What to Give a Builder Before Asking for a Palisades Wildfire Rebuild Estimate You Can Trust

Before you ask a builder to price a Palisades wildfire rebuild, give them nine things: your parcel address and the agency that governs it, whatever records remain of the home you lost, a clear statement of whether you want to rebuild the same home or change it, the status of any plans, what is known about the lot itself, the condition of utilities and access, the insurance documents you choose to share, your budget range and finish expectations, and any schedule constraints. This applies to families rebuilding in Pacific Palisades and Malibu after the Palisades Fire, whether your records are complete or nearly gone. Below, we explain what each item settles, what happens to the price when an item is missing, and who actually decides each open question, so you can tell a realistic estimate from an incomplete one.

A note on timing: the agency details below come from official City and County pages and documents, with their dates noted where available. Rebuild rules, forms, hours, and locations change, so confirm anything you plan to rely on directly with the agency.

The short list

1. Parcel address and jurisdiction. City of Los Angeles, City of Malibu, or unincorporated Los Angeles County each run a different rebuild process.
2. Records of the prior home. Permits, a Certificate of Occupancy, Assessor data, photos, listing materials, and plans if you have them.
3. Rebuild intent. Like-for-like, modestly modified, or a new design.
4. Plan status. No plans yet, a designer already engaged, or previously approved plans you hope to reuse.
5. Site status. Debris and demolition status, survey, soil and geology information, slope, retaining walls.
6. Utilities and access. What is known about water, power, gas, sewer or septic, and whether the lot is reachable for equipment.
7. Insurance documents you choose to share. Often the adjuster’s scope of loss, with or without dollar figures.
8. Budget range and finish level. A range and a sense of the quality you expect, not a single number.
9. Schedule constraints. Temporary housing timelines, family needs, or financing milestones that affect sequencing.

You will not have all of this. That is normal. The goal is to hand over what exists and clearly mark what you do not know, so the builder prices the unknowns openly instead of silently.

Why the information matters more than the first number

A rebuild estimate is a set of decisions about scope, quantities, and quality, converted into dollars. When you give the builder a decision, they price it. When you cannot, the builder has to do one of four things, and an honest estimate tells you which. This is J Handy Construction’s explanation of how estimates are formed, not an industry statistic:

• State an assumption. “We assumed a conventional slab foundation because no soil report exists yet.” If the assumption turns out wrong, the price changes.
• Carry an allowance. A placeholder dollar amount for something you have not selected yet, such as tile, fixtures, or cabinetry. If your selection costs more or less than the allowance, the difference is adjusted.
• Carry a provisional sum. A placeholder for work whose extent is not yet known, such as retaining wall repairs or utility reconnection. It is refined once the condition is investigated.
• List an exclusion. Work that is not in the estimate at all, such as debris removal, landscaping, or geotechnical engineering fees.

This is where the common worry lives: will the price rise because important items were excluded? The plain answer is that a missing input never disappears. It is either priced now, with the assumption written down, or priced later as a change order. An estimate that is quiet about its assumptions is harder to compare, because you cannot see what it does not yet know.

The better question to ask of any estimate is not “is this number low?” but “where does this estimate say what it does not yet know?” Even a complete, well-documented estimate can still move, because of hidden site conditions, plan check comments, or your own selection changes. No builder can honestly promise zero change orders or a final price before the conditions are known. What a builder can aim to do is make every assumption, allowance, and exclusion visible before you sign, and explain the pricing of any change before it happens. That is how J Handy Construction approaches estimating, and it is the standard we encourage you to ask of any builder.

Three kinds of estimates, and what each one needs from you

Estimate type	What it is	What the builder needs to produce it	How much it can move
Budgetary range	A rough bracket to test whether a rebuild idea is feasible	Address, approximate size and stories of the prior home, rebuild intent, finish level, known site issues	Significantly. It is a planning tool, not a commitment.
Preliminary estimate	An itemized estimate built on partial design, with stated assumptions and allowances	Schematic or developed drawings, site information, a decision on like-for-like versus redesign, selected major systems	Moderately, mostly where allowances and provisional sums are refined.
Contract price for a defined scope	A contract price tied to a defined set of drawings, specifications, and conditions	Permit-ready drawings, structural and energy calculations, soil report where required, finish selections	Changes to the price are handled through documented change orders for conditions or changes outside the defined scope.

