Los Angeles homeowners rebuilding after the January 2025 wildfires can rebuild up to 110% of their damaged home's original footprint without losing permit-fee waivers under the city's rebuilding rules.
Property owners who already paid certain city fees may also be eligible for a refund.
Here's what to know
According to Palisades News, for properties damaged in the January 2025 fires, Ordinance No. 188985 makes a set of city fee exemptions available. The benefit is limited to people who owned the property when the wildfires happened, and the parcel cannot be sold before the final Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Eligible rebuilds can avoid many standard local charges, including Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety permit and plan-check fees tied to building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. The relief also applies to fire department access and inspection reviews, City Planning clearances, transportation assessments, public works engineering permits, park fees, and clearances for tree replacement.
The city's refund program has a $90 million cap over three years.
More background
However, state-required costs, such as the Strong Motion Instrumentation Program earthquake fee and the California Green Building Fee, still must be paid. School impact fees come back if a project adds more than 500 square feet, standard Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety fees apply to any portion of a rebuild that exceeds 110% of the original square footage, and Los Angeles Unified School District school impact fees are waived only when the new home stays within the original footprint.
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What can be done?
Owners who paid eligible fees before Emergency Executive Order No. 7 or Ordinance No. 188985 took effect may be able to obtain a full reimbursement as well.
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To seek a fee refund, applicants will need to gather several specific records, including a Department of Building and Safety Claim for Refund form, also called City Form Gen 64, along with the Property Owner Fee Waiver Acknowledgment Form for the January 2025 Wildfires, plus original register receipts and validated permit copies.
If those originals cannot be provided, a signed notarized affidavit and proof of payment, such as a canceled check, may be submitted instead.
Residents can request forms or check on a claim through MyLA311 or by calling the LADBS Financial Services Division at 213-482-6890. Completed reimbursement packets may be submitted at a Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety cashier counter or mailed to the City Clerk at City Hall.
That same rebuilding window may also be a smart time to lower future utility costs. With Palmetto's help, the average Southern California resident can save thousands of dollars per year. For families replacing damaged homes, that kind of long-term savings can matter just as much as upfront fee relief.
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