New AI Tool Will Fast-Track Rebuilding For Eaton Fire Victims

Los Angeles County has launched an innovative AI-powered tool to help victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires navigate the complex rebuilding process. The software, called AAR, allows residents to upload building plans and receive instant feedback on code compliance before they finalize their official submission of plans, potentially reducing review times from weeks to days or even hours.

“AAR is a software tool that allows residents to upload copies of their proposed site and building plans using AI,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger during Monday’s  Altadena Community Meeting. “The software checks whether the plans meet code and tells the user if changes are needed to come into code compliance.”

The tool was developed through a collaboration between the state of California, philanthropic organizations, Los Angeles County, and the City of Los Angeles. It represents part of a broader effort to streamline rebuilding after the devastating fires that destroyed thousands of homes in the region.

“This program will be made available free of charge to the County and city of LA for rebuilds for the Palisades and the Eaton fires,” Barger explained. “The goal is to ensure that plans submitted to the County and the city do not need multiple plan checks and can move quickly through the permitting process.”

The technology works as a customer-facing web application that evaluates whether designs comply with local building and zoning codes.

By flagging potential issues early, it helps cut down on common errors that often cause delays and repeated revisions between applicants and County reviewers.

Ciara Barnett from Los Angeles County Public Works noted that “a process that might normally take weeks will hopefully be reduced to hours in a few days, accelerating the time it takes to move from planning to approval and make the rebuilding process smoother and more predictable.”

The AAR software and a new self-certification program will officially go into effect on Monday, May 19th.

Under the self-certification program, licensed architects and engineers can verify that Eaton Fire residential rebuilds meet building code requirements without undergoing a full County review.

“Ultimately, self-certification and the AI tools will reduce the cost of County staff to review plans and permits. That’s why my motion from last Tuesday asked the Chief Executive Officer to require that County departments come back to the Board with a revised cost estimate for permit fees for Eaton Fire rebuilds. Given the use of these innovative tools, I expect that we will receive a significantly reduced number as it relates to the cost to pull a permit,” said Barger.

The County has already made significant progress with rebuilding applications.

“For the Eaton fire alone, we’ve received 426 applications to Los Angeles County. 102 have provided full building plans and moved into the plan review process. Just last week we received 35 new applications and seven permits have been issued to date,” Barnett reported.

Los Angeles County has streamlined the review process, committing to review rebuild projects within 10 business days for initial reviews and five business days for any additional reviews. Applications are now internally routed between all County departments for concurrent reviews, removing the burden from applicants to follow up individually with each department.

In another effort to speed rebuilding, the County has launched a pre-approved plans program.

“Designers can now submit home plans for pre-approval from planning and from Public Works Building and Safety,” explained Barnett. “These plans will have already been reviewed for compliance with Los Angeles County’s zoning and building codes, significantly shortening the permitting timeline if selected.”

The County’s Chief Executive Officer will be identifying funding to offset, reduce, or possibly even waive the entire permit fee amount for Eaton Fire rebuilds. This initiative comes as welcome news to residents facing the financial burden of rebuilding their homes.

On April 30th, the County also released a Resilient Rebuild Guide, a comprehensive online resource to support homeowners in rebuilding safer, stronger, and more sustainably. The guide includes information about building techniques and lists state and federal rebates, local incentives, and financing programs that can help offset rebuilding costs.

According to Barnett, the state of California hopes to expand this program as a model for improving disaster recovery processes statewide. It represents just one of several tools Los Angeles County is implementing to simplify the rebuilding process for fire-affected communities.