How to Rebuild Your Home in Altadena: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
To rebuild a home in Altadena after the January 2025 Eaton Fire, follow LA County's six steps: debris removal, prepare plans, apply for a Disaster Recovery Permit, complete plan review, build with inspections, and get a Certificate of Occupancy. Homes inside Pasadena city limits use the City's process. Like-for-like rebuilds are usually fastest.
Rebuilding after the Eaton Fire follows a clear order. This guide walks you through it, with a link to the official source for each step.
Quick answers
- •LA County's official path has 6 steps: debris removal → prepare plans → start your permit application → permit process → build and inspect → move in.[1]
- •Know who issues your permit first. LA County handles unincorporated Altadena. The City of Pasadena handles homes inside City limits.[2][3]
- •Like-for-like is usually fastest. You can rebuild the same home, up to 10% or 200 sq ft larger (whichever is greater).[4]
- •Most County permit fees are not collected from eligible owner-occupants. Pasadena waives fees for eligible red-tagged homes.[5][6]
- •Your contractor must use a fixed-price contract. The down payment can't be more than $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less.[7]
Want this turned into a plan for your lot? We'll visit your property and give you a free, written Rebuild Roadmap.
(From the Altadena Rebuild Team, our sponsor)
Free download: The Altadena Rebuild Checklist. Every step on this page as a printable checklist.
What are the steps to rebuild in Altadena?
| Stage | What happens | Typical owner tasks |
|---|---|---|
| 0. Get ready | Records, insurance, money, jurisdiction | Gather documents; check deadlines |
| 1. Debris removal | Phase 1 (hazardous waste) and Phase 2 (debris) | Confirm your lot is cleared |
| 2. Prepare plans | Choose like-for-like, pre-approved, or custom | Hire a designer, or pick a pre-approved plan |
| 3. Apply | Disaster Recovery Permit (County) or City permit | Submit plans and forms |
| 4. Permit process | Reviews by Planning, Building, Fire, Health | Answer comments; ask for fee deferral/waiver |
| 5. Build and inspect | Construction and inspections | Sign a fixed-price contract; track payments |
| 6. Move in | Certificate of Occupancy | Final walkthrough; update insurance and tax records |
Source: LA County Road to Rebuilding.[1]
Step 0: What should I do before I start?
Confirm your jurisdiction
A Pasadena mailing address doesn't always mean the City issues your permit. Check your address with the County's “City or Unincorporated” lookup.[8]
Check your deadlines
Know your insurance numbers
Write down your dwelling limit, other-structures limit, extended replacement cost, code-upgrade coverage, and ALE limit.
California lets you combine dwelling and other-structures limits if the dwelling limit falls short, and gives you at least 36 months from the first actual-cash-value payment to collect full replacement cost.[12] More on our Insurance page
Plan where you'll live
The County can permit a temporary housing unit (a manufactured home, mobilehome, or RV) on your lot if your legal home was destroyed or made unlivable. It can't be placed on the debris field.[13]
Step 1: Is my lot cleared of debris?
Step 2: How do I prepare plans?
Choose a path:
| Path | Speed | Size | Design cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Like-for-like | Usually fastest | Same, or up to +10% / +200 sq ft | Lower |
| Pre-approved plan | Shorter, more predictable review | Set by the plan; must fit your lot | Lower (design already done) |
| Custom / bigger | Longest | Up to current zoning limits | Higher |
Sources: [4][14]. For the full comparison, see our post “Like-for-like vs. a bigger rebuild”.
Self-certification can shorten review. A qualified architect or engineer certifies the plans meet code, so the County skips the full building plan check. It isn't available on hillside, liquefaction, or landslide-risk lots.[15]
Rules that may lower your cost:
Not sure which path fits your lot? Our partner architect and our build team can compare like-for-like, pre-approved, and custom on one page for you. [Owner to confirm]
Step 3: How do I apply for a rebuild permit?
