Families that have lost their homes in the Palisades and Eaton Fires of 2025 might feel that they’ve lost more than a house. In the initial days of the event, it’s natural to feel grief over the loss of a sense of security, a lifetime of possessions and the certainty of what comes next.

The loss of a house does put a family in a vulnerable position. We have already been hearing of people trying to take advantage of homeowners in these areas. Here are some tips to protect yourself:

Don’t sign any documents until you’ve had time to review and consult with lawyers or independent architects, engineers or builders.
If somebody is trying to pressure you to sign anything as quickly as possible, it is not for a good reason.
Sometimes, design - build firms or builders may offer to do all design for free if you sign a contract with them for construction. This typically ends with them recovering what they would have charged for design (and more) on markups during construction. An independent architect will represent you before the builder and work to ensure that you are getting the best value for your investment.
The most outstanding guide I’ve seen for legal advice, including Insurance and FEMA, is this guide from Counsel for Creators
The best way to learn about the best way to hire an architect and protect yourself during a house design and construction process can be found here: California Architects Board - Consumer’s Guide to Hiring an Architect.
It will take some time to get your team in place and ready to design and build your house. Please let us know if we can help.

CLEANUP UPDATE

Construction on new residences or accessory structures can’t begin until all toxic materials are removed, officials say. And the toxins must be identified and then removed by trained government workers or certified private haulers.

Here is the timeline suggested by officials in recent days:

PHASE 1

- EPA assessment of each property and removal of toxic materials. An EPA spokeswoman at a Town Hall in the Palisades on Sunday said it will take “months” to complete phase 1 on the 15,000+ structures that were destroyed. A Public Works spokesman estimated 3-6 months. The EPA is beginning phase 1 this week.

PHASE 2

- With written permission from property owners, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers will remove fire debris and leave a clean pad for the rebuild. Phase 1 must be complete on the property for Phase 2 to commence. Officials said the USACE will do several adjacent properties or an entire block in batches to expedite the process. Estrella estimated phase 2 will take “up to 18 months” depending on where the property falls in the queue. He said it will not be first-come, first-served basis; instead, they’ll clean entire streets and/or blocks at the same time.

Both phases of the clean up are free to property owners. Those who want to opt out of the phase 2 clean up can hire a certified contractor instead, but the EPA will still need to complete phase 1 on their property and the contractor must be approved by local officials before the removal can commence.

A private contractor can be very expensive, according to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), who quoted $170,000 per jobsite during one of the weekend meetings.

Officials suggested that property owners should use this clean up timeline to have construction plans prepared, filed and Ready To Issue (RTI) so construction can commence as soon as phase 2 is complete.