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Rebuild after wildfire
A rebuild after wildfire is new construction under the WUI book in force when you pull the permit. It is not like-kind replacement of the house that burned. Building-code upgrade coverage is the insurance rider for that extra cost. Ready.gov says use fire-resistant materials when you build or repair. This page is process. It is not a rubble gallery and not a vendor scorecard.
You are looking at a foundation and a declarations page that says “replacement cost.” The foundation is a civil-engineering and debris problem. The declarations page may or may not pay today’s CWUIC or R327 detailing. Two documents.
This page is process, not a rubble gallery. Ready.gov and the adopted WUI book are the opened sources. Do not invent debris-program phase numbers. No Palisades “59 of 61.” No disaster-tourism photos.
Why it matters
People spend the dwelling limit rebuilding last decade’s vents and then discover the official wants a listed assembly. California’s 10 percent code-upgrade floor is additional coverage, not a bid. Oregon does not publish that same floor on the DFR pages already cited. Waiting for a federal debris program does not freeze the code book.
How it works
Cleanup and rebuild are sequential. Hazardous ash is a public-health problem. Rebuild is a permit. Ready.gov’s preparedness page still tells you to use fire-resistant materials when you build, renovate, or repair, and to keep a fire-resistant zone for at least 30 feet. That 30-foot line is federal guidance. Oregon and California lot rules differ. See Zone 0.
The permit is the adopted WUI book:
- Oregon: R327 only where the building department adopted it, for new dwellings.
- California: CWUIC on mapped lots.
A manufactured replacement is HUD, not R327. See manufactured homes in fire country.
The paths
| Step | Who | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Safety and access | Local authorities, then debris contractors | A rebuild permit |
| Debris | County / state program or private cleanup | Architecture |
| Insurance | Replacement cost vs code-upgrade vs extended replacement | A detailing catalog |
| Permit | Adopted WUI book | The house that burned |
| Build | Listings, assemblies, drawings | A vendor fire-survival percent |
1. Do not treat replacement cost as today’s code. Read building-code upgrade coverage. California 10103 is a 10 percent additional floor on open replacement-cost residential policies. Ask Oregon carriers what the form says.
2. Pull the permit as new construction. Spec the roof as an assembly, the vents as mesh or listed, the lot as Zone 0. The burned house’s product cut sheets are history.
3. If you still have a standing house, stop. Use retrofit the house you already have.
4. Manufactured replacement. HUD box, Oregon install, not R327. Confirm with the county.
What people mix up
- Rebuilding last year’s vents because the insurance check arrived.
- Treating California’s 10 percent as a complete WUI budget.
- Treating Ready.gov’s 30-foot zone as Oregon R327.
- Using a vendor fire-survival count as a code path.
- Photographing identifiable ruins for a blog.
How to check
- Open the declarations: dwelling limit, extended replacement, building code upgrade.
- Open the building department: which WUI book, which geography.
- Open the listings for the actual models on the drawings.
- If someone quotes a Palisades fraction, close the tab.
Limits
This page does not run debris removal and does not price a rebuild. FireApproved is not FEMA, not a county debris program, and not an insurer. Confirm the official and the adjuster.
Related records
Questions
Can I rebuild the house exactly as it was?
Not if the adopted code has changed. A rebuild is new construction. Oregon R327, where the local department has adopted it, applies to new dwellings. California mapped lots use CWUIC. Replacement-cost insurance without building-code upgrade coverage may not pay the delta. See building code upgrade coverage.
Is this the same as hardening the house I still have?
No. Retrofit the house you already have is for a standing dwelling. This page is after a total or substantial loss. The components overlap. The permit does not.
Who pays for today’s WUI detailing?
California Insurance Code 10103 requires open replacement-cost residential policies to include at least 10 percent of dwelling limits as additional building-code upgrade coverage. Oregon DFR pages opened for that guide do not publish the same floor. Read the declarations. This site does not price a rebuild.
Should I wait for a vendor “survival rate” from the last fire?
No. This page does not reprint vendor tallies. Use the adopted code, the listing, and the official’s letter.