LOS ANGELES – Today, Mayor Karen Bass announced the expansion of the L.A. Department of Building and Safety’s (LADBS) first Self-Certification Pilot Program to include licensed Civil Engineers, which will offer more qualified professionals for residents to choose from for rebuilding projects in Pacific Palisades. Under the Self-Certification Pilot Program, California-licensed architects – and now Civil Engineers – may assume responsibility for verifying code compliance without a full LADBS plan check.
While LADBS will not review the plans, all required approvals from other City departments will remain in effect. Compliance checks have been built into the Pilot Program to ensure professional integrity.
“I am committed to doing everything possible to get Palisadians home quickly and safely,” said Mayor Bass. “Today’s expansion of the Self-Certification Pilot program I launched last summer cuts more red tape and serves as another tool to support Palisades residents as they navigate the rebuilding process – a position they never expected to be in.”
In April, Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order No. 6 directing LADBS to identify which permit reviews could be safely replaced by a self-certification process carried out by licensed architects. In June, Mayor Bass launched the City’s first-ever Self-Certification Pilot Program to fast-track the reconstruction of homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
From the beginning, Mayor Bass has brought the full force of her mayoral power to help speed the recovery and clear hurdles. She has issued an unprecedented 12 executive actions aimed at expediting the recovery – as a result, Palisades rebuilding plans are being approved in half the time compared to single-family home projects citywide before the wildfires, and more than 70% of home permit clearances are no longer required.