Los Angeles Fire Permit Fee Waivers for Palisades Rebuilds

Quick answer: Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers are now available for eligible owners rebuilding or repairing structures damaged in the January 2025 wildfires, including the Palisades Fire. Under City of Los Angeles Ordinance No. 188985, many permit, plan check, clearance, fire review, planning, public works, transportation, park, and related City fees may be waived or refunded for qualifying work up to 110 percent of the damaged or destroyed structure's area. The program took effect July 16, 2026, applies retroactively to eligible fees already paid, and is capped at $90 million over a three-year period.

Ordinance No. 188985 is a City of Los Angeles law adding LAMC Section 98.0419.1 to waive certain fees connected to permits for repairing or rebuilding buildings and structures damaged or destroyed by the January 2025 wildfires.

What changed with Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers?

Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers changed the rebuild economics for eligible fire-damaged properties by replacing normal City fee collection with a targeted waiver and refund program. Before the ordinance, owners generally had to pay applicable plan check, permit, and clearance fees unless a separate refund rule applied; Mayor Karen Bass issued Emergency Executive Order No. 7 on April 25, 2025, to suspend collection while the City considered a permanent ordinance.

The permanent ordinance is now in effect. The City Council passed Ordinance No. 188985 on July 1, 2026, the Mayor approved it on July 13, 2026, and the ordinance was published and effective on July 16, 2026. Because it contains an urgency clause, the City framed the waiver as a public health and safety measure intended to remove barriers to rebuilding after the Palisades, Hurst, Kenneth, Archer, and Sunset fires.

For Pacific Palisades homeowners, the practical difference is straightforward: eligible fees that were suspended or paid before the ordinance may now be waived or refunded if the project, owner, property, and scope meet the City's requirements. This is especially relevant for a Palisades Fire rebuild where plan check fees, LADBS permit fees, fire/life safety review, and agency clearances can add meaningful cost and friction to an already complex recovery project.

Who qualifies for Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers?

Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers generally apply to the person or party that owned the affected property at the time of the January 2025 wildfires. LADBS states that the owner must have owned the property on or before January 7, 2025, and the official property owner acknowledgement form requires the owner to certify ownership since that date.

The work must be performed to repair or rebuild a building or structure damaged or destroyed by the Palisades, Hurst, Kenneth, Archer, or Sunset Fires that occurred in the City of Los Angeles in January 2025. This matters because the ordinance is tied to those specific fires and to property within the City of Los Angeles, not every wildfire-impacted parcel in Los Angeles County, Malibu, or another jurisdiction.

A recent buyer of a fire-damaged property does not qualify for the waiver if that buyer was not the owner of record on January 7, 2025. The ordinance also creates a repayment obligation: except for condominiums and townhomes, if a property with waived fees is sold before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued, the owner or seller must reimburse the City for the full amount of all waived fees.

What do Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers cover?

Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers cover many City permitting and clearance costs associated with rebuilding or repairing eligible fire-damaged structures, but only up to the amount attributable to a rebuild or repair that is no more than 110 percent of the damaged or destroyed structure's area as measured by LADBS.

According to LADBS, eligible fee categories include LADBS building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit fees; LADBS plan-check fees; Los Angeles Fire Department hydrant and access review fees, fire/life safety plan review fees, inspection and re-inspection fees, and certain expedited or off-hour fire/life safety reviews and inspections. The waiver also reaches the arts development fee, Department of City Planning sign-off and clearance fees, tree replacement or removal permit fees and street tree inspection clearances, Low Impact Development plan check fees, Bureau of Engineering permit and clearance fees, transportation condition clearance and permit issuance fees, park fees, and several other listed City charges.

In design-build terms, the 110 percent rule is the key planning threshold. If an owner wants a like-for-like replacement or modestly larger layout, the project may remain within the waived-fee zone. If the plan expands beyond 110 percent of the original damaged structure's area, LADBS says fees will be assessed for the area above that threshold, including fees that may have been suspended under Executive Order No. 7.

Which fees are not waived for a Palisades Fire rebuild?

Not every charge disappears under the Palisades Fire rebuild fee waiver. LADBS identifies several non-waived fee categories, including state-mandated charges and costs tied to work beyond the City's 110 percent threshold.

LAUSD school impact or developer fees are not assessed for reconstruction projects up to the square footage of the original structure under California Education Code Section 17626. However, LADBS notes that LAUSD fees may apply when a reconstruction project increases the area of the structure by more than 500 square feet, citing Education Code Sections 17626 and 17620(a)(1)(C).

Two statewide charges remain outside the waiver: the Strong Motion Instrumentation Program fee under California Public Resources Code Section 2705 and the California Building Standards Commission surcharge, often called the Green Building Fee, under California Health and Safety Code Section 18931.6. Owners should also budget for professional design, engineering, surveying, construction, insurance coordination, and private consultant costs, because the ordinance addresses specified public fees rather than the full cost of rebuilding.

How do owners request a LADBS refund?

