July 7, 2025
Contact:
Countywide Communications
pio@ceo.lacounty.gov
Los Angeles County Previews New Blueprint to Speed Rebuilding and Cut Costs for Residents as Next Phase of Restoration Begins
Six Months After Fires, Leaders Highlight Progress & New Actions to Support New Construction
Los Angeles County leaders are announcing bold new steps to help those affected by the January wildfires, including lowering construction costs, cutting taxes for property owners, speeding up the rebuilding process and protecting communities from future fire danger as Los Angeles enters a new phase of community rebuilding.
“As we mark six months since these devastating fires, we recognize the historic actions taken to clear debris from thousands of properties in record time,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Board Chair Kathryn Barger. “But this is only the beginning. We must move into the next phase—rebuilding—with the same determination and urgency. Backed by the State of California and other critical partners, our LA County Forward Blueprint will drive a swift, resilient recovery and ensure our communities emerge stronger than ever.”
The actions and plans announced today, aimed at providing residents with more clarity and certainty on the path to returning home, are part of the forthcoming LA County Forward: Blueprint for Rebuilding, which will be released in the weeks ahead. The Blueprint reflects feedback from homeowners, renters, business owners, community-based organizations, and other local leaders about the most pressing needs for their communities during the next phase of the rebuilding.
Strong coordination between State and local leaders and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers resulted in the fastest disaster debris cleanup in California history. As the Army Corps completes its work and begins to demobilize, State and local leaders will take on an even larger role in accelerating the rebuilding process—ensuring that progress continues and that Los Angeles County residents continue to see meaningful results as recovery moves into the next phase.
“Six months ago, the Palisades and Eaton Fires put our communities to the ultimate test. In the face of colossal devastation, we witnessed the unshakable resilience of the human spirit. Our residents stood strong, banded together, and reminded us all of the power of community,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “Thanks to a close partnership with Governor Newsom, governmental coordination at every level, and tireless County teams, we’ve already led the fastest debris removal in history. This is the spirit of Los Angeles County — and our momentum will continue. Together, we are not just restoring what was lost — we are building back stronger, safer, and more united than ever.”
The County’s plans, in partnership with the State and in coordination with local cities, include:
- WAIVING REQUIREMENTS AND LOWERING REBUILDING COSTS – LA County has been working closely with the State since January, leading to multiple reforms cutting red tape, and is continuing to look for ways that the Newsom Administration can waive codes that do not impact life and safety, including requirements for rooftop solar and storage, electrification, and other new efficiency standards, and will align local permitting rules to match. This will speed up the rebuilding process and save the average resident up to $30,000 in costs during construction, while giving individual homeowners choices about how they want to proceed on their individual construction projects.
- EXPEDITING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF – Residents whose property was significantly damaged or destroyed are entitled to have their property tax reduced. The County is taking extra steps to reach out and accelerate reassessments so that all property owners receive the tax relief they are entitled to. These reassessments can save homeowners $3,000–$10,000 per year, depending on property value – money they can put into reconstruction loans or to fill insurance gaps. The County Assessor has provided relief by reassessing and lowering tax bills for 17,100 parcels already – roughly 75% of those impacted by the fire. The County will continue efforts to process 2,900 submitted claims by Summer 2025 and support the roughly 3,000 property owners who have not yet filed claims.
- ACCELERATING PERMITTING & INSPECTIONS – The County is contracting additional permitting and inspection support to further shorten turnaround times and speed approvals. We have created an expedited permit review process for like-for-like rebuilds and pre-approved plans, launched a public dashboard that tracks permit turnaround times for full transparency, piloted self-certification for licensed architects and engineers, and deferred Department of Public Works and Department of Regional Planning permitting fees that can exceed $20,000 per household.
- UNDERGROUNDING OVERHEAD UTILITIES – As we build back our communities, the County, in partnership with the State, is directing the undergrounding of electric, gas and telecommunications infrastructure. Together with utility providers, we are aiming to build more modern, reliable and resilient infrastructure to meet the communities’ needs, both today and in the future, by burying more than 150 miles of power lines and telecommunications equipment underground. This massive undertaking will increase public safety and reduce future fire risk.
“We are committed to delivering a recovery that is efficient and anchored in the real needs of our residents—and we are counting on our key partnerships with the State and other essential stakeholders to get us there,” LA County Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport said.
In addition to highlighting specific ways to speed up construction and lower costs, the LA County Forward: Blueprint for Rebuilding highlights six key priorities to help residents and businesses during the next phase of reconstruction, focusing on the most significant challenges many residents face.
These priorities were shaped by the input from residents and business owners who were affected by the fires, and what they need most.
- Supporting a feasible financial path to return: Helping families and businesses access needed financial support to cover gaps, lower costs and return home.
- Accelerating permitting and inspections: Streamlining permitting and speeding up inspections so people can start rebuilding sooner.
- Growing the pool of builders and materials to achieve scale and lower costs: Bringing down costs by scaling up the supply of builders and materials and expanding access to more affordable designs.
- Ensuring critical infrastructure is in place: Making sure fundamental infrastructure is ready quickly, so homes have access to essential services such as water, gas, power and internet without delay.
- Mobilizing the workforce and coordinating delivery: Training and hiring more workers to fill gaps for the rebuild, and coordinating logistics so rebuilding happens quickly and without bottlenecks.
- Bringing back everyday services and public assets: Restoring essential services – like childcare and healthcare – and critical public infrastructure like parks and schools to make neighborhoods livable again.
Read the executive summary here: LA County Forward: Blueprint for Rebuilding
For more information about progress to date, click here: By the Numbers LA County Wildfire Recovery