Eaton Fire Home Restoration/Construction Resources

LA County is working on a collective contract with the state. Public Works will analyze your soil and remove toxic materials. Once complete, contracted state vendors will then clean the site for reconstruction. It sounds like funding will come from insurance debri coverage as well as the state. They will provide a link on how to apply soon.

SBA is offering up to $500,000 to repair or replace real estate damage and up to $100,000 to replace personal property. FEMA is providing housing repair assistance to supplement your insurance policy. You can contact HUD for on-the-ground assistance related to post- disaster housing relief, mortgage assistance, and financial planning. Other avenues are construction loans, contractor financing, and insurance replacement funding. Make sure to thoroughly assess the most fitting solution and take into consideration all associated fees prior to moving forward.

If you're having to rebuild your home after a total loss, you will need to hire a licensed architect and work with structural, civil, and MEP engineers to help draft your plans. There are different levels of architect involvement. If you are familiar with construction and don’t mind getting involved with the permit process, you can limit this service to drafting or a permit set. Otherwise, you would need a full construction set as well as collaboration with the architect and your plan checker. In some cases you will be required to conduct a Geo survey. Depending on your zone/area, here is a prelim list of the different devisions your plans might have to go through before a permit is issued.

For those that aren't dealing with a total loss, we recommend having at least three environmental companies bid to test your indoor air for Lead/Asbestos. Please make sure these tests are run through certified labs. In an effort to avoid getting into referral premium "up-sell" situations, make sure to get a quote for the proposed remediation from at least three different remediation contractors.

In the event you need to hire a contractor please make sure to confirm that they are an active license holder, bonded and properly insured. There are typically two different types of construction contracts: gross max and cost plus. In our experience, a well written and transparent gross max contract ensures more assurance of what the true total cost will be.

A cost plus contract suggests an open book policy but leaves a lot more variables and provides a less accurate total cost needed to complete the project.

When returning back to your home, take photos of all of your interior/exterior losses to properly document your claim. If you don't already have a copy of your complete plan, reach out to yourbroker/agent and ask for a copy. Specific insurance attorneys are available to assist with your insurance claim if you need assistance filing.

While most insurance policies have temporary housing coverage there are additional sources like FEMA, HUD, and other privately funded entities such as Airbnb in collaboration with 211 LA offering to help provide housing.

Homeowners must continue making mortgage payments following a wildfire. However, anyone who is struggling to make their mortgage, insurance, or other housing payments should contact their mortgage servicer immediately as forbearance relief may be available. Additional assistance may be available to homeowners with federally backed or insured mortgages.

In the event you need additional assistance with a move or listing your property, you can hire a local licensed real estate agent to assist. Prior to contacting a real estate agent, make sure all hazardous and toxic debris has been removed from your property and that your property is safe to visit. Be wary of "auction sales," portfolio buyers, and insurance investors.

If this process seems overwhelming or unfamiliar, or if you don't have the bandwidth and/or are currently out of the area, I recommend hiring an expert to handle the application submission, hiring professionals, submitting your plans, and vetting the vendors.

During a recent press conference, Public Works advised that there will be an expedited permit process for those impacted by the Eaton Fires. They are planning on setting up a mobile followed by permanent a local Public Works District Office in an effort to push your applications forward. This office will handle: Building Permits, Encroachment Permits, and Utility Coordination. In addition to expediting permits, they are working on the possibility of discounting permit fees.

The Los Angeles County Assessor's Office is preparing to activate “Misfortune and Calamity” Property Tax Relief to those with property damage that exceeds $10,000.

When considering a renovation, it's important to note that no two bids will ever be alike e.g. some proposals would factor in just the basics or provide minimum allowances forfinishes, while others might propose excessive upgrades. We recommend hiring an owners rep to create an accurate scope of work and help you facilitate through the different proposals.

There are many environmental and indoor companies who can test your indoor air quality to ensure it is safe. We recommend using a Certified Industrial Hygienist "CIH" to conduct these tests. Using a CIH service provider, will also give you the option to combine lead/asbestos testing with this service.

FEMA has shared that they will reimburse moving and temporary storage fees if these fees aren't covered by insurance. We are not sure of the amount, however if you need a temporary storage solution, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4856

Altadena water is contaminated. Once we get confirmation that water is safe to drink, we advise that you look into back flow devices to protect potable water becoming contaminated or polluted due to backflow.