The Building Industry Association of Southern California is a trade association that has represented the homebuilding industry for over 100 years. BIASC has advocated for thousands of building industry leaders who are committed to a better future for California by building communities, creating jobs and ensuring housing opportunities for everyone.
This guide will assist those who need to understand the proper procedures for rebuilding their homes they lost in the January 2025 wildfires.
PLEASE NOTE
Do not be in a rush, choose will be a long-term decision. Make sure that you express your wishes and concerns clearly and that your team listens and hears you.
Expect a long process to rebuild your home, and the architects and engineers that you need to produce the plans needed to gain approval to rebuild will likely be very busy with the volume of work.
Do your research. Before you hire anyone, please verify that the person you are talking with is in good standing within their industry. The time you invest now will benefit you in the long run and reduce potential conflicts.
Please don’t set your goals and dreams too high. Your actions should be based on the funds you have from the insurance settlement and, if necessary, any other assistance funds you can access to complete the project without issues or concerns. Also, be aware of the time constraints and future availabilities for materials and subs to keep your timeline headed in the right direction.
PROCESS GUIDLINES
1. clear your lot.
Ensure it has been certified as cleaned. Better to be safe and know that there is no residual contamination or cross-contamination from other properties.
https://recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/
2. put your rebuild team together.
It should include the following members.
-
- Architect – www.aiacalifornia.org
- Civil Engineer — asce.org
- Soils Engineer — geoprofessional.org
- Structural Engineer — seaosc.org/home-public
- MEP Engineer (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) — acec-ca.org
- General Contractors — cslb.ca.gov
- Project Management / Project Supervision (May Be Needed)
www.biasc.org/find-a-qualified-contractor
www.biasc.org/rebuilding-and-repairing-your-home
https://www.bbb.org/all/home-improvment/how-to-hire-a-reliable-and-trustwrothy-general-contractor
3. awarding your project
Don’t forget you are the client. Please compare bids before making your decision. Interior and exterior specifications must be included on all bid sheets to ensure that bids are comparable.
On some bids A PM (project manager) could be an architect, a general contractor or a developer.
4. plan submittals “fast track”
Rebuild “like for like” will help the speed of your project. The departments are willing to increase your square footage by 10% without issues; this is a hardship bonus. If you choose to increase the size and location of your home building pad beyond that, please be aware that you will not get an expedited permit. Finding an architect as soon as possible to start drawing your plans is a priority. The key to the whole process of getting back into your home is getting construction plans completed, submitted to the City and the Homeowners Association, and approved to start construction.
5. Communication with your Insurance Company
To get the proper settlement, you will need approved plans. With those plans, you will also get more accurate figures for the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home and property. The initial estimate the insurance company will give you to rebuild your home will be low. The cost my insurance company initially gave me was half of what the ultimate cost to rebuild was. Don’t get caught up in this at the start. It is a process. Select a contractor that is familiar with rebuilding after a fire, and working through the insurance company. This is key! If the contractor is not familiar with the demands of the insurance companies, you will likely miss out on tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, and unnecessary delays due to their lack of experience on fire restoration jobs. Pick a contractor that has dealt with insurance losses before, and knows their ways and nuances.
Make sure that contractor payment schedules correspond with insurance payment schedules so payment delays are prevented.
Be aware that bank fund controls may be needed to disburse funds so inquire about this with your insurance company.
6. Determine if you need to hire a Public Adjuster
This will depend on how difficult it is to deal directly with your insurance carrier. Public adjusters can and do assist you with addressing your personal property loss and maintaining your ALE (Additional Living Expense) Once you engage a public adjuster, you lose the ability to speak to your insurance company directly. All communication goes through the public adjuster, which may or may not be to your benefit. Keep in mind that they will take ten percent of every dollar you receive. This comes out of your payout, and will limit your ability to rebuild and replace your items. If at some point you start to feel like you aren’t being well served by your insurance company, you can always engage a public adjuster later.
7. Understand the types of approved materials, specifications and construction.
Currently, only two types of construction are approved in fire zone areas: Type V and Type III. Type V is standard wood framing (or steel stud framing). Exterior materials like densglass will need to be added. Type III is a concrete application. It should be noted that the city, county, and state are discussing and reviewing changes to the current codes. Depending on when your permit is issued, this may or may not affect your project.
other resources
Building Industry Association of Southern California
United Policyholders “Roadmap to Recovery”
Free Soil Testing
USC Clean Project grant is offering free lead testing for impacted properties.
Learn More