lookup and the debris paperwork rows. Keep every document you receive. Ask the permitting agency separately what must be complete before you can apply, before a permit can be issued, and before construction can begin. Get those answers from the agency, not from a blog.
• Your insurance claim is still open. You can gather records, run the lookups, and ask the site questions now. Hold off on finalizing a design or signing a construction agreement until you understand your coverage picture. See the insurance questions and the “who decides” matrix.
• Your claim is settled, or you are in a dispute. If your claim is settled, your financial picture may be clearer, which makes the like-for-like versus redesign decision a main item to resolve before a design contract. If there is a dispute, that is a question for your insurer, a licensed public adjuster, or an attorney, not a builder.
• You are deciding whether to rebuild or sell the lot. Run the status and site rows anyway. A buyer may ask the same questions, and knowing the jurisdiction, the geotechnical picture, and the Coastal Zone status is useful either way. Whether to sell is a personal and financial decision this article does not advise on.
• Part of your home is still standing. Your path may be different, so confirm the official status first and ask the permitting agency what it means for your property, whether repair, a substantial remodel, or something else, before any design work.

Step 1: Confirm your parcel’s status and which agency handles it

Check, don’t assume. Many Pacific Palisades addresses are handled through City of Los Angeles processes, but the Palisades Fire also affected coastal communities served under Los Angeles County programs, and the City and County run separate systems. Confirm which agency has your parcel before relying on guidance written for the other.

The City’s official lookup tools

• Damage Inspection Dashboard. Enter your address to see the property’s status from the most recent inspection at the City’s Palisades Fire damage inspection dashboard.
• LADBS Atlas. Parcel information plus copies of past permits and Certificates of Occupancy. The entry point is the LADBS Wildfire Rebuilding and Recovery page, which also points to application, plan-submittal, and permit-status resources.
• ZIMAS. The City’s zoning information system. The LA Strong FAQ and the City Planning rebuild FAQ point to ZIMAS for the Coastal Zone field and the bluff and biological resource fields for your parcel. Ask the permitting agency how those fields apply to your review path.

Where the City says to start

The City’s own “where to start” is its permit support centers. The LA Strong rebuilding page describes one-stop rebuilding resources with representatives from several City departments, and the City’s FAQ describes both online and in-person application options. Locations, hours, and procedures are time-sensitive, so get them from the official page on the day you plan to go.

If your parcel is in unincorporated County territory

Los Angeles County runs its own one-stop permit centers for residents of unincorporated areas affected by the Palisades Fire, and the County’s processes are separate from the City’s. If you are not certain which agency has your parcel, ask at a permit center or confirm through the lookups above before you rely on any City-specific guidance in this article. The LADBS geotechnical zone map and bulletin described below are City of Los Angeles guidance. Do not assume they apply to County parcels or to Malibu.

Step 2: Build your first-meeting readiness file

This is the part most “first steps” lists skip. Every item below has an official source or pointer, a reason it matters before design, and a note on who actually decides what it means. Gather what you can. Missing items are fine, and knowing they are missing is itself useful at a first meeting.