- •County: apply online through EPIC-LA (bit.ly/RebuildEPIC) or in person at the Altadena One-Stop Permit Center, 464 W. Woodbury Rd., Suite 210. Walk-in hours are Mon–Fri 8:00–4:30.[17][18]
- •Pasadena: red-tagged homes have an assigned planner. Book a 30-minute virtual consultation with the Planner of the Day.[3]
- •Free help: One-Stop rebuild consultations run Mon/Wed/Fri 8:30–12:30, (626) 424-6743.[18]
Step 4: What happens during plan review?
- •In the County, Planning, Building & Safety, Fire, and Public Health all review your plans.[4]
- •Ask for the fee deferral (County) or fee waiver/refund (Pasadena).[5][6]
- •Free AI zoning PreCheck for R-1 Altadena lots; results take up to 10 business days.[19]
- •Half of the County's single-family Eaton permits issued so far took 147 days or less from application to permit. [Estimate: our analysis of public EPIC-LA data, Oct 22, 2026][20]
Full details: Permits page
Want us to handle plan check for you? We coordinate the drawings, the reviewer comments, and the construction pricing in one place. [Owner to confirm scope]
Step 5: How do I hire a builder and pass inspections?
Hire carefully
- •Check the license at cslb.ca.gov. For a whole-home rebuild, look for a B – General Building license.[7]
- •Rebuild contracts must be fixed price. Time-and-materials and cost-plus contracts aren't allowed.[7]
- •The down payment can't be more than $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less. Later payments must match work done or materials delivered.[7]
- •If the contract is signed at your home (not at the contractor's office), you have 7 business days to cancel a contract to repair or restore a home damaged in a declared disaster.[21]
- •In a declared disaster area, contracting without a license can be charged as a felony.[22]
Inspections
County inspectors check the work at set stages. Don't cover up work before it's inspected.
Step 6: When can I move back in?
Once final inspections pass, you get a Certificate of Occupancy.[1][4] Then:
- •Tell your insurer the home is complete, and ask about recoverable depreciation.
- •Ask the Assessor about keeping your old tax base. For the Eaton Fire you have 8 years to rebuild a comparable home and keep it.[11]
Sponsored content
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- •One point of contact from design through move-in. [Owner to confirm]
- •A free, written Rebuild Roadmap: your path, permit route, cost range, and insurance-gap view. [Owner to confirm contents and timing]
- •Fixed-price construction contract and a down payment within the state cap, as the law requires. [Owner to confirm]
Two independent firms with separate contracts. No referral fees. Not affiliated with any government agency.
FAQ
Ready for a plan you can act on?
Sources (all checked Oct 22, 2026)
- 1.
LA County, Road to Rebuilding
- 2.
LA County Regional Planning, Eaton Fire
- 3.
City of Pasadena, Information on Rebuilding
- 4.
LA County Recovers, Like-For-Like Rebuild
- 5.
LA County Recovers, Fee Deferrals & Refunds
- 6.
City of Pasadena, Fire Rebuild Fee Waiver and Refund Program
- 7.
CSLB, Disaster Help Center
- 8.
LA County, City or Unincorporated lookup
- 9.
CalAssist Mortgage Fund
- 10.
SCE, Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program
- 11.
State Board of Equalization, LTA 2026/022 (Publication 802)
- 12.
- 13.
LA County Recovers, Temporary Housing Permit Process
- 14.
LA County Recovers, Pre-Approved Plans
- 15.
LA County Recovers, Self-Certification
- 16.
LA County, EO N-29-25 Implementation sheet; Governor's EO (Nov 24, 2025)
- 17.
LA County Recovers, Apply for Permits
- 18.
LA County Recovers, One-Stop Permit Centers
- 19.
LA County Recovers, LA County eCheck / PreCheck
- 20.
LA County EPIC-LA Eaton/Palisades cases (public ArcGIS layer)
[Estimate: our analysis; method in /blog/how-long-altadena-rebuild-permits-take/] - 21.
California Civil Code §1689.6(c)
(read via leginfo search snapshot; direct load blocked from our checker) - 22.
California Bus. & Prof. Code §7028.16
(read via leginfo search snapshot)
Last reviewed: October 22, 2026