Fire Damage Rebuild in Altadena

I walk the lot with you myself. That visit is free. From there I write a scope that names every assembly we intend to build: foundation repair or replacement, framing, roof, exterior envelope, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, interior finish.

Class B is the license that lets one builder carry a whole house rather than stitching trades together with nobody accountable for the seams. You approve a written scope and a written agreement before anyone starts. Stage payments tie to named milestones you can stand on the lot and verify with your own eyes.

Two things I do not do. I do not negotiate with your insurance carrier. That belongs to your adjuster, your public adjuster, or your attorney. What I hand you is a detailed scope and photographic documentation of conditions, in a form whoever represents you can actually use. I also do not promise a permit date, because the county controls that calendar.

This single fact reshapes an Altadena rebuild. LA County Planning states the Eaton Fire "has impacted the unincorporated community of Altadena and nearby areas." Your permit does not go to the City of Los Angeles. It goes to LA County Public Works Building and Safety, which serves the unincorporated county. Inspection requests for unincorporated county projects process online through EPIC-LA, the county portal.

Three county specifics worth knowing before you settle a scope:

Like-for-like has a hard threshold. In the Eaton Fire area, the county allows a like-for-like replacement to carry "modifications that do not increase the floor area, size, height, or building footprint by more than 10% or 200 square feet, whichever is greater." Crossing that line moves the project onto a different review path. I put that threshold on the table early so you choose it deliberately instead of discovering it at plan check.

Self-certification exists as a pilot. Los Angeles County runs a Building Plan Self-Certification Program. Registered California licensed architects and engineers may certify that building plans comply with the Los Angeles County Building Code. It covers replacement of a single-family home, garage, or accessory dwelling unit lost or damaged by the Eaton or Palisades Fires in unincorporated county under Public Works jurisdiction. Approvals from Regional Planning, Public Health, and Fire are still required, and a minimum of 20 percent of self-certified plans are subject to random county audit.

Altadena carries its own standards district. Development in Altadena falls under County Code Title 22 and the Altadena Community Standards District at Chapter 22.306. Those standards are specific to Altadena and shape height, setback, and site decisions.

The county also operates the Altadena One-Stop Permit Center at 464 W Woodbury Rd, Suite 210. Public Works, Regional Planning, Public Health, and the Fire Department all sit in that building.

Free on-site estimate. I walk your Altadena lot, listen to what you want back, and put a written scope in your hands. Call (949) 558-9738.