This is the Third Executive Action Issued this Week to Reduce Rebuilding Costs and Timelines
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today issued an Emergency Executive Order that will provide financial relief for Angelenos rebuilding homes damaged or destroyed by the wildfires. As previewed in her State of the City address earlier this week, this Executive Order directs city departments to refrain from collecting permit and plan check fees associated with the repair or reconstruction of homes damaged or destroyed by the wildfires in January, pending City Council’s adoption of an amendment to waive these fees. Additionally, the Emergency Executive Order requests the City Attorney to prepare and present for Council’s consideration the draft urgency ordinance to waive the fees.
Mayor Bass’ Emergency Executive Order furthers a motion to waive plan check and permit fees introduced by Councilwoman Traci Park.
“City leadership must work together to remove these barriers, and today’s action provides immediate relief for residents while expediting the process for City Council to waive these fees,” said Mayor Karen Bass.
“Early into this crisis, I introduced legislation to waive permit, plan check, and other rebuilding fees for families who lost their homes," said Councilwoman Traci Park. "They've been through enough, and they did not ask for this. So, waiving these fees is reflective of our commitment to helping them start over. I'm grateful to Mayor Bass for accelerating this effort through executive action, and I'm eager to finalize the legislative work to make it permanent.”
On Wednesday, Mayor Bass issued two executive actions to further expedite the rebuilding process in the Palisades by establishing Los Angeles’ first ever plan check Self-Certification pilot program and taking a step forward to using Artificial Intelligence technology to help support City staff review of project plans against building and zoning codes.
Earlier this month, Mayor Bass highlighted the start of the rebuilding process in the Palisades by visiting two different sites that have been issued building permits from the City. To date, 27 permits for 19 addresses related to rebuilding efforts have been issued for projects in the Palisades. The first permit was issued on March 5, 2025 – 57 days after the start of the Palisades Fire. The City issued permits to rebuild more than twice as fast as after the devastating Camp and Woolsey fires.
Under her Executive Order 1, Mayor Bass cut red tape and directed City departments to complete permitting review in 30 days or less for rebuilding homes as they were. LADBS is currently completing plan check review in about 6 days – 2 times faster than before the wildfires.
Read the full Emergency Executive Order below.
EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 7
Return and Rebuild
Issue Date: April 25, 2025
Subject: Suspending Collection of Plan Check and Permit Fees
INTRODUCTION
The Wildfires of January 2025 caused devastating impacts to people and property, tragically destroying thousands of homes in the City of Los Angeles (City). In order to further the community’s effort to build back quickly, City leadership must work together to remove additional barriers that may hinder reconstruction. The cost of rebuilding, particularly in the wake of this unprecedented natural disaster, can be overwhelming. It is imperative that we act quickly as a City to remove these barriers and support Angelenos as they rebuild their homes, lives, and communities.
On February 19, 2025, the City Council adopted Councilwoman Traci Park’s motion calling on the City to waive plan check and permit and art fees for structures damaged or destroyed in the Wildfires of January 2025. I support the Councilwoman’s motion and with many homeowners starting to pull permits the time to act is now.
These fees, which are applied by ordinance, should be waived for eligible reconstruction projects and I support the adoption by City Council of an amendment to the City Administrative Code to waive these fees. Such a fee waiver should be limited to the construction of eligible residential projects that repair or replace structures damaged or destroyed in the Palisades, Hurst, Kenneth, Archer, and Sunset Fires that occurred in January 2025, in whole or in part within the City of Los Angeles and it should apply retroactively to those eligible projects that have been already permitted or are currently in plan check.
Therefore, to initiate the preparation of such an ordinance and to ensure that City Departments are able to implement the ordinance quickly and seamlessly on the effective date, pursuant to City Charter Section 231, subsection (i), and under the provisions of the Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 8.29 that authorize me to promulgate, issue and enforce emergency rules, regulations, orders, and directives, I hereby declare the following order to be necessary for the protection of life and property and I hereby order, effective immediately, the following:
City departments shall continue to process building permits associated with the repair or reconstruction of single-family structures and duplexes damaged or destroyed as a result of the January 2025 Wildfires and suspend the collection of the fees associated with those permits while Council considers the adoption of an ordinance waiving the fees. Waiver of the payment of suspended fees is contingent upon adoption of a fee waiver ordinance.
Within seven days of signing this Emergency Executive Order, the City Administrative Officer (CAO), in consultation with the City Attorney and in coordination with all relevant development services departments and bureaus (including but not limited to Department of Building and Safety, Bureau of Engineering, Department of City Planning, Fire Department, Bureau of Street Services - Urban Forestry Division, Bureau of Sanitation, Department of Water and Power) shall complete the work directed by Councilwoman Park’s motion detailing the fees to be waived including retroactive fee waivers for projects permitted or currently in plan check where owners have already paid the applicable fee. The CAO shall include a financial report identifying any estimated impact to the General Fund of the fee waivers. I also hereby request the City Attorney, in consultation with the relevant offices and departments, to prepare and present a draft urgency ordinance to the City Council that would waive the specified fees consistent with the intent of this Emergency Executive Order.
All applicable planning and building reviews and approvals required by ordinance or by City departments, not otherwise paused or waived by separate executive action shall continue to be required.
All applicable inspections and related approvals by the Department of Building and Safety and other applicable City departments for the issuance of a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy and/or Certificate of Occupancy shall continue to be required.