Two families on the same street in Altadena or the Palisades can receive rebuild estimates hundreds of thousands of dollars apart, and both numbers can be honest. One may be for a standard plan built on the old footprint. The other may be for a custom house with new structure, new systems and every finish chosen from scratch.
This guide sets out what rebuilding a home lost in the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires costs in 2026: the per-square-foot ranges, what sits in the budget besides construction, which fees are waived, where insurance usually falls short, and how long the process takes. The figures come from public 2026 data, including Los Angeles County's rebuild planning materials and a survey of 675 households who lost their homes. Rules and programs keep changing, so we give the date of each figure.
The short answer: about $500 to $1,200+ per square foot
For a typical rebuild, construction alone runs roughly $500 to $800 per square foot in Altadena and $800 to $1,200 or more in Pacific Palisades. Design, engineering, permits and a contingency come on top. In LA County's own planning example, a 1,650-square-foot Altadena home comes to about $1.15 million all-in.
Every rebuild is different. The prices in this guide are for general information only and are not a quote. Your cost can be lower or higher depending on your lot, what is left of the house, the design of the new home, the finishes you choose, permits and market conditions. A reliable number comes from a site visit and a scoped design.
| Rebuild type | Construction per sq ft | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Factory-built home or pre-approved standard plan | $450–$550 | A home built from an approved plan or in a factory, standard finishes, a simple site |
| Custom rebuild, mid-range finishes | $550–$800 | A new design on the existing footprint; typical of many Altadena rebuilds |
| High-end custom rebuild | $800–$1,200+ | Custom architecture, more structure, hillside or coastal sites, premium finishes; typical of the Palisades |
For comparison, new single-family construction across Los Angeles averaged $240 to $420 per square foot in mid-2026, according to the Rider Levett Bucknall cost report. Fire rebuilds cost more because most are custom homes, the lots need work, the codes are stricter and thousands of owners are building at the same time.
What fire survivors are actually being quoted
In January and February 2026, United Policyholders surveyed 675 households whose homes were destroyed. Their rebuild estimates averaged about $754 per square foot in the Eaton fire area and about $948 per square foot in the Palisades. Their insurance covered an average of $523 and $697 per square foot.
LA County's rebuild planning example (April 2026) shows how a modest home adds up:
| Budget item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Construction, including fire-resistant upgrades | $925,940 |
| Architecture, design and engineering | $112,450 |
| Contingency, permits, legal and other costs | $109,594 |
| Total | $1,147,984 (about $696 per sq ft) |
Where the money goes
On most rebuilds construction is about 80 percent of the budget. The rest is easy to underestimate. The county's planning materials use these shares:
- Architecture and design: 5–10%
- Engineering (structural, civil, soils): 2–3%
- Permits: 1–3%, though much of this is now waived (see below)
- Fire-resistant upgrades: 2–5%
- Legal: 0.5–2%
- Contingency: 4–9%
- Owner costs and other items: 1–2%
Costs that come with a fire rebuild
Site work after debris removal
The Army Corps of Engineers finished debris removal in both burn areas in August 2025, but it cleared only the ash footprint. Driveways, pools, retaining walls and, on some lots, the old foundation were left in place. Removing or repairing them is the owner's cost and is priced lot by lot.
Reusing the old foundation
A sound foundation can save money, but only with an engineer's sign-off. LA County Public Works does not recommend reuse and requires certification by a California civil or structural engineer experienced with fire-damaged concrete. The City of Los Angeles allows reuse when a licensed engineer or architect finds the foundation in good condition. Many foundations exposed to the fire are not suitable, so plan for a new one until an engineer says otherwise.
Soil testing
LA County Public Health found elevated lead downwind of the Eaton fire and isolated hotspots in the Palisades, and recommends testing the soil as part of every rebuild. It is not a permit requirement, but it is worth doing before you plant a garden or let children play on the lot.
Utilities
In Altadena, Southern California Edison is moving power lines underground, and owners pay for the trench on their side of the property line. Edison has estimated $8,000 to $10,000; some residents have been quoted $20,000 to $40,000. In the Palisades, LADWP expects most lines to go underground by about 2031 and advises installing the conduit and a combination panel now; adding them later is estimated at $6,000 to $10,000.
Building codes
- Fire-resistant construction (Chapter 7A): ember-resistant vents, non-combustible siding and roofing, tempered glass. A Headwaters Economics and IBHS study put the extra cost at about $13,000 on a 1,750-square-foot home, roughly 2 to 3 percent of construction.
- Fire sprinklers are required in new one- and two-family homes, rebuilds included.
