Los Angeles will fast-track a set of “pre-approved” home designs to speed the rebuilding of Pacific Palisades and other areas after last year’s wildfires.
Mayor Karen Bass announced Tuesday that the city was expanding a pilot program of preset home plans, working with architect The Foothill Catalog Foundation. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles will build 75 of the homes for qualified wildfire survivors.
“These pre-approved plans are designed to cut red tape, lower costs, and reduce uncertainty by providing a clear road map to rebuilding,” Bass said in a statement. “This is another tool to support families in the rebuilding process—a position they never expected to be in.”
The plans are part of the city’s process to rebuild after the January 2025 fires that destroyed almost 12,000 homes in that area and others around Los Angeles. They wiped out almost $8.3 billion in home value across Pacific Palisades and Altadena alone, according to a Realtor.com® analysis.
Pre-approved plans cut down costs
The program expands on a pilot the city launched last summer to increase the pace of rebuilding by pre-approving sets of home plans. Having a pre-approved plan cuts down on permitting time, cost, and uncertainty, city leaders said.
Designs shared by The Foothill Catalog Foundation show its pilot homes are largely one-story, two- to four-bedroom designs. All meet Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone requirements. The home plans range from 976 to 1,500 square feet.
That architecture firm is the largest contributor to L.A.’s Standard Plan library. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety now has 11 “pre-approved” home design plans that buyers can purchase. Other home designs from Modern Design Engineering, Taalman Architecture/IT House Inc., and WM Architects offer larger homes of up to 3,300 square feet.
“This partnership replaces uncertainty with a clear path forward by pairing pre-approved, code-ready home designs with a faster permitting process, helping families rebuild sooner with more predictable costs and resilient homes built for the realities of California’s fire zones,” said Erin Rank, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles.
L.A.’s rebuilding dashboard shows that the city has received 3,803 applications, approved 2,584 plans, and issued 2,140 permits as of Tuesday. It estimated it lost 5,000 structures in the fires.
Rebuilding process has been fraught
Still, the rebuilding process has been fraught with controversy and political wrangling since the early-2025 wildfires destroyed 16,000 structures, causing upward of $131 billion in property and capital losses in the Los Angeles area.
Residents have complained about the slow pace of rebuilding efforts. And the city of Malibu sued L.A. and several other local groups in February, accusing them of “unlawful conduct” in ignoring warnings.
In January, President Donald Trump had announced a federal “takeover” of rebuilding efforts to speed permits along. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in turn, argued the government is withholding federal resources.
And Bass blamed “delays, underpayments, and denials from insurers and ongoing mortgage payments” for slowing the pace of rebuilding. She and other local leaders have been pushing for mortgage relief and insurance industry reforms.