Where We Rebuild and Harden, from Pasadena Out

Every job starts with a walk around the outside of the house, or the lot if the house is gone. We look at it the way an ember would: attic and crawlspace vents, open eaves, gutters, window glass, the joint where siding meets the foundation, and anything wood within reach of the walls. Inside, we check for smoke and heat damage where a fire came close.

The written scope is sorted by assembly, not by trade. Each line names the part, the material and the reason it is there, so a vent entry says what it resists and a wall entry lists the layers from framing to finish. Code items and optional upgrades sit in separate lists, so you can choose what goes beyond the minimum.

In a mapped fire hazard area the exterior has to meet the wildfire code, and we file with the building department for that address. Outside those areas we build the same way when you ask, and the scope marks which items are required and which are your choice.

Before the visit, gather what you already hold on the house. Old permits, plans, a survey, photos from before a fire and any letter from the building department all help, because they show what was built and what was approved. If the insurer has written an estimate, have it ready as well. On the day we need a clear path to the attic hatch, the crawlspace opening, the side yards and the roof edge, so move whatever is stacked against those spots. We photograph each vent, eave and window we note, and the photos travel with the scope. Back at the desk, the work is sorted in the order an ember moves into a house: roof edge and gutters, then vents and eaves, then glazing, then the walls and the base of each wall, then decks and fences. The crew follows that same order on site.