If a builder offers a firm price before drawings, a soil report, or a permit path exist, ask what it is built on. The honest answer is usually “assumptions,” and you should see them in writing.

You do not need your original plans to start

Many families lost every paper record in the fire. That does not stop the process. For parcels in the City of Los Angeles, City Planning’s Palisades rebuild FAQ (dated January 30, 2026) states that the prior home’s footprint and height can be established from prior building permits, Certificates of Occupancy, County Assessor data, Coastal Commission records, and photographic sources such as Google Maps imagery and LiDAR. The same FAQ notes that LADBS archives hold plans for single-family homes built after 1978, and that a copy of plans for a fire-damaged property can be requested with an Affidavit for Duplication of Plans, proof of ownership (such as a deed), and a valid driver’s license. Some requests may need research time. Confirm current requirements with the City before relying on this.

For a first estimate conversation, the practical sources are usually:

• Any building permit or Certificate of Occupancy you can find in email, a lender file, or title documents.
• Assessor records showing square footage, stories, and year built.
• Family photos, listing photos from when you bought the home, appraisal reports, and any remodel drawings.
• The adjuster’s scope of loss, if one exists, because it may describe the home in detail.

A builder can work from this to frame a budgetary range or preliminary estimate. The official record of the prior home still matters later, because the agency uses it to evaluate what counts as like-for-like.

The Estimate Intake Map: what each item settles, and what happens if it is missing

This map is the core of this guide. Read the third column carefully. It tells you how an estimate should behave when an input is missing. If an estimate you receive does not show that behavior, ask why.

What to give the builder	What it settles	If it is missing, a sound estimate will…	Who answers it	Source or verify
Parcel address and jurisdiction	Which agency reviews the project, which rebuild program applies, and whether the parcel is in a hillside, coastal, or geologically sensitive area	State which jurisdiction and permit path it assumes, and exclude agency fees and studies it cannot yet identify	Owner provides the address; the agency determines the path	City of LA: LA Strong rebuilding page. Malibu: City of Malibu rebuild program update; confirm Malibu’s rules directly with the City. County: LA County Recovers. Verify current details.
Records of the prior home	Size, stories, footprint, garage and accessory structures, foundation type, and what “like-for-like” would mean	Price from an assumed square footage and configuration, flagged as an assumption, and note that the prior-home record must be established before permit	Owner gathers; agency records confirm	LA City Planning FAQ on establishing prior footprint and height (City of LA parcels)
Rebuild intent: like-for-like, modified, or new design	Review path, design fees, and how much of the pre-fire home is a useful pricing reference	Price one path, name it, and exclude discretionary review, coastal review, or design work the other path would trigger	Owner decides intent; agency determines eligibility	City of LA EO1 and EO8 descriptions. Time-sensitive; verify on the day you rely on it.
Design and plan status	Whether drawings exist, whether previously approved plans may be reusable, and how far from permit-ready the project is	Carry design and engineering as allowances or exclusions, and state that all construction quantities are preliminary until drawings exist	Owner and design professional; agency confirms reuse eligibility	LADBS plan submittal bulletin on reuse of previously approved plans
Site status: debris, survey, soil and geology, slope, retaining walls	Foundation type, grading, shoring, retaining wall scope, and whether geologic and soil reports are required	Assume a foundation type, carry site work as provisional sums, and exclude geotechnical reports and any work they later require	Owner reports what is known; geotechnical engineer and agency decide requirements	LA Strong FAQ on geologically sensitive areas; debris status via the LADBS wildfire hub. Verify.
Utilities and access	Reconnection scope, temporary power and water during construction, and whether equipment and deliveries can reach the lot	Carry utility reconnection and access improvements as provisional sums or exclusions until utilities confirm conditions	Utility providers and agencies determine; builder prices what they confirm	Touchpoints listed on the City of LA pages above. Verify with each utility and agency.
Code-driven scope items	Fire-rated assemblies and window and door sizes and materials shown on plans, structural design, energy compliance, landscape and green building requirements, separate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plan check (per LADBS’s list for City of LA wildfire rebuilds)	State the code basis assumed and flag that plan review, not the builder, confirms final requirements	Design professional prepares; plan review decides	LADBS minimum submittal requirements. For Malibu or County parcels, verify with the agency that governs the parcel.
Insurance documents you choose to share	A reference for the prior home and a way to compare the builder’s line items with the insurer’s line items	Price the rebuild independently of the claim and avoid treating any insurer figure as the budget	Owner decides what to share; insurer or licensed claim professional decides coverage	Your own policy wording. Coverage questions go to your insurer.
Budget range, finish level, schedule constraints	The quality tier for allowances, sequencing priorities, and whether phasing is worth discussing	Set allowances at a stated quality tier and label them, so you can see what tier the number assumes	Owner decides; builder advises on tradeoffs	First-party decision; no external source needed

