Permit Timeline
Overview
Believe it or not, this is the short version…
2018
11/19/18
Structure red tagged by County. All utilities had to be capped.
12/18/18
First formal LA County “One Stop” meeting with all department leads needed for getting a building permit, in which they laid out steps we would need to take and any documentation or issues we would need to have about our property.
Note prior to this point, we had several other one-stops with various County and utility lead staff to learn about the rebuild process, which County officials did a great job of making available to Woolsey Fire victims in the first weeks after the fire. The head of the County Regional Planning Department was able to dig up our home’s original permit and tax assessor information, which we had never been able to find previously on multiple visits to the County office. This would prove to be essential to getting permission to rebuild. The square footage on our permit, like many old homes in the Santa Monica Mountains, was quite a bit smaller than what we lost. While County officials initially encouraged us to go for a permit for the full size house, subsequent meetings indicated that would risk failing to get a permit at all, so after much back and forth, we ended up sticking with plans to use the same footprint as the original 1973 permit plus the allowable extra 10%.
We also during this period reached out to several architects, all of whom either had no experience in unincorporated LA County, would not take us on because the County is too difficult, and/or who were going to charge us staggeringly high prices. This hunt would take longer, but in the meantime, there was much more other leg work to do anyhow.
2019
3/14/19
Debris clearance permit issued for demo of single-family residence. Per the recommendation of our geological engineer, we requested that our foundation remain, which required to go with a private company to do the job instead of the County. Although we were one of the first in line to get our permit and get the work done, getting the final permit sign off to be able to begin our temporary housing permit and rebuild process was delayed nine months by inaction and a long series of miscommunications by the County – and was resolved only after elevating the concern to our County Supervisor’s office.
12/10/19
Temporary housing permit application submitted to allow us to move back onto the property in temporary housing while rebuilding
2020
1/13/20
Debris clearance sign off finalized by the County.
5/26/20
Temp power pole issued for Department of Regional Planning (DRP) approved temp housing (permit still open).
5/27/20
A temporary housing permit was issued.
5/28/20 – 9/8/21
We had several back and forth conversations with Regional Planning and Building and Safety leads about what we could build, so we could refine our plans. They were supportive and helpful. In the last of these meetings, we were advised to work on our Water and Access Plan first before making and submitting house plans because this would determine if we could take the “fast track” for fire rebuilds that allowed a Coastal permit exemption (a big deal because Coastal permits are uncertain and at best take at least two years, a public hearing, and hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra reports and permits) – as long as we built the same square footage as what was on the original building permit (like for like) plus 10%.
We continued to work on clearing the mud, so we could move back onto the property into temporary housing.
2021
We continued to interview architects who were knowledgeable about the County permitting process (few and far between) and available.
9/08/21
Submitted Water and Access Plan that we did ourselves to LA County Fire
9/20/21
Finally we found someone who seemed the perfect needle in a haystack for to be our architect- we chose Tim McNamara, who partnered with his brother Terry, renowned veteran Malibu architect for our rebuild.
9/16/21
Corrections to Water and Access Plan provided by LA County Fire
2022
9/21/21 and 01/19/22
Met with LA County Fire to be sure first that we understood the corrections to our Water and Access Plan, and second that they saw no further problems with our revision. Uploaded ok’d revisions on 1/19/22. Told us to expect approval within 2 weeks.
2/1/22 – 4/18/22
After not hearing anything, much back and forth with LA County Fire, who was experiencing staff absences and shortages, trying to get response and approval of our Water and Access Plan corrections.
4/1/22 (approx.)
We learn that our architect has been diagnosed with cancer, but with a good prognosis with treatment. While this delayed his expected submittal of our plans that we have been refining together, all parties are deeply invested and attached and mutually decide to honor our agreement, despite the setback.
4/18/22
County Fire informs us that upon closer inspection, the Water and Access Plan corrections we submitted on 9/16/21 were insufficient.
5/16/22
More back and forth with County Fire to understand further work needed.
6/16/22
Resubmittal of Water and Access Plans with corrections done with help from our civil engineer, who needed extensive help from us but got the job done. These plans were approved pending review of full architectural plans.
8/15/22 (approx.)
