Rebuild the home, and add one
After the January 2025 fires, Los Angeles City and County set up faster rebuild permits. An ADU can go up alongside the rebuild, or first, so you have somewhere to live while the main house is built.
You're likely a fit if
- A home lost or badly damaged in a declared fire
- Rebuilding on the same lot
- You want a second home on the lot, or a place to live during the rebuild
How it runs
What survived, the fire zone, utilities and access.
The rebuild and the ADU drawn together, fire-hardened.
Filed in the expedited lane where it applies.
ADU first if you need a home on site.
What owners ask
Does insurance cover the ADU?
Usually the rebuild only. We plan both together so you can decide what to build and when.
Where this comes from
Checked October 2026. Laws change; we re-check every project against the current code before design. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
| Source |
|---|
| City of Los Angeles Emergency Executive Order No. 1 (January 2025) |
| Governor's wildfire executive orders (2025, N-series) |
| LA County wildfire rebuild guidance (2025) |
| California Building Code Chapter 7A (wildfire) |
Other programs
Since January 2025, California lets an existing apartment property add detached ADUs, one for every existing unit up to eight, plus conversions of garages and storage.
Learn more
SB 9 lets a single-family lot be split in two, with up to two homes on each.
Learn more
Cities must now keep a set of pre-approved ADU plans.
Learn moreDoes your property qualify?
Send the address. We check it against this program and every other one.