Item	Where or how to get it	Why it matters before design	Who decides or who to ask	Status note
Official property status	City Damage Inspection Dashboard (address lookup)	Shows what the official record says about your home, which helps you and the agency work out your path.	Permitting agency	Verify the current entry. Status records can be updated.
Prior permits and Certificates of Occupancy	LADBS Atlas via the LADBS wildfire page	Documents what was permitted. The City lists prior permits and Certificates of Occupancy among the sources it says can help establish a previously existing footprint and height.	Permitting agency	City-jurisdiction tool. County parcels use County records.
Original construction plans	The City Planning rebuild FAQ describes how to request copies of plans from LADBS, including proof of ownership and identification requirements. Confirm the current process on the official page.	Gives your architect and builder the structural, dimensional, and system layout of the original home instead of guesswork.	Permitting agency	Availability depends on the property and the agency’s records, and same-day release is not guaranteed. Ask the agency how to request records for your specific parcel.
Photos of the original home, inside and out	Your own files, family, neighbors, listing photos, insurance inspection photos	The City FAQ names photographic sources among the sources that can help establish the previously existing footprint and height. Photos also support finish-level discussions with your insurer and builder.	Owner gathers; permitting agency and insurer evaluate	Named by the City as possible supporting sources, not a guarantee of any outcome. Share photos of your home only with people you choose, and keep your own privacy in mind.
Current title report	Title company	Confirms ownership, easements, and recorded restrictions that may affect what can be built where.	Owner; reviewed by your design team	The City FAQ recommends obtaining a current report.
HOA contact and CC&Rs	Your HOA or management company; recorded CC&Rs appear in the title report	The City does not enforce CC&Rs, and a City permit does not mean CC&R compliance. The City FAQ notes that many HOAs have their own plan review.	HOA; owner	Find out early whether a private review step exists.
Any prior soils or geology report	Your own records, or ask LADBS how to request existing reports, as described in the LADBS information bulletin on rebuilding in the Palisades	Tells your engineer what is already known about the ground under the home. The bulletin discusses when an existing report may or may not be reusable.	Licensed geotechnical engineer; LADBS Grading Division	Reuse is conditional, and older reports may need updating. Do not assume a prior report will be accepted.
ZIMAS Coastal Zone and bluff fields	ZIMAS, per the LA Strong FAQ	Coastal Zone status and bluff or biological resource flags are fields to review with the agency, because they may bear on your review path.	Permitting agency; City Planning	City-jurisdiction tool. Print or save the record.
Geohazard zone check	LADBS Palisades Geohazard Risk Assessment Zones (PGRAZ) map, referenced in the same LADBS bulletin	The bulletin describes zones with additional geology and soils report requirements, which can affect pre-design cost and timing. Review the bulletin and confirm how it applies to your parcel.	LADBS; licensed geotechnical engineer	City of LA parcels only. If your address is not on the zone list, ask LADBS or a geotechnical consultant what applies.
Debris-removal paperwork	Every letter, notice, right-of-entry form, and completion document you have received from any agency or contractor	What must be complete at each stage is an agency decision, and your paperwork is how you show where you stand.	Permitting agency	Keep everything. Ask the agency directly what is required at each milestone. This article does not state the sequence as a rule.
Insurance policy and claim correspondence	Your insurer; your own records	Your dwelling limit, any extended replacement cost, and any Ordinance or Law provision may set the financial frame for the design decision.	Insurer; licensed public adjuster or attorney for disputes	Bring the full policy, including endorsements, not just the declarations page. See the questions below.

Step 3: Understand the insurance picture before you design

This step runs in parallel with the records work, and it has a hard boundary. A builder can describe construction scope and price it. A builder cannot tell you what your policy covers or determine your claim, and you should be wary of anyone who says otherwise. What follows is a set of questions to ask the people who can answer them.

What Ordinance or Law coverage means, in plain terms

Ordinance or Law coverage is a provision some homeowner policies include. It may contribute toward the added cost of meeting current building codes when a damaged home is rebuilt. This is a general description, not a statement about any particular policy. Whether your policy includes it, what limit applies, what exclusions or conditions apply, what qualifies as a code-required upgrade, and how it is paid are all set by your actual policy language and your insurer’s claim decision. Nothing in this article, and nothing a builder tells you, changes that.

Questions to ask your insurer or a licensed claim professional

• What is my dwelling coverage limit, and does my policy include extended or guaranteed replacement cost?
• Does my policy include Ordinance or Law coverage? What is the limit, are there exclusions or conditions, and what documentation do you need to evaluate code-upgrade costs?
• What is the deadline to rebuild or to submit final costs, and what happens if construction runs past it?
• Does rebuilding in a different design, size, or location on the lot affect what is paid?
• What is the process for reviewing a builder’s estimate, and what format do you want it in?

If you are in a disagreement with your insurer about any of this, that is a matter for a licensed public adjuster or an attorney. A builder’s role is to produce accurate, well-organized construction documentation that those professionals and your insurer can work from.

Who decides what

The builder column below is J Handy Construction’s own description of how we approach a fire rebuild. It covers what we document and coordinate on the construction side, and it is deliberately clear about what we do not decide.

Question or decision	Permitting agency	Licensed engineer or architect	Insurer or claim professional	Builder can document or coordinate	Owner
Which agency and review path applies to my parcel	Decides	Advises	Not involved	Helps confirm and documents the path	Verifies with the agency
Whether my lot needs a soils or geology report	Sets the requirement	Prepares and signs the report	Not involved	Sequences it before design and includes it in the estimate	Commissions it
Whether burned footings or slabs can be reused	Approves or requires removal	Assesses and certifies	Not involved in the decision	Coordinates the assessment and prices either outcome	Commissions the assessment
What my policy covers, including Ordinance or Law	Not involved	Not involved	Decides, per the policy	Does not decide. Provides scope, line-item construction pricing, and a list of code-required upgrades identified in plan review	Reviews policy; may retain a public adjuster or attorney
Which current code requirements apply to the rebuild	Decides at plan review and inspection	Designs to them	Evaluates for coverage	Builds to the approved plans and documents what was required	Informed
Like-for-like or redesign	Determines which review applies to each	Advises on tradeoffs	May affect what is paid	Explains construction cost and sequencing implications of each	Decides
Estimate assumptions, allowances, and change orders	Not involved	Reviews scope	May review the estimate	Writes them out clearly and explains them before signing	Approves each change in writing

One sequence to avoid: commissioning a design, getting it priced, and only then learning the number does not line up with coverage. The fix is simple but requires patience. Understand your financial frame first, then design to it, with a builder who will tell you plainly what the design costs to build.