Our architect unexpectedly and sadly passes away. A couple months later, his brother graciously agrees to take on our project.
11/22/21-5/3/22
Sought unsuccessfully to find someone to do our Fuel Modification Plan, and Diane did it alone and submitted it.
5/12/22
Fuel Modification Plan approved by LA County Fire (final approval letter 11/7/22)
11/10/22
With preliminary architectural plans done, online base application was submitted to County Regional Planning for the reconstruction of our single-family residence and detached garage that were destroyed by the Woolsey Fire
11/15/22 (approx.)
Visiting LA County Dept. of Public Works desk at the building department for a different issue unrelated to our rebuild, we learn for the first time there is an uncleared violation from 1997 (more than a decade before we bought the property) for a trailer type structure that is no longer there – and that this violation will need to be cleared to get a rebuild permit. This came as a surprise, since in our numerous conversations with the department about our rebuild over the previous three years, this never came up.
11/21/22
Base application was accepted by LA County Regional Planning and converted to a Coastal Development Permit Exemption (“CDP Exemption”)
2023
2/14/23
CDP Exemption case was approved
2/15/23
New manager of Public Works desk tells me she will look into setting up an appointment to clear the 1997 violation for the structure that is no longer there.
5/31/23
Applied to Public Works – Building & Safety Division (BSD)
7/13/23
Construction and Demolition Debris Recycle and Reuse approval issued.
8/18/23
Applied for GMED review. Review comments issued 10/13/23. Plans not recommended for approval.
8/18/23
Applied to PW – BSD for a grading permit: 591cy engineered grading for fire rebuild.
9/7/23
1st review completed 9/7/23, Resubmittal received 10/19/23.
2nd review completed 11/7/23. Waiting for resubmittal.
10/2/23 (approx.)
After about 8 months of trying to resolve the 1997 violation issue, including elevating it to the LA County
Supervisor’s office and sending photos and drone footage to DPW proving the structure in quesiton is no longer there, we got an inspection to confirm. We were told by the inspectors we would hear back by the end of the week. We did not.
11/11/23
Submittal of updated geological report to GMED because ours was now over a year old – for which our geological engineer had to come out of retirement. (12/15 he also submits a clarification letter to GMED, which triggers the requirement of a structural engineering update.)
12/8/23
County Fire Department stated they had not seen architectural plans to be able to give final approval, although the plans had been uploaded several months before. They confirmed they would review.
12/19/23
County Fire Department tells us they will approve our plans by day’s end.
12/27/23
GMED waives soil engineering review and reports they will be recommending no grading permit requirement for the rebuild.
2024
1/3/24
After some communication confusion between the County and our team, a second set of corrections on the grading plan were submitted to the County to update the soils report and reconcile a detail with a previous submission.
1/4/24
County delays our grading plan approval, informing us we will need to pull a grading permit for the required retaining wall, that we need an erosion control plan, and that we need a lot tie covenant tying together our two parcels, even though Regional Planning previously waived the latter requirement due to alternative documentation on file. The Building and Safety department also tells us we will have to delay grading until after the rainy season, unless we get approval from Regional Planning. After much back and forth between several parties over the coming days, and engaging higher ups at the County, we convince the County that the erosion control plan is already on our plans and that the alternative lot-tie documentation will suffice. Regional Planning also confirms that fire rebuilds are in fact exempt from rainy season limits on grading.
1/8/24
Foundation slab engineering correction submitted to County.
1/22/24
Changes submitted to our epicLA Recycle Reuse Plan
1/23/24
Updated/corrected building plans to County submitted for main house (Red-Lined Plans and Calculations, GMED approval, updated Geo Reports, etc.)
1/31/24
Spark arrestor permit granted for grading (after being notified earlier in the month by fire desk that we would need one)
2/12/24
Fire Department finally approves our permit for water and access (waiting for review since 9/22/2023 – i.e. 4.5 month wait)
2/12/24
County asks for corrections on building plans submission, including revised calculations for a debris flow wall. (Note that no debris ever came down in the area in question in the history of the building site as we understand it from previous owners and from our experience, except after Woolsey, which we were able to divert with a simple silt fence.)
3/4/24
Revised Building Plans, Revised Structural Calculations, Red-Lined Plans and the Correction Sheet with the Corrections resubmitted to County.
