Updated October 2026
Debris removal on both fires finished in August 2025. What decides your timeline now is which rebuild path you pick and how clean your permit set is.
The short version
- Like-for-like rebuilds get expedited review. The County allows up to 10% more (or 200 sf, whichever is greater) in the Eaton area; the City allows up to 110% of the original footprint and height in the Palisades.
- Like-for-like skips current zoning rules but must meet current building and fire codes.
- Vacant single-family lots may qualify for an SB 1123 split: up to 10 lots, 60-day ministerial approval.
- In-person help: Altadena Community Center (County) and 1828 Sawtelle Blvd (City), weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pick your path
Like-for-like. Same size, same location, same use. It can be smaller or have a new floor plan. This is the fastest route. The City reviews like-for-like plans within 30 days.
Bigger or different. In the City, Executive Order 8 lets non-like-for-like single-family rebuilds that meet zoning skip certain coastal and environmental reviews. In the County, anything beyond like-for-like is reviewed under current zoning.
More homes. SB 1123 (effective July 1, 2025) lets you split a vacant single-family lot of up to 1.5 acres into up to 10 lots, with homes averaging no more than 1,750 sf, 4 ft side and rear setbacks, and at most one parking space per unit. See SB 684 / SB 1123.
Permit tools worth using
- Pre-approved fire-resilient plans (City and County).
- AI pre-plan check through Archistar, offered by both the City and the County.
- City self-certification by qualified architects.
- City plan check and permit fees are suspended for owners as of the fire date, not later buyers.
Sources: LA County like-for-like, City of LA rebuilding, LA City Planning on SB 684/1123.
How we use it
Mariposa Complex at 385 Mariposa St, Altadena, took the third path. After the Eaton Fire we planned three homes along a shared driveway under SB 1123, each with an attached ground-floor ADU and a roof garden. It won the 2026 AIA Pasadena & Foothill Rebuild Design Award. Every rebuild guide we keep is listed on Rebuilding Resources.
A post-fire rebuild for more than one household, and winner of a 2026 AIA Pasadena & Foothill Rebuild Design Award.
Planning a rebuild?
Send us the address and we’ll tell you what it can hold. Book a free consultation → · Follow @ydsarch on Instagram