A hypothetical example of the map at work

This is an illustration, not a description of a client project or of any particular builder. Suppose an owner of a hillside lot with no soil report and no plans asks two builders for a price. One returns a single total with no notes. The other returns a total that states an assumed foundation type, carries grading and retaining walls as provisional sums, excludes the geotechnical report, and sets finish allowances at a named quality tier. The first total may look lower, but the two cannot be compared yet, because the first does not show which items were assumed and which were left out. Differences like that can surface later as change orders. Comparing estimates fairly starts with getting both builders to state the same assumptions.

Each item, in plain language

Parcel address and jurisdiction

For parcels in the City of Los Angeles, LADBS and the City’s rebuilding support centers are the permitting touchpoints. Confirm which agency governs your specific parcel. The City’s LA Strong rebuilding page describes support centers with representatives from LADBS, Bureau of Engineering, LAFD, City Planning, and LADWP, including one in Pacific Palisades. Hours and locations change, so check the page before visiting.

Malibu is a separate city with its own rebuild program, including a Malibu Rebuild Center, pre-submittal consultations, and a review process that begins with planning review and then moves to building plan review, as described in the City of Malibu’s own updates. Do not assume Los Angeles rules apply to a Malibu parcel, and confirm Malibu’s requirements directly with the City. Unincorporated County areas follow a third process on LA County Recovers, with its own like-for-like wording. A builder cannot price a review path without knowing which of these three applies.

Records of the prior home

The pre-fire home is the pricing reference for a like-for-like rebuild, and the agency uses the record of it to evaluate what you can replace under a like-for-like path. Bring what you have. If you have nothing, say so. The builder can price from assumptions while the official record is reconstructed through the agency sources described above.

Rebuild intent

This is the single decision that most changes an estimate. In the City of Los Angeles, the City describes an expedited like-for-like path under Emergency Executive Order 1 (EO1), which covers rebuilds within 110 percent of the original footprint and height. It also describes a separate path under Executive Order 8 (EO8) for single-family homes that do not qualify as like-for-like but comply with zoning. According to City Planning’s FAQ, EO8 applies to single-family houses in the Coastal Zone. A project that fits neither path may need applicable Coastal review and Planning clearances. The FAQ also describes what the like-for-like path allows, such as shifting the building on the lot or adding a basement. These provisions are time-sensitive and should be confirmed with the City on the day you rely on them. Malibu and unincorporated County parcels follow their own rules.

For estimating purposes, the point is simpler: a like-for-like rebuild lets the builder price against a known home, while a redesign requires design work before quantities exist. Some families choose a redesigned home that is effectively a custom residence on a cleared lot. That is a legitimate choice. It just means the estimate starts as a budgetary range and becomes firmer as drawings develop. J Handy Construction’s custom ground-up work follows the same sequence, and we can walk you through the construction implications of each path before you commit to either. Eligibility and review path are decided by the agency.

