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9,400+
Structures destroyed in the Eaton Fire
CAL FIRE incident report
13,600+
Permits of all kinds filed in Altadena in 2025
Shovels, Mar 2026
1,000+
Altadena homes already in the construction phase
Spectrum News, Aug 2026
$1M
Our minimum for a new home or fire rebuild. We publish it so you do not lose a month finding out.
Eaton Fire Rebuild · Altadena
Altadena fire rebuilds and custom homes, built new from the foundation up
The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures in January 2025 (CAL FIRE). Most of what comes next in Altadena is new construction: a cleared lot, a new foundation, a new house. Energize Builders is a Los Angeles general contractor for owners rebuilding a whole home, whether that means the house you had or the one you would design today.
On sloped lots
What we build when the ground is not flat
Three of our homes on hillside lots: Malibu, Los Angeles and Sherman Oaks. Real photographs of our work; no Altadena project yet.
The County issues your permit, not the City
Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County, so rebuild permits run through County departments rather than the City of LA's LADBS. The County's Altadena One-Stop Permit Center has planners on site to route you to each department your parcel needs.
Like-for-like is the fast lane
After the fires the state and local governments created a like-for-like path for rebuilding to the rough dimensions of the original home, and the County added a self-certification pilot for simpler projects (CalMatters, Jan 2026). A larger or redesigned home can leave that lane. That is a real trade-off, and we walk it with you before anything is drawn.
The new house has to resist the next fire
Rebuilds in fire hazard zones are built to California's wildland-urban interface rules, Chapter 7A of the Building Code. We price those from the first estimate, not as a surprise at plan check.
A rebuild is a new-construction project
Once the lot is cleared, you are not repairing a house. You are building one: survey, soils, foundation, framing, systems, finishes, inspections. That is the work we do every day, and it is why we treat an Altadena rebuild as a custom home with a deadline, not a remodel.
Same house or a better one
Rebuilding the original footprint is usually the faster permit. A new design can give you the house you actually want. We put both on the table before anyone draws.
Foothill lots need the soils work first
Altadena's upper streets climb into the San Gabriel foothills. On a sloped or filled lot, the geotechnical report decides the foundation, and the foundation moves the budget more than any finish will. It is also the part of a build we know best. See how we build on hillside lots and what caisson foundations cost.
How we run an Altadena rebuild
Six steps, in the order they have to happen
01
Lot status and records
We confirm debris clearance and what survives on the lot, gather the original plans if they exist, and check what your insurance scope covers, so the design starts from real numbers.
02
Like-for-like or a new design
The first real decision. Rebuilding the original footprint is usually faster to permit. A new design can give you a better house and a longer review. We lay out both before you commit.
03
Survey and soils
A boundary and topographic survey, and a soils report where the lot calls for one. Everything structural waits on these, so we start them early.
04
Design with fire hardening built in
Architect, structural engineer and builder agree on one buildable set that meets Chapter 7A, so the plans that go in for review can be built at the number we quoted.
05
County permitting
Submittal through the County's rebuild process, with the one-stop center in Altadena. We schedule to the real review timeline, not the hopeful one.
06
Build, inspect and hand over
Foundation through finish under our direct supervision, inspections documented as they clear, and a close-out file you will want when you refinance or sell.
What it costs
We would rather tell you the range before you call than after
These figures are ours, from homes we have built. They are not a quote. Your number depends on the house, the lot and the soils, and nobody knows it before the survey and soils work exist.
Estimate your build
Construction range at our published rates$1.6M – $2.5M$450 to $700 per square foot, from homes we have built. Not a quote: the soils report, the design and your finishes set the real number.
Send us your lot Standard custom homeper square foot, Energize Builders projects
$450 – $700
High-end custom with site complexityper square foot, Energize Builders projects
$700 – $1,000+
$1,000,000 minimum
Our minimum for a new home or fire rebuild is $1,000,000. Whole-home remodels start at $500,000. Below those numbers we are not the right builder, and we will say so on the first call rather than after a month of drawings.
What clients say
Owners who built new with us
★★★★★
“Alik and his team were a pleasure to work with. We are extremely satisfied with the exceptional work they provided on our new construction project.”
★★★★★
“After our previous contractors failed to meet our expectations, Energize builders came in and saved the day with their expertise and attention to safety. They tore down most of the structure and rebuilt our dream home, passing every inspection from the city.”
★★★★★
“At first, dealing with city permits felt overwhelming, but the team at Energize Builders made the process smooth and effortless. They managed every aspect of the permitting and design, showing incredible resourcefulness and expertise.”
Excerpts in the reviewers' own words. Ratings as shown on Google and Houzz, September 2026.
Before you call
The questions Altadena owners ask first
Short answers here. Longer ones on the phone.
Who issues rebuild permits in Altadena?
Los Angeles County, because Altadena is unincorporated. The County's Altadena One-Stop Permit Center at 464 W Woodbury Rd, Suite 210, has planners who route you to the departments your parcel needs. The City of LA's LADBS does not handle Altadena.
Is it faster to rebuild the same house?
Usually. The like-for-like path, for homes rebuilt to roughly their original dimensions, was set up after the fires to speed permits. A larger or redesigned home can take longer. For the exact limits on your parcel, ask the County's planners; we will help you weigh the trade-off before you choose.
Do I have to build to new fire codes?
Yes, in fire hazard zones. California Building Code Chapter 7A sets the wildland-urban interface requirements: ember-resistant vents, a Class A roof, ignition-resistant exterior walls and tempered glazing among them. We include them in the first estimate.
What does an Altadena rebuild cost?
Our custom homes have run $450 to $700 per square foot, and $700 to $1,000 and up with site complexity. Our minimum for a new home or rebuild is $1,000,000, so we are the right builder for whole-home rebuilds at or above that.
Who is Energize Builders?
A Los Angeles general contractor, CSLB #1112649, building custom homes, hillside homes and fire rebuilds, based at 13910 Fiji Way in Marina del Rey. You can verify our license on the CSLB website at any time.
Fire rebuild areas
Altadena, the Palisades and Malibu
We build new homes across the areas the 2025 fires reached, and custom homes across the Westside.
Hillside construction, explainedFor foothill and canyon lots where the foundation decides the budget.
Start here
Rebuilding in Altadena?
Send us the address, and the original plans or insurance scope if you have them. Within a week we will tell you whether it is a project for us, and what we would want to know next.
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