Building Back L.A.: Fast-Track Permits That Build In Resiliency

[Editor's note: Wildfires in Los Angeles. Hurricanes across Florida and the Southeast. Floods, extreme heat, and severe weather events are no longer rare occurrences—they’re becoming the new normal. The homebuilding and residential development industries face an urgent reckoning: how to build homes, neighborhoods, and communities that can withstand the increasing severity of climate-related natural disasters. The Builder’s Daily is launching Building Resilience, an ongoing series that examines the choices, challenges, and solutions shaping the future of resilient housing. Through interviews with experts, frontline builders, policymakers, and affected homeowners, the series will spotlight what’s working, what’s not, and what’s at stake when rebuilding after disaster strikes.

Contributing editor Rick Lawson reports from California, where Los Angeles-area communities are grappling with how to rebuild after wildfires destroyed more than 16,000 structures. Residents and leaders want to move quickly—but at what cost to future safety?]

In the 1990s, Bruce Lander bought a home in Altadena, California, which was mainly built using steel. The home, constructed in 1972, survived the January Los Angeles fires, which destroyed some 16,000 structures.

Lander told a L.A. television station that the steel construction spared his house and possibly others beyond his.

He isn’t alone. More stories have emerged about different materials that proved resilient and spared homes. There is a demand to build homes with materials that can withstand the increasingly frequent and intense wildfires.

However, whether the permitting process can keep pace with the demand has become an increasingly-contested, and urgent issue.

Los Angeles County and the state continue to rapidly clear destroyed homes and prepare sites for rebuilding. The “Electronic Permitting and Inspection,” known as EPIC-LA, was launched to expedite the permitting of new homes through an online portal. Homeowners, meanwhile, have begun to put the portal to the test, with plans to rebuild with materials other than wood.

Los Angeles architect Trinidad Campbell said in an interview with an L.A. TV station that she received permits for a house made of cement blocks within the four — to six-week window.

Mary O’Brien, CEO and co-founder of Hapi Homes, which builds fire-resistant homes using light gauge steel framing, said California could speed up rebuilding efforts by “creating an expedited approval pathway for (solely) for fire-resistant and resilient housing.”

O’Brien acknowledges the express permitting in place now.

However, a targeted approach for wildfire rebuilds would take this further. By prioritizing projects that align with fire safety and sustainability goals, we can significantly reduce delays without compromising safety or quality.”

Cost of Rebuilding

The cost of rebuilding with resilient materials remains a concern. However, residential construction costs have been rising, and Los Angeles's rebuilding could become more challenging.

The National Association of Home Builders reported this week that the price of Random Lengths framing lumber composite increased 1.8% from the previous week and was up 14.4% year over year. In January, the NAHB reported that construction costs accounted for 64.4% of the average home price last year, up from 60.8% in 2022, setting a record high since it began tracking in 1998.

Tariffs on Canadian lumber don't help. The latest blanket tariffs President Trump put on Canada, the largest lumber supplier in the U.S., add to the pain.

Builders using steel, however, may feel less pain, especially if the steel is sourced domestically. Trump raised the tariffs on steel and aluminum to 25%, which take effect March 12.

“We tried to future-proof during the summer,” O’Brien said, by sourcing their steel product in the U.S. for the company’s manufacturing plant in Salt Lake City.

But domestic steel prices have risen in anticipation of less international competition, which has combined with stronger demand, notably in the automotive and construction sectors. According to trade media site Steel Industry News, lead times for orders have increased, helping drive higher prices. The site reported this week that U.S. steel company Nucor raised its prices again this week, and they are up more than 33% since last July.  

“We've put proactive measures in place, including securing a future production capacity contract with our supplier, which helps us manage costs effectively and continue delivering consistent value to our clients,” O’Brien said. “Despite current price increases, steel often remains a more price-stable option than lumber."

She noted that lumber prices have been volatile. while “steel benefits from a more controlled supply chain and its recyclability, which helps maintain more predictable pricing.”

How the company has handled steel pricing may help it in California. Hapi Homes is considering providing a series of tiny homes, mostly under 600 square feet, some permanent and some relocatable, to fill a need for emergency housing, a specialty of the company.

We are now working on three syndicate approaches to rebuild efforts to rehouse people who are homeless,” O’Brien said, adding that the projects represent a pipeline of over 3000 homes. “We've made significant progress, land is secured, funding is in place, and our housing specifications and production plan are ready to go.”

She said the company is working through the final steps in the approval process.

We're hopeful that an expedited pathway for emergency housing could help move things forward, allowing us to bring much-needed homes to the community as quickly as possible,” O’Brien said.