Don't Wait for Your Settlement: Why Starting the Rebuild Process Now Saves You Months

Settlements for Palisades fire rebuilds are taking 9–14 months from the date of loss. The permit process for a straightforward rebuild takes 3–6 months. If you wait for one before starting the other, you have just added half a year to your rebuild timeline — and paid roughly $40,000–$80,000 in additional rent you didn't need to spend.

What You Can Start Right Now — Before Your Settlement

• Contractor selection and engagement: Interview and select your contractor now. A good contractor will begin design coordination, soils report commissioning, and permit preparation immediately — none of which requires a settlement.

• Architectural design: Whether you choose a standard plan or a custom design, the design process can begin the day you engage a contractor. Design takes 4–8 weeks — time that would otherwise be wasted waiting.

• Soils and geology report: On most hillside Palisades lots this takes 8–12 weeks and must be complete before foundation design is finalized. Start it immediately — it runs in parallel with everything else.

• Permit applications: LADBS, Coastal Commission (if applicable), Grading Division, and HOA applications can all be submitted before your settlement arrives. Permit fees are waived under EO No. 7.

• ADU planning under AB 462: If you are pursuing an ADU-first strategy to move back to your property sooner, the ADU permit process can begin immediately and is entirely independent of the primary home settlement.

The Parallel Timeline: Permits and Settlement Running Together

The difference is 10 months — roughly $55,000–$100,000 in rent, depending on where you are living during the rebuild. And in the "starting immediately" scenario, your permits are approved and you are ready to break ground the moment your settlement funds.

What the Settlement Actually Funds

Your insurance settlement is needed to fund construction — not permits, not design, not engineering. Those upfront costs are either waived (permit fees), covered by your ALE policy (you're paying rent anyway), or modest relative to overall project costs.

• Permit fees: Waived under EO No. 7 — no settlement needed

• Architect fees: Typically $15,000–$40,000 — often manageable before settlement with a construction loan or interim financing

• Soils and engineering reports: $4,000–$14,000 — small relative to total project, often paid from personal funds temporarily

• Construction: The large cost that requires the settlement — but construction doesn't start until permits are approved anyway

Start Today — Five Concrete Steps

1. 1

   Contact a licensed Palisades fire rebuild contractor and schedule a site visit this week. The first meeting is free, and your permit timeline starts from the day you engage.

2. 2

   Review the LADBS Standard Plan catalog with your contractor. A pre-approved plan can compress your permit timeline from months to weeks.

3. 3

   Commission your soils and geology report. On most Palisades hillside lots this is required — and it takes 8–12 weeks. Every week you delay commissioning it is a week added to your overall timeline.

4. 4

   Apply for the EO No. 7 permit fee waiver at the time of your first permit submission. Free permits are waiting — there is no reason to delay claiming them.

5. 5

   Continue settlement negotiations in parallel. Your adjuster does not need to know your permit status. The two processes are independent and simultaneous.