Rebuilding in Altadena afterthe Eaton fire: the permit path

Altadena is not a city, so a rebuild there is permitted by Los Angeles County. One application on the County's EPIC-LA portal goes to Regional Planning, Public Works Building and Safety, the Fire Department and Public Health, and each of them signs off before a permit is issued. The rules for Eaton fire rebuilds have changed several times since January 2025. This guide follows the County's own pages as they stood in late October 2026, and every source is listed at the end.

Like-for-like or a new design

The first question is whether the new house counts as a like-for-like rebuild, and Regional Planning alone decides that. In the Eaton fire area, a like-for-like home may differ from the one that burned as long as it does not grow in floor area, size, height or footprint by more than 10% or 200 square feet, whichever is greater.

A like-for-like rebuild does not have to meet today's zoning code, but it does have to meet current building, fire, and health and safety codes. Under the Eaton fire interim ordinance it can match the old house's height, or reach the zone's height limit if it adds no stories. On July 28, 2026 the Board of Supervisors extended that ordinance to August 22, 2027, and called it the second and final extension.

A house that grows past those limits is a non-like-for-like rebuild. It follows current zoning, including the Altadena Community Standards District, needs a front setback of at least 20 feet, and may need discretionary review with a public hearing.

Timing matters too. The County's FAQ says Regional Planning generally expects like-for-like applications within two years of the emergency declaration of January 7, 2025, and that extensions can be granted. Once a building permit is issued, it expires in 12 months if construction has not begun.

What has to happen before a permit

Debris removal comes first. Phase 1 (hazardous materials) and Phase 2 (fire debris) must both be complete before the County issues permits. The Army Corps of Engineers finished Phase 2 for program participants in September 2025. Keep the proof: the Final Sign Off if the government program cleared your lot, or the closed debris permit in EPIC-LA if a private contractor did.

To start review, the County needs architectural plans (site plan, floor plans and elevations) and proof of ownership. Most rebuilds also need a corner record survey by a private surveyor before construction starts. A soils report is not needed for a conventional raised or slab-on-grade foundation with continuous footings; it is still required for caissons or deep piles, basement walls and sites with geotechnical hazards.

How review works, and the faster options

Since August 2025 the County has used one unified permit application on EPIC-LA, with review targeted at 10 business days. Plans that need corrections go back to the reviewers who still have comments. For help in person, the Altadena One-Stop Permit Center is at 464 W Woodbury Rd, Suite 210, open for walk-ins on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Three County tools can shorten the path:

• Self-certification. In a pilot program, a licensed architect or engineer certifies that the plans meet code and the County skips the full building plan check. The other departments still review, every stage of construction is still inspected, and the County audits at least 20% of self-certified plans. Lots in geologically sensitive areas, such as hillsides and land subject to liquefaction, cannot use it.
• Pre-approved plans. Regional Planning keeps a catalog of home plans already approved for the Eaton area. They are built as drawn, and because they follow the 2022 building code they must be re-approved after December 31, 2028.
• AI zoning check. Owners of fire-damaged homes in Altadena's R-1 single-family zones can join an early-adopter program in which an AI tool checks a site plan against the zoning rules. Results take up to 10 business days.

Permit fees

The County defers or refunds rebuild permit fees for owners who both owned and lived on the property before January 7, 2025. That covers a rebuilt single-family home and its garage, ADU or pool. Rental and commercial properties are not eligible, and neither are properties owned by an LLC or a corporation.

Deferred fees include zoning review, building plan review, soils and geology review, building permit and inspection, Fire Department review and inspection, and Public Health fees. Utility, school district, addressing and corner record survey fees are not deferred. There is no deadline to ask, the deferral cannot be transferred to a new owner, and the County says the deferred fees will not be collected from property owners.

Water, sewer and power

• Water. Every rebuild needs a will-serve letter from its water agency, like-for-like rebuilds included. Altadena is served by five: Kinneloa, Las Flores, Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena Water and Power, and Rubio Cañon.
• Septic. A licensed contractor (class A, C-42 or C-36) must first confirm that an existing system is in good working order. Within 200 feet of a public sewer, it can be reused only if the house keeps the same number of bedrooms; an expansion or a failed system means connecting to the sewer. Farther away, adding bedrooms needs a Public Health permit for a septic system sized to match. The County has no plan to extend sewer to all of Altadena; neighborhoods can request it through the County Improvement District program.
• Power and gas. Every rebuild needs an Application ID from SCE, and SoCalGas has its own reconnection application. Where SCE plans to put lines underground, the County advises a service panel that accepts both overhead and underground service, plus a conduit to the utility's service point.

Fire-safety rules that apply

Wildfire building rules apply in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The County's FAQ refers to Chapter 7A of the building code; in the 2025 code, in force since January 1, 2026, those rules moved into the new California Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Executive Order N-37-25 (November 2025) lets fire rebuilds follow the 2022 building code instead of the 2025 code, except for the fire and public safety requirements from the State Fire Marshal, which still apply. The same order suspends the solar panel and battery requirements for rebuilt homes but keeps the Solar Ready rules.

Interior fire sprinklers are required in every new single-family home, ADU and duplex, and the sprinkler plans are due by the time the final foundation inspection is signed off. The state's Zone 0 rules for the first five feet around a house were still in final legal review in late October 2026.

CRG Construction builds new homes in Altadena and handles the permit process for the homes it builds. Estimates are free.

Rules and programmes change. We confirm the current requirements with the permitting office for every property; nothing here is legal advice. More on building in Altadena.