Los Angeles rebuild will be aided by waiving of two building permits

Los Angelenos face a daunting task to rebuild communities that were devastated by the area’s wildfires, but the effort will be bolstered by suspension of some permitting requirements.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that waives the requirement for permits to comply with the state Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act for property owners that want to rebuild. The action is expected to shave as many as six months from most project timelines.

Property owners that want to make substantial changes to their original building’s design could be faced with a longer process, though. Newsom also has required state agencies to provide a report “identifying other state permitting requirements that may unduly impede efforts to rebuild properties or facilities destroyed as a result of this emergency.”

A big unknown for the rebuilding process is how quickly insurance companies, faced with an avalanche of claims, will be able to process those claims.