The City of Los Angeles and LA County run different rebuild rules. Under the City's executive order, a like-for-like rebuild may not exceed 110 percent of the prior footprint or height, and square footage is explicitly not counted in that allowance. LA County's like-for-like definition does use floor area, allowing no more than a 10 percent increase in floor area, size, height or footprint. Both offer self-certification, one-stop permit centres and fee waivers for owners who held the property on the fire date.
- City of LA allowance
- 110% of footprint or heightSquare footage not counted
- LA County allowance
- 10% increaseFloor area, size, height or footprint
- Self-certification
- Both jurisdictionsBypasses full plan check, 20% audited
- Observed City timeline
- About 49 daysApplication to permit, early 2026
The 110 percent rule is not what most people think
This catches almost everyone, so it is worth being precise. Under the City of Los Angeles executive order, a rebuilt structure must be in substantially the same location and may not exceed 110 percent of the footprint or the height of the structure that stood before the fire. Square footage is not factored into that allowance.
That means you may be able to build more floor area than you had, by using the permitted footprint and height more efficiently, without that counting against the 110 percent. An attached garage up to 400 square feet does not count toward the footprint expansion, and detached ADUs are not subject to the footprint or height limits at all.
LA County works differently. A like-for-like rebuild there must match the previous structure in size, location and use, with modifications allowed as long as floor area, size, height or footprint do not increase by more than 10 percent. The internal floor plan can change and the new structure can be smaller.
If you are in Altadena you are under the County rule. If you are in Pacific Palisades you are almost certainly under the City rule. Check which before you design anything.
What like-for-like buys you
A like-for-like rebuild is exempt from current zoning requirements, which matters enormously if your house was non-conforming on setbacks, height or floor area. It still has to meet current building, fire and health and safety codes.
Step outside like-for-like and you are designing to today's zoning, which on many of these lots permits a smaller house than the one that burned. That single fact should be settled before an architect is engaged.
Self-certification, and whether to use it
Both jurisdictions run self-certification pilots. In the City, qualified California-licensed architects on the official roster certify that designs meet code, bypassing plan check entirely. In the County, the programme is open to licensed architects and engineers meeting experience and insurance requirements.
Roughly 20 percent of self-certified projects are audited at random, and field inspections continue as normal in both programmes. Geologically sensitive areas do not qualify in either jurisdiction.
It is genuinely faster. It also moves professional liability onto the certifying professional, which is why not every architect participates, and why you should confirm your designer is on the relevant roster before assuming this route is available to you.
Where to go
The City of Los Angeles operates one-stop centres at 1828 Sawtelle Boulevard and at 16925 Marquez Avenue in Pacific Palisades, open weekdays 9am to 5pm.
LA County operates one-stop centres in Altadena at 464 West Woodbury Road, Suite 210, open weekdays 8am to 4:30pm with the last permit call at 3pm, and in Calabasas at 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250, open weekdays 7am to 11am only. The Altadena centre also hosts SoCalGas, Southern California Edison and the Assessor on set days.
Realistic timelines, and why published targets differ from reality
| Stage | Official target | What has been observed |
|---|---|---|
| City of LA departmental review | 30 days under the executive order | About 49 days application to permit, early 2026 |
| City initial plan review | Not published | Around 6 days before comments return, mid-2025 |
| County Regional Planning | 2 weeks initial, 2 weeks recheck | Reported at 86 business days late 2025, and at 31 business days by early 2026 |
| County Building and Fire | 10 business days initial, 5 recheck | Not independently measured |
Those County figures cannot all describe the same thing; they almost certainly measure different stages. Treat any single published timeline with suspicion, including the targets.
Deadlines you should have in your calendar
- LA County: like-for-like applications are generally due within two years of the emergency declaration, so roughly January 2027, with extensions possible
- LA County: debris removal must be complete before a building permit can issue
- Building permits expire in 12 months if construction has not begun
- City of LA: work must be completed within three years of permit issuance, subject to extension
- Plan check and permit fees are suspended only for those who owned the property as of the fire date
- An ADU certificate of occupancy can precede the main house, provided the main house permit is obtained within seven years and construction completes within three
We track these for clients, because the two-year County application window is closer than it feels.
What we do with this
The first thing we do on a fire rebuild is establish which jurisdiction you are in, whether like-for-like is available and worth taking, and whether self-certification applies to your parcel. Those three answers change the design, the schedule and the budget more than any material choice will.
Rules on fire rebuilds have changed repeatedly since January 2025 and will change again. We confirm current requirements against your parcel rather than against a page like this one.
Los Angeles County figures, reviewed 2026-10-29 by America General Contractors, California contractor licence CSLB 1083262. Planning ranges, not a quote, and not legal advice. We confirm the current rules for your parcel before anything is drawn.
Questions
Can I build bigger than what burned?
In the City of Los Angeles, the 110 percent allowance applies to footprint and height, and square footage is not counted toward it, so there may be more room than you expect. In LA County, floor area is counted and the limit is a 10 percent increase. Going beyond either means designing to current zoning, which on many of these lots is more restrictive than what stood before.
Is self-certification risky?
It shifts code-compliance responsibility to the certifying architect or engineer, and about one in five projects is audited. Inspections continue normally. It is a legitimate and much faster route when your designer participates and your parcel qualifies.
Are permit fees waived?
Plan check and permit fees are suspended for those who owned the property as of the fire date. Other fees and utility charges may still apply.
Do I still need to meet the energy code?
A state executive order exempted rebuilds in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from the solar and battery requirements and from the 2025 code changes, other than fire-safety standards, and LA County's implementation allows compliance with the 2022 code. Solar-ready requirements remain. Fire-safety standards are expressly not waived.
What if I want to rebuild somewhere else entirely?
California insurance law says that after a total loss your policy cannot deny building-code-upgrade or replacement-cost payments because you rebuild or buy at a new location, with payment capped at the cost to rebuild at the original site and no deduction for land value. Talk to your adjuster and, if the sums are large, a lawyer.
Related reading
- Fire Rebuild Cost in Los Angeles
- What Your Policy Actually Pays
- How Long a Permit Actually Takes in Los Angeles
