If you’ve been impacted by the massive palisades fire in Los Angeles, we’ve prepared a comprehensive guide of things to consider as you’re starting the process to recover from the fire. If you’ve lost your home to the fire, we offer our deepest condolences and are available to advise you on options to rebuild your property.
If your home has been partially affected by the fire, whether from fire damage, water damage or smoke damage…this guide is meant to help provide you the steps you can take to start recovering from this disaster to move back into your home.
GreatBuildz is a leading authority in the industry, offering a comprehensive and free service that matches homeowners with reliable, pre-screened general contractors. We exclusively connect our clients with reputable Los Angeles contractors who have successfully passed our rigorous screening process.
Based in Los Angeles, we’ve witnessed the devastating effect of the Palisades Fire. We stand committed and ready to help our Palisades neighbors with the resources they need to repair or rebuild their home…anyone can feel free to call our Remodeling Advisors at 818.317.3567 to get guidance and support for any questions they have about palisades fire damage repair, etc.
Find Temporary Housing
If you think you’ll need to be out of your house for an extended period of time, your first step is finding accommodations for yourself and your family. If you can’t stay with family or friends for an extended period of time, you’ll need to start looking for options such as extended stay hotels, Airbnb rentals, apartments, etc.
Here are some resources to consider that might be helpful with rental assistance, etc after the LA wildfires. Please remember to ask your insurance company if they have a list of rental options in the Los Angeles area.
Airbnb.org and 211 LA Partnership: Airbnb.org, in collaboration with 211 LA, offers free temporary housing for those affected by the wildfires. Displaced residents by the Palisades fire can apply by completing a form through 211 LA. Eligibility requires being displaced from your home due to the fires and residing in an evacuation zone.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Eligible homeowners could receive financial assistance for rental expenses, basic home repairs, personal property losses, and other disaster-related needs. Applications are available at FEMA’s official website.
California Apartment Association (CAA): CAA provides resources and guidance for wildfire victims, including information on rental assistance and housing options. Residents can contact CAA for support and access to emergency resources.
California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD): HCD offers disaster relief assistance programs for homeowners affected by wildfires. These programs may include grants or low-interest loans to help with temporary housing needs. Visit the HCD website for more information.
Los Angeles Housing Community Investment Department (HCIDLA): HCIDLA provides emergency housing assistance and may have programs for Palisades fire victims. Residents can reach out to HCIDLA for information on available grants and support services.
Ensure Safety First
Although you certainly want to get back to your home to check on its condition, please be safe when doing so. According to FEMA, even though many areas are now open, serious hazards remain: ash, unstable structures, downed power lines, and utility work.
Before you go back to your neighborhood and into your home, make sure to verify a few things:
Official Clearance: Verify with LAFD or CalFire that the evacuation order has been lifted and that its safe to go back into your neighborhood.
Utilities: Check with DWP, Edison, etc. whether they’ve restored power to your neighborhood. Don’t turn your power or water back on until a professional has inspected for damage — and always report gas smells or hissing lines.
Gas Leaks: When coming back to your property, be cognizant of any gas smells or leaking sounds. Check around your Gas main and water heater, etc.
Electrical Dangers: Make sure your main power breaker is turned off before inspecting the damage in your home, especially water damage.
Structural Damage: Avoid entering your home if there is any sign of structural damage or wall collapse. If you’re not sure, call the city building department or a structural inspector to come and assess the property.
Hazardous materials: If portions of your home are fire or smoke damaged, wear protective gear such as a mask and goggles before inspecting the area so you don’t inhale any airborne toxic substances.
Assess the Damage
Before you start the process of cleaning up or moving anything in your home, start by taking lots of pictures and videos of the condition of your home after the Palisades fire. This is extremely important to document for your insurance company and could speed up your claims process.
It may be difficult for you to tell the extent of the damage and this may also make it challenging to convey this to your insurance company. In order to get a thorough understanding of the damage, you should consider hiring various professionals to come and assess the damage and write up their findings:
Fire/smoke damage experts: These professionals will be able to examine the extent of the damage even if its not visible inside the walls or in the attic, etc.
Structural inspector: these experts are qualified to assess whether the palisades fire or water damage has compromised any of the home’s structural stability. They will also look for clues of concern in the house as well as in the attic and crawlspace.
Environmental Testing Professionals: These folks have sophisticated measuring tools to check for hazardous materials inside the home such as mold, smoke, lead and other contaminants.
General Contractors: The pros can assess the general condition of your home, including its various systems…electrical, plumbing, roofing, foundation, etc. They can provide you with an understanding of the scope of repairs you’ll need to be able to move back into the property.
Contact Your Insurance Company & File a Claim
Its likely that the insurance company will pay a portion of your claim right away, or at an expedited speed. They may give you a payout for your ‘temporary housing’ right away as well as possibly paying out your claim for damage to the contents of your home (especially if you lost all the contents to the palisades fire). Ask your insurance agent how much of your claim you can get paid right away, as this will help with your recovery.
Don’t forget to track all expenses related to the palisades fire, including any temporary housing costs or other expenses you incur as a result of the fire. These costs may be covered by your insurance policy, so keep copies of all emails and receipts of these expenditures.
With regard to the main claim for the damage to your home, this will take some time to process, as your claims adjuster will need to understand the exact extent of the damage and the true cost to repair. I will likely take a few months to settle your claim and get your funds. But, its important not to rush this process because that might lead to a lower settlement amount from the insurance company.
