---

October Permit Report

Permit data for October has been released, and Pali Builds has completed its review and analysis. Unfortunately, the numbers show a noticeable slowdown — both in the total permits issued and the time it takes for approvals.

Overall Trends

In October, 59 rebuild permits were issued, with an average processing time of 82 days from submittal to issuance. This marks a continued decline after earlier months peaked at around 79 permits per month in September, and now down to 59 in October. That’s a 25% drop in permits issued. In terms of the amount of days it takes to process, it has come down from the high of 89 days last month, but it is still higher than the average of 64 days that we have been tracking since March. 

Eligible vs. Ineligible Rebuilds

Pali Builds has begun tracking ineligible rebuilds — those exceeding 110% of the previous home’s footprint.
Of the 59 permits issued in October, only 4 were for ineligible homes, so about 6%..
This information is significant, as it impacts the City’s assumptions regarding permit fee revenue, a key factor in the ongoing discussion about permit fee waivers for fire-affected homeowners.
Pali Builds, along with other community partners, continues to advocate for a citywide permit fee waiver, which we expect to appear on the Los Angeles City Council agenda later this month.

Issued “New Building” Permits Since Fire

Advocacy and City Response

To say we’re disappointed by the slowdown would be an understatement. Pali Builds and the Palisades Builders Coalition have pushed hard for measures to make this process more efficient.
While progress has been slower than hoped, the City has introduced several executive orders aimed at expediting rebuilds. In addition, Building & Safety has assigned a dedicated concierge to the Palisades to help address delays and resolve bottlenecks.

Building Permits Issued by Neighborhood (October)

• Alphabets – 18
  
• Castellammare – 2
  
• El Medio Bluffs – 4
  
• Highlands – 1
  
• Huntington – 4
  
• Las Casas – 1
  
• Lower Las Casas – 1
  
• Marquez Knolls – 14
  
• Rivas Canyon – 2
  
• Rustic – 1
  
• Upper El Medio – 1
  
• Via Bluffs – 10
  

New Applications Submitted (October)

Despite the slowdown in approvals, there’s encouraging news on the horizon.
A total of 127 new rebuild applications were submitted in October — a strong indicator of continued momentum. Of these, 20 were ineligible rebuilds (over 110%).

Breakdown of New Applications:

• Alphabets – 49
  
• Castellammare – 1
  
• El Medio Bluffs – 11
  
• Highlands – 6
  
• Huntington – 10
  
• Lower Bienveneda – 3
  
• Upper Bienveneda – 4
  
• Upper Las Casas – 2
  
• Marquez Knolls – 20
  
• Paseo Miramar – 1
  
• Via Bluffs – 20
  

October Permit Applications