Step 4: Settle the site questions that come before design

A cleared lot can look simple. It is still a site with slope, soil, drainage, utilities, and sometimes a Coastal Zone or bluff designation. These questions belong to licensed engineers and the permitting agency, and they come before an architect draws anything.

Soils and geology

For City-jurisdiction parcels, LADBS has published a Palisades Geohazard Risk Assessment Zones map and an information bulletin on rebuilding in the Palisades. The bulletin describes zones that carry additional geology and soils report requirements, and it discusses when a soils report or grading permit may be needed elsewhere. It also recommends that owners whose addresses are not on the zone list talk with a geotechnical consultant. Read the bulletin itself, because details can change.

The practical question for you: ask LADBS or a licensed geotechnical engineer whether your lot needs a report, and whether any prior report exists that might be reusable. Do not treat any general description here as a rule for your specific lot.

Foundations

Do not assume that burned footings and slabs can be reused. The City’s FAQ addresses foundation reuse, and reuse generally involves a private engineer’s assessment and the building official’s approval. The agency may require removal. If a foundation is removed, the LADBS bulletin discusses how disturbed soil is handled, which can involve grading permits and compaction documentation. Plan for a foundation assessment as an early engineering item, and be prepared for the answer to be removal. Confirm current requirements with the agency.

Debris clearance paperwork

This article does not state a required sequence for debris-related documentation, because those requirements are set by the permitting agency and may change. Keep every document you receive, and ask the agency three specific questions: what must be complete before I apply, what must be complete before a permit is issued, and what must be complete before construction begins.

Step 5: Decide between rebuilding like-for-like and redesigning

This is the biggest early fork, and it is yours to make. The City Planning FAQ frames like-for-like projects around the “previously existing” footprint and height, and it lists sources that can be used to establish them, such as prior building permits, Certificates of Occupancy, County Assessor data, Coastal Commission records, photographic sources like Google Maps and LiDAR, and other reasonably available sources. That is why the permits, Certificates of Occupancy, and photos in your readiness file matter. They are the documents that may let you show what was there.

What this article cannot tell you is how your specific project would be reviewed. Which review applies to a rebuild of the same footprint and height, and which applies to a larger or different house, is the permitting agency’s determination for your parcel. Sources online disagree on percentages and exemptions, and none are repeated here. Ask the agency directly, in writing if you can.

Before you commit to either direction, it helps to have answers to these questions:

• Can I document the previously existing footprint and height with the records I have, or do I still need to find sources?
• Does the agency treat my parcel’s Coastal Zone, bluff, or biological resource flags as affecting the review path for each option?
• Does my HOA require plan review, and does it have standards that limit a redesign?
• Would my insurer’s payment be affected by a different design, size, or location on the lot?
• What does my engineer say about the foundation and soils, since those findings can shape either option?

Published standard plans are another option some owners ask about. The County’s pre-approved standard plans page describes a catalog for coastal communities affected by the Palisades Fire. Whether any pre-approved plan is available to your parcel, and under which agency’s program, is a question for that agency. Do not assume eligibility.

If you choose to redesign, you are moving toward a custom home decision, and the architect, engineer, and builder should work from the same file from the start. A builder’s contribution at this stage is to explain what each direction means for construction cost and sequencing, not to tell you which review you will face.

Step 6: Know what a builder coordinates, and what to verify

On a fire rebuild, a builder’s job is to coordinate construction: sequencing the engineering assessments, pricing the work, building to the approved plans, and documenting what was done and what was required. The architect and engineers design and certify. The agency reviews and inspects. You decide. The matrix above shows how those roles divide.

Before you sign anything with any builder, ask for these things and confirm them yourself:

• The contractor’s license number, and check its status with the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) directly rather than relying on a number written on a proposal.
• A written scope that states what is included and excluded.
• How allowances are set, and what happens when actual selections cost more or less.
• How change orders are written, priced, and approved, and whether you approve each one in writing before work proceeds.
• Who will manage your project day to day, and how often you should expect updates.
• Who