Three paths through the city's rebuild rules
Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order No. 1 on January 13, 2025 and revised it on March 18, 2025. It created a by-right track for projects that replace what the fire destroyed within set limits, and it applies to houses, multifamily buildings, commercial buildings and accessory structures alike.
Emergency Executive Order No. 8, issued July 23, 2025, added a second track for single-family homes inside the Coastal Zone that are not like-for-like but comply with current zoning. Everything else, such as a larger house outside the Coastal Zone or a project that changes use, goes through the regular code, although the city still applies its expedited review clock to rebuilds on fire-damaged sites. We cover the coastal track in more depth on our Palisades coastal rebuild page.
What qualifies as an EO1 Eligible Project
To qualify, the project must repair or replace a structure that was substantially damaged or destroyed in the January 2025 fires, keep the same use, and not add primary dwelling units. The new primary structure must sit in substantially the same location and stay within 110 percent of the prior footprint and height.
The joint City Planning and LADBS implementation guidelines spell out the details. The footprint may change shape as long as its total area stays within 110 percent, and it may shift by up to 20 percent of the lot width and depth. A new story can be added if it fits inside that footprint and height envelope, and a basement can be added or enlarged within 110 percent of the footprint. Up to 400 square feet of an attached garage does not count toward the footprint allowance when a detached garage is folded into the house.
Timing matters as well. Under the current guidelines, Eligible Projects need building permits by January 13, 2032, and the work must be finished within three years of permit issuance unless an extension is granted.
What EO1 removes, and what still applies
For an Eligible Project, the order removes City Planning discretionary review, the Pacific Palisades Village Specific Plan and other planning overlays, the requirement for a Coastal Act permit, and the city's all-electric building requirement. Haul routes are approved ministerially rather than through hearings.
Building codes still apply. As of the 2026 guidelines, rebuilds may use the 2022 California Building Standards Code, except that the fire and life safety provisions adopted into the 2025 code must be met. A home originally permitted under the 2019 code can be rebuilt from its previously approved plans if the original architect and engineer restamp them and the energy calculations meet the current Energy Code. The city does not enforce private CC&Rs, so if your street has a homeowners association, its design approval may be needed before plans go to LADBS.
Plan check, documents and the review clock
Rebuild plans can be submitted through the LADBS ePlan portal or in person at the City of Los Angeles One-Stop Rebuilding Center, 1828 Sawtelle Boulevard in West Los Angeles, open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center brings Building and Safety, City Planning, Engineering, Water and Power, Fire and other departments to one place.
The LADBS rebuild checklist calls for a full architectural set, structural plans and calculations signed by a California licensed architect or engineer, Title 24 energy compliance, and any required soils and geology reports with their approval letters. For an EO1 project you also have to document what stood before the fire. The city accepts prior permits, certificates of occupancy, County Assessor records and Coastal Commission files, and may consider aerial imagery or LiDAR case by case. Copies of archived plans can be requested from LADBS with an affidavit, proof of ownership and identification.
Under the executive orders, city departments are directed to finish initial review within 30 days of a complete application, process clearances within five business days, and perform inspections within two business days of a request. Those are targets set by the order, not guarantees for a given project, and incomplete submittals restart the conversation.
Faster options inside LADBS
Emergency Executive Order No. 6 created a self-certification pilot in which an enrolled, licensed design professional certifies that a single-family rebuild of up to three stories meets the Residential Code, so LADBS does not perform the usual plan review. Reviews by other departments and every inspection still apply, and lots in geologically sensitive areas are excluded.
LADBS also runs a Standard Plan Program of pre-approved designs, which still need site-specific review for foundations and clearances, and an AI pre-plan check tool that flags issues before a formal submittal.
Before the permit: debris, demolition, soils and temporary housing
Before LADBS issues a building permit, the site needs documentation from Los Angeles County Public Works showing it has been cleared of fire debris and hazardous materials. Removing a burned structure does not require a demolition permit when the owner notifies LADBS online first, the pad is no steeper than one vertical to five horizontal, and any foundation excavation stays within three feet. Deep foundations, piles, grade beams, stepped footings and retaining walls cannot come out without an LADBS permit.
LADBS has mapped Palisades Geohazard Risk Assessment Zones, and lots in its orange or yellow zones need combined geology and soils reports approved by the Grading Division. If you plan to live on a lot that held a one- or two-family home, an RV, mobile home or manufactured home may be placed there during construction without a building permit for up to three years, or while an active rebuild permit is in effect if that is longer, once a licensed professional certifies the setup and the utility connections are permitted.
How we manage your permit
We start by confirming which order your design can use, because moving from EO1 to EO8 or to standard review changes the drawings, the consultants and the schedule. Then we collect the pre-fire records, coordinate the architect, engineers and geotechnical team, and track every correction and clearance through issuance. You get regular status updates, and we tell you plainly when something is waiting on the city rather than on us.