3/4/24
County asks for further corrections to grading plan.
3/7/24
Revised debris flow wall design, to comply with requirements, is calling for three 257 lb / ft, 40-60 ft steel piles for 3 ft wide caissons, plus fifteen other piles. Contractors consulted have never seen anything this massive outside major freeways and question whether they can obtain the materials. Matthias and Diane assert that debris never came down from the area in question, except after the Woolsey Fire, when all vegetation had been burned. The debris flow was easily diverted with a silt fence that cost us a few hundred dollars. Our team advised to go ahead and submit revisions anyway to keep the process moving.
3/10/24
Revised drainage and grading plans submitted to County with requested corrections.
3/11/24
Revised debris flow design with the massive increase in pile size is submitted to the County.
3/13/24
We circle back with our team to try to work out an alternative plan for the debris wall, which threatens to break our budget, not to mention be resource and carbon intensive for reasons that appear to us to be irrational.
3/14/24
The retaining wall permit is cleared by the County, with the massive debris wall in the plan.
3/19/24
Fire Department approval of our building plans still pending after long wait. Grading plan for the retaining wall approved pending further clearances.
3/20/24
Building plans rejected again by the County because a modification to a small staircase off the back door required in the plans were not reflected in the set of plans submitted for the retaining wall Grading Plan. We are told this change does not change the grading required, only that we need to show the correct orientation of the few stairs to to prevent inspector from having concerns and questions in the field.
3/22/24
Revised building plans are submitted to the County addressing minor corrections. We are still waiting for the Fire Department to complete their review.
3/28/24
Fire Department submits their stamp on our building plans to clear way for approval.
3/29/24
Revision ensuring the landing orientation on the grading and building plans match is submitted to the County.
4/1/24
Geologist stamp requested by the County on all the new grading sheets submitted as part of the 3/29 minor revision, along with retaining wall contractor information.
4/2/24
Building Plans cleared by County pending other clearances. This should be a hooray moment, but we are continuing to work hard with our team on a modification to the massive debris wall that continues to stump contractors and suppliers with its unusually large beams. In the coming week, we also elevate the issue to department heads at the County. Fortunately, the lead on our project comes to agree that a reasonable modification is in order. We had been warned to fear the County on this issue, but the individuals ended up all being actually very helpful and reasonable, once we were able to contact them directly. We exhale a big sigh of relief!
4/18/24
Retaining wall permit and its grading permit are issued. We start working with the surveyor on scheduling the pre-construction stake of the piles for the retaining wall.
9/4/24
With the retaining wall done except the catch basins, we issue a request to our plan checkers at Building & Safety to be issued a “foundation-only” permit in advance of having the retaining wall signed off on in inspection, in order to make efficient use of the drilling and concrete subcontractors, so they can come out to finish the catch basin and start on the foundation piles at the same time instead of making multiple trips. A foundation-only permit means we agree to only proceed with the foundation, and to get this signed off on before we begin vertical construction. Our grading plan checker is kindly open to considering it, but asks that we verify that the foundation elevation is what is in the plans. He kindly walks me through what that means. Fortunately, it is a verification that our surveyor has already completed, so we just need to get the form to send along
9/5/2024
I share the surveyor’s certification with Building and Safety.
9/9-10/2024
One of our plan checkers shares that we now have a new plan checker for the building site who notes that our Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling permit has expired, which the lead on that swiftly renews for us. The plan checker asks for verification, and we point out that hte update is on EPIC-LA, the website for all permitting records. The plan checker also questions a detail on our plans, which we point out is explained in a note on the plans. We are notified later that day that the supervisor has approved the foundation-only permit. High fives all around!
9/11/2024
Not so fast. There is another detail on the plans regarding the foundation piles on the approved building plan that we are now being informed requires further clarification from our architect. Our architect responds with a clarification.
9/12/2024
Our plan checker informs us that to move forward, our architect will have to slightly modify the drawing to insert into our approved plans. We send those modifications later that day.
9/13/2024
We are notified a permitting application has been issued. Almost there!
9/16/2024
We are issued an invoice for the permit, and shortly after, following payment, our permit is issued! We are cleared to start on the foundation at last!