If your insurance policy has been destroyed, ask your insurance agent for a copy and read it thoroughly. Ask your insurance agent to explain the exact extent of your coverage and your options for receiving a settlement. Your agent is a specialist in this matter and should have your best interest at heart.
Getting Help with Your Insurance Claim
If you need assistance working through your claim with your insurance company, make sure to research and utilize the free resources available such as United Policyholders, a non-profit support and advocacy organization. Also, check out the California Department of Insurance Wildfire Resources page. You should also register with FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency – to see if you can get financial assistance from them.
If the insurance company is offering too little compensation for your claim, you can certainly try negotiating with your claims adjuster. Alternatively, you can choose to hire a “Public Adjuster” to help negotiate with your insurance company. Public Adjuster usually charge a percentage of your final settlement as their fee for helping ‘consult’ on your claim. They are generally knowledgeable about dealing with insurance companies and might help you get a higher settlement amount.
SB 495 has passed: it requires insurers to pay at least 60% of personal-property coverage (up to $350,000) without an itemized list, for disaster survivors. Also, SB 547 now prevents insurers from canceling or refusing to renew commercial property insurance for one year after a declared state of emergency.
Don’t Fall for Common Contractor Scams after the Palisades Fire
Sadly, the devastation of the palisades fire will cause some unscrupulous contractors (or criminals) to try and take advantage of traumatized homeowners in their hour of need during the LA wildfires. These so called “contractors” or their sales staff may start calling you or even going door to door offering their services to repair or rebuild your home. They might suggest you hire them right away so that you have ‘first priority’ getting your repairs done. They will ask you for a deposit “to hold your spot”.
These unscrupulous actors are counting on your fear and panic to make you make a silly decision like giving them a check immediately. DON’T do it. They might steal your money and never show up again. You can find an honest contractor without hiring these aggressive salespeople. There are over 20,000 licensed contractors in Los Angeles County, so there will be plenty of contractors available to make your repairs in a timely manner.
Fire Restoration Services vs General Contractors
In your home emergency, your first concern is dealing with the damage from fire, smoke, or water, or any other type of damage. You’ll need to start by hiring a restoration company for this urgent task. These companies have people trained and skilled in completing the necessary quick mitigation to deal with the issue and prevent further damage. Their emergency service is available on short notice and they have the necessary equipment to perform ‘hazardous’ tasks such as removal and abatement of fire burned and smoke damaged areas of your home.
Its important to immediately contact a restoration company to handle the fire & smoke issues. After that, the next stage is to “rebuild” the damaged portions of your home. Even though some restoration companies also offer this service, its suggested that you hire a reputable, licensed general contractor for your rebuild and reconstruction, especially if it’s a project over $10,000 and involves electrical, flooring, cabinetry, framing, etc. General contractors have the necessary license to do this work (not required for restoration services), specialize in this major construction…and are more likely to complete this work to a higher standard.
Selecting a Reputable Fire Repair Contractor
Even though anyone with fire or smoke damage from the palisades fire is obviously in a hurry to make repairs in order to make their home habitable again, please be cautious when hiring a contractor. The last thing you want to do is hire a bad contractor that will add to your level or stress. So, make sure you quickly meet with several contractors and perform the basic necessary vetting of each company to ensure they are reputable.
There are a few steps that are really important when vetting a contractor for your fire damage project. Make sure that they have a valid general contractor’s license (B-1 license) without any consumer complaints. They must have an insurance policy with at least $1M liability and worker’s compensation policy. Also make sure to look up their reviews online and see if others think they are a trustworthy company. Another valuable step is to call references or any past clients.
Consider doing an even more comprehensive vetting process of your contractor by using the 10 step vetting process GreatBuildz uses in order to find the best contractors in Los Angeles. Or feel free to contact the friendly Remodeling Advisors at GreatBuildz to be connected to three reputable, highly vetted contractors that can help with your fire damage repair.
The following red flags should be obvious but worth discussing. Never use a company that goes door to door looking for work or uses high pressure sales tactics. Never use a contractor that tells you that they will “kick you back” some of the insurance proceeds if you work with them because this is considers insurance fraud. Never work with a contractor that requires you to give them a large deposit to “hold your job”. Never work with a contractor that’s too aggressive and uses sales tactics to get you to sign a contract right away.
Make Sure your Insurance Settlement is Enough to Cover the Contractor’s Estimate
Its your decision which contractor you choose to use for your repairs. It is probably a good idea to meet and get estimates from several contractors. Hopefully, your insurance company will settle your claim for an amount that is sufficient to cover your chosen contractor’s estimate. However, it’s possible your insurance company will offer you a lower settlement amount because it believes your contractor’s bid is too high or the scope of the project extends beyond the damages.
If that’s the case, you’ll need to discuss options with the insurance company and your contractor to bridge this gap. The contractor may be willing to reduce the price a bit so that your settlement amount covers their cost and you don’t have to come out of pocket.
With LA’s new “Pre-Approved Standard Plan Pilot Program,” there may be more access to pre-approved, code-compliant home designs — which could help you estimate rebuild cost more accurately. Also, Mayor Bass issued an order waiving permit and plan-check fees for Palisades fire rebuilds, which might significantly reduce your soft costs.
Here at GreatBuildz, we’re ready to support our Palisades neighbors with the resources they need to repair or rebuild their home…feel free to call our Remodeling Advisors at 818.317.3567 to get guidance and support for any palisades fire repair or issue.