Owners request a LADBS refund by filing the Department of Building and Safety Claim for Refund form, or the City of Los Angeles Claim for Refund Form Gen 64, and attaching the Property Owner Fee Waiver Acknowledgement Form for the January 2025 Wildfires. LADBS states that Palisades rebuild refund claims will not be processed without the required fee waiver acknowledgement and supporting documents.

The City asks applicants to attach the original cash register receipt and the application or permit copy containing the original validation. If originals are unavailable, LADBS says a signed and notarized affidavit explaining why the originals cannot be submitted may be accepted, but proof of payment such as the front and back of a canceled check may also be required.

Completed refund forms and attachments may be filed at an Office of the City Clerk, mailed to City Clerk, Room 395, City Hall, 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012-4869, or submitted at an LADBS cashier counter for forwarding to the City Clerk. LADBS says claims for eligible fees will be accepted until the three-year eligibility period ends or the $90 million cap is reached; because the ordinance became effective July 16, 2026, owners should treat July 16, 2029 as the outside three-year benchmark unless the cap is reached earlier or the City issues updated guidance.

Key Takeaways

• Ordinance No. 188985 added LAMC Section 98.0419.1 and became effective on July 16, 2026.
• The waiver applies to eligible January 2025 wildfire repair or rebuild work up to 110 percent of the damaged or destroyed structure's area.
• Owners must generally have owned the property on January 7, 2025, and selling before Certificate of Occupancy can trigger repayment of waived fees.
• Eligible owners who already paid covered fees may seek refunds using the LADBS Claim for Refund form and the wildfire fee waiver acknowledgement.
• State-mandated fees, certain LAUSD fees, and City fees for area above the 110 percent threshold are not waived.

How should Palisades owners plan a rebuild around the waiver?

Palisades owners should plan the scope, documentation, and permit strategy before assuming that every rebuild cost will be waived. The most important early step is to confirm the original permitted area, current ownership eligibility, proposed rebuild area, fire-damage connection, and whether any additions push the project beyond the 110 percent fee-waiver threshold.

From a permitting standpoint, a wildfire rebuild is not only a fee question. Owners still need code-compliant drawings, zoning and site analysis, structural and energy documentation, agency clearances, and coordination with LADBS and other reviewing departments. The waiver can reduce City costs, but incomplete or poorly coordinated submittals can still delay a Pacific Palisades home rebuild.

For homeowners considering an ADU, larger addition, layout redesign, or full replacement home, the design team should compare the cost and permit implications of staying within the waived-fee envelope against the value created by expanding beyond it. Sometimes a larger rebuild is still the right long-term property decision; the point is to price the threshold clearly before drawings are finalized.

How can 121 Design Build help with a Palisades Fire rebuild?

121 Design Build helps Los Angeles property owners translate changing permit rules into buildable, permit-ready plans. For a fire-damaged home or structure, our role is to align architectural design, code compliance, entitlement strategy, and construction planning early enough to avoid preventable resubmittals and scope surprises.

If you are replacing a destroyed home, our New Construction team can help evaluate rebuild size, site constraints, and permit strategy. If you are repairing, expanding, or reconfiguring an existing structure, our Addition & Remodel service can help compare like-for-like repair against a broader redesign. If the recovery plan includes a detached or attached accessory dwelling unit, our ADU & JADU team can assess feasibility, access, utilities, and permitting. For owners considering lot-value strategies beyond a single replacement home, our SB9 service can help identify whether state lot-split or two-unit options are worth exploring.

The best time to resolve fee-waiver, area, documentation, and permitting questions is before schematic design hardens into a permit set. To discuss a Palisades Fire rebuild or other Los Angeles wildfire recovery project, contact 121 Design Build or call (424) 600-2100.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Los Angeles fire permit fee waivers automatic?

No. The waiver is tied to eligibility requirements for ownership, fire damage, project location, and rebuild scope. Owners seeking refunds must submit the required claim and acknowledgement forms with supporting payment and permit documentation.

Can I rebuild larger than my original Palisades home and still qualify?

Yes, but only up to a limit for the fee waiver. The ordinance waives eligible fees only for the portion of a repair or rebuild up to 110 percent of the damaged or destroyed structure's area as measured by LADBS.

Do the waivers cover LAUSD school impact fees?

LAUSD impact or developer fees are not assessed for reconstruction up to the original structure's square footage under the cited state education code provisions. LADBS states that school fees may apply when the reconstructed structure increases the original area by more than 500 square feet.

What if I already paid LADBS plan check or permit fees?

You may be eligible for a refund if the paid fees are covered by Ordinance No. 188985. LADBS directs owners to file a Claim for Refund form and the Property Owner Fee Waiver Acknowledgement Form for the January 2025 Wildfires with receipts and permit documentation.

Does buying a fire-damaged property qualify me for the waiver?

No, not if you were not the owner of record on January 7, 2025. LADBS states that the fee waiver is only available to the owner of record on the title of the entire rebuild or repair site on that date.

Sources

• LADBS Palisades Fire Permit Fee Waivers & Refund Guide
• City of Los Angeles Ordinance No. 188985
• LADBS 2025 Wildfires FAQ
• Council District 11 Pacific Palisades Update, October 17, 2026

This article is general information from a design-build and permitting perspective and is not legal advice.

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