Design and plan status

Tell the builder whether you have no drawings, a designer already engaged, or a set of previously approved plans. LADBS’s plan submittal bulletin (revised November 13, 2025) states that previously approved plans may be reused for eligible projects if they were approved under the 2019 California Building Standards Code or later, with current California Energy Code compliance and restamping by the original architect of record and the engineer who stamped the plans. If you have a recent remodel or addition set, bring it. Even if it cannot be reused outright, it tells the builder a great deal about what stood there.

Site status

Report what you know about debris and demolition status, whether a survey exists, and whether any soil or geology report was ever done on the property. The City’s LA Strong FAQ notes that homes in geologically sensitive areas of the Palisades need geological and soil reports, and that hillside and flat-lot permitting differ mainly in grading. Until a geotechnical engineer has reviewed the lot, no builder can know the foundation type, and foundation and grading can be major cost variables on a hillside lot. Expect this to appear as an assumption or provisional sum in an early estimate.

Utilities and access

Share what you have heard from utility providers about service to the lot, and describe the street, driveway, and slope. Narrow or steep access can affect equipment, deliveries, and crew logistics. The builder can price these once conditions are confirmed, and should say so if they are not.

Code-driven scope: not something you supply, but it shapes the estimate

A rebuilt home goes through plan review against the requirements that apply to its parcel, and those requirements can be a real scope driver. LADBS’s minimum submittal list for City of Los Angeles wildfire rebuilds includes floor plans showing fire-rated assemblies, window and door sizes and materials, structural calculations signed by a California-licensed architect, structural engineer, or civil engineer, Title 24 energy calculations, approved soil and geology reports where applicable, landscape documentation under the Green Building Code, and separate mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plan check for work that does not qualify for an express permit. For Malibu or unincorporated County parcels, verify the requirements with the agency that governs the parcel. Your builder can explain how each of these tends to affect materials and labor compared with the home you lost. Your builder cannot tell you the final requirements for your parcel. Plan review does that.

Insurance documents you choose to share

You decide what to share, and you do not need to share policy limits or settlement figures at a first meeting. The adjuster’s scope of loss can be a useful document to share, because it may describe the prior home in detail and let the builder show, line by line, where the construction scope and the insurer’s scope differ.

Two things to keep straight:

• A builder’s estimate is not the insurer’s replacement-cost figure. They are produced for different purposes, from different inputs, by different parties. A gap between them is information, not an accusation in either direction.
• Ordinance or Law coverage is a policy question. Whether your policy includes it, what its limits, conditions, and exclusions are, and how it applies to your loss all depend on your policy wording and your insurer, or on a licensed public adjuster or attorney if you engage one. Policies differ, and nothing in this article predicts what yours will pay. What a builder can do is document which scope items are driven by current code rather than by replacing what existed, so you have a clear construction record to bring to those conversations. We do not interpret policies, negotiate claims, provide legal advice, or predict coverage decisions.

Budget range, finish level, and schedule

Give a range and describe the quality you expect, so the builder sets allowances at the right tier and labels them. Share real constraints: temporary housing timelines, a lender’s requirements, children’s school years. These shape sequencing, and a builder who knows them can tell you honestly whether a schedule is realistic rather than agreeable. No builder can guarantee permit approval timing, so a schedule should state its assumptions about agency review.

Who decides what

Much of the frustration families describe comes from asking the wrong party to settle a question. This matrix shows where each decision actually sits.

Question	Owner	Builder	Design or geotechnical professional	City or County agency	Insurer or licensed claim professional
Like-for-like or redesign?	Decides	Explains cost and schedule tradeoffs	Develops the design	Determines eligibility and review path	May affect coverage; policy-specific
What foundation does the lot need?	Authorizes the study	Prices the recommendation	Geotechnical engineer recommends; structural engineer designs	Reviews and approves reports	Not involved
Which code requirements apply?