The Power of Incremental Rebuilding: A Lifeline for Altadena Fire Victims

In the wake of January's devastating Eaton Fire that swept through Altadena, homeowners face the daunting challenge of rebuilding their lives and homes. Among the various recovery options available, one approach stands out as particularly beneficial for affected residents: incremental rebuilding.

What is Incremental Rebuilding?

Incremental rebuilding allows homeowners to reconstruct their properties in stages rather than attempting to complete the entire project at once. This phased approach offers flexibility that can be crucial during disaster recovery, when financial resources, emotional capacity, and decision-making abilities may be strained.

Key Advantages for Homeowners

1. Financial Breathing Room

Perhaps the most significant advantage of incremental rebuilding is financial flexibility. After a disaster, homeowners often face challenging financial circumstances:

  • Insurance payouts may be delayed or insufficient

  • Savings may have been depleted by immediate post-disaster expenses

  • The cost of rebuilding might exceed available resources

By breaking the rebuilding process into manageable phases, homeowners can spread costs over time, making the financial burden more manageable. This approach allows families to rebuild at a pace that aligns with their financial recovery.

2. ADU-First Strategy

Recent state executive orders have created a tremendous opportunity for Altadena fire victims by allowing the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) prior to rebuilding the main residence. This "ADU-first" approach offers multiple benefits:

  • Quicker return to your property: A smaller ADU can be completed more quickly than a full home rebuild

  • Rental income potential: An ADU could potentially generate income to help fund the main house construction

  • Testing ground: The ADU building process can help homeowners learn about permits, contractors, and materials before tackling the larger main home project

3. Temporary Housing Solutions

The executive orders also permit the use of recreational vehicles (RVs), mobile homes, and modular structures as temporary housing during rebuilding. This provision enables homeowners to:

  • Live on their property while planning and executing their rebuild

  • Avoid expensive rental housing costs elsewhere

  • Maintain connection to their neighborhood and community

  • Oversee construction directly

4. Greater Control and Adaptability

Incremental rebuilding gives homeowners more control over the entire process:

  • Evolving needs: As family needs change during the rebuild period, plans can be adjusted accordingly

  • Design improvements: Lessons learned in early phases can inform later construction decisions

  • Market timing: Homeowners can time construction phases to coincide with better material prices or contractor availability

  • Energy focus: Each phase can receive full attention rather than spreading resources too thin

5. Decision Fatigue Reduction

After a traumatic event like losing a home to fire, decision-making capacity is often compromised. An incremental approach reduces the overwhelming number of decisions required immediately:

  • Focus on critical decisions first (temporary housing, basic services)

  • Delay less urgent decisions until emotional recovery progresses

  • Allow time for proper research and consideration of options

Real-World Application: A Three-Phase Example

Here's how an incremental approach might work for an Altadena fire victim:

Phase 1 (Months 1-6):

  • Clear debris and prepare site

  • Place temporary housing (RV or manufactured home) on property

  • Restore basic utilities

  • Begin planning for permanent structures

Phase 2 (Months 6-12):

  • Construct an ADU (600-800 sq ft)

  • Move from temporary housing into the ADU

  • Remove temporary housing

  • Finalize plans for main residence

Phase 3 (Years 1-3):

  • Build main residence in stages (foundation, framing, finishing)

  • Potentially incorporate lessons learned from ADU construction

  • Complete landscaping and outdoor spaces

  • Consider future needs (aging in place, additional family members)

Navigating the Regulatory Environment

While incremental rebuilding offers tremendous advantages, homeowners should be aware of the regulatory framework:

  • The Altadena One-Stop Center (464 W. Woodbury Road) provides crucial guidance on permitting for phased approaches

  • "Like-for-Like" expedited permitting still applies when rebuilding similar structures

  • Local zoning through the Altadena Community Standards District (CSD) and West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan (WSGVAP) will impact what can be built

  • Building an ADU first requires specific permitting, but recent executive orders have streamlined this process

Community Benefits of Incremental Rebuilding

Beyond individual advantages, incremental rebuilding strengthens the entire community:

  • Maintained social fabric: Residents can return to their neighborhoods more quickly

  • Economic activity: Phased construction provides steady work for local contractors rather than overwhelming them with simultaneous projects

  • Organic growth: The community rebuilds in a more natural, adaptive way rather than through sudden transformation

Conclusion: Resilience Through Incrementalism

The path to recovery after the Eaton Fire will be long and challenging for Altadena residents. An incremental approach to rebuilding offers not just practical advantages but also embraces the reality that recovery itself is incremental.

By building in phases, homeowners can create immediate solutions while working toward long-term goals. This approach acknowledges that healing—both for individuals and communities—doesn't happen all at once. It honors the process of recovery as much as the end result.

For those facing the daunting prospect of rebuilding, remember that you don't have to do everything at once. Sometimes the most resilient approach is to take one steady step at a time.

For more information on rebuilding resources in Altadena, visit the Altadena One-Stop Center at 464 W. Woodbury Road or the LA County Recovers website at https://recovery.lacounty.gov.