- Solar and batteries: Executive Order N-29-25 suspended the state's solar and battery requirements for Eaton and Palisades rebuilds. A later order, N-37-25, lets owners choose the current energy code so they can use their code-upgrade insurance coverage.
- Zone 0, the ember-resistant zone within five feet of the house, was not yet in force in early November 2026. Check its status before you finalize the landscape plan.
Permit fees: waived, deferred or refunded
- City of Los Angeles: an ordinance waives building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit and plan-check fees, and most other city fees, for rebuilds up to 110 percent of the original home, for owners who owned the property at the time of the fire. Fees already paid can be refunded. State fees are still due. Confirm the current terms with LADBS.
- LA County (Altadena): county permit, plan review and fire review fees are deferred and refundable for owners who lived in the home on January 7, 2025.
- Pasadena waives its rebuild fees except water service fees and a $1,000 construction-and-demolition deposit.
- School district fees can apply if you add square footage. Ask the district before you finalize the design.
Insurance: where the gap usually is
Most survivors find that the dwelling limit does not cover the rebuild. In the United Policyholders survey, 69 percent of total-loss households were underinsured, 7 percent had enough coverage and the rest did not yet know. The average shortfall was about $542,000.
- Code-upgrade (ordinance or law) coverage: California replacement-cost policies issued or renewed after July 21, 2021 must include at least 10 percent of the dwelling limit for code upgrades, on top of that limit.
- Additional living expenses: at least 24 months by law, plus up to 12 more for delays outside your control, within your policy's dollar limits.
- A new law, SB 876, takes effect on January 1, 2027. It requires insurers to offer extended replacement cost and living-expense coverage and to provide updated replacement-cost estimates.
- The California FAIR Plan's dwelling coverage is capped at $3 million, and its living-expense coverage is limited.
A detailed, itemized construction estimate helps when you discuss the replacement cost of your home with your insurer. Grant and loan programs for fire survivors open and close during the year; LA County's recovery site lists the current ones.
Building bigger than before
Like-for-like rebuilds move fastest. The City of Los Angeles allows the same height, floor area and setbacks plus up to 10 percent. LA County allows 10 percent or 200 square feet, whichever is greater. Go beyond that and the project needs full zoning review, sometimes coastal or discretionary review, pays fees on the added area, and the added area is reassessed for property tax.
Living on your lot during the rebuild
State law bars cities and counties from enforcing bans on living in an RV or a manufactured home on your own lot for up to three years after the disaster declaration. The City of Los Angeles allows it while a rebuild is underway; LA County requires a permit.
Some owners build an ADU first: a permanent backyard home they live in during the main rebuild and later rent out or use for family. With us, ADUs run $80K to $315K+ and take 4 to 8 months to build.
How long a rebuild takes
By early November 2026, more than 5,300 rebuild permits had been issued in the City of Los Angeles and more than 4,100 in LA County, but only a few hundred homes were finished.
- Permits: in spring 2026 the City averaged under 100 days from application to permit. LA County's median was about 155 days, most of it spent waiting for applicants to answer plan-check corrections.
- Construction: in our experience, 8 to 14 months for a custom home. From first design to move-in, the whole process usually takes 12 to 24 months.
How to keep a rebuild budget under control
- Decide early whether you rebuild like-for-like or bigger. It changes the permit path, the fees and the schedule.
- Settle every room and finish in a photoreal 3D model before construction. A change in design costs a conversation; a change on site costs a change order.
- Ask for an itemized proposal, so you see what each part of the house costs before construction starts.
- Answer plan-check corrections quickly. That is where most of the county's permit time goes.
- Keep a contingency of 5 to 10 percent for what the site reveals.
- Hire a licensed contractor and check the license with the Contractors State License Board. In California the down payment on a home improvement contract is capped at $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less.
A realistic next step
If your home was lost in the Palisades or Eaton fire, we will meet you on site at no cost, look at what is left of the property and give you a preliminary budget range for a like-for-like or a redesigned home. Our step-by-step rebuild guide covers permits, Chapter 7A and the order of the work. Request a consultation.
Sources
- United Policyholders, 2025 LA Wildfires Year One Survey (March 2026)
- LA County rebuilding webinar 2, Financing 101 (April 2026)
- Rider Levett Bucknall, Quarterly Cost Report Q2 2026
- Headwaters Economics, Construction costs for wildfire-resistant homes
- State of California, LA fires rebuilding progress
- California Department of Insurance: additional living expenses; SB 876
- City of Los Angeles Planning, Palisades rebuild FAQs
- Cover image: an illustration, not a photo of a real property.