Do I Need Title 24 for a Fire Rebuild?
Yes. A rebuilt house is held to the Energy Code in force at its permit application date, which the building department sets; the 2025 code covers dates from 1 January 2026. Homes lost in the January 2025 Los Angeles-area fires have official relief: the Energy Commission says they may continue on the 2022 code, without PV or batteries.
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Which of three situations is yours
- Total loss, rebuilt from the foundation. The compliance manual says a building destroyed or damaged by a natural disaster meets the Energy Code in effect when the permit is applied for, for the portions being rebuilt. A whole new house is new construction, under Sections 150.0 and 150.1.
- Partial damage. Only the rebuilt portions are covered. Replacing a regulated component, such as the roof covering or ducts, is an alteration and not a repair under Section 100.1, so Section 150.2(b) applies to it.
- Emergency or temporary housing. Exception 2 to Section 100.0(a) lets the department not require compliance for temporary buildings or structures erected in response to a natural disaster, which must be removed when the permit's time limit ends.
The January 2025 fires
The Energy Commission describes Executive Order N-29-25 this way: rebuilds after the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, Sunset, Woodley and Hughes fires may continue to meet the 2022 Energy Code after 1 January 2026, the PV and battery requirements are suspended, and the PV suspension covers an ADU planned with the rebuild. Solar-ready requirements remain as applicable, and the Commission says they apply to a rebuilt home inside a subdivision of 10 or more single-family homes whose map dates from 1 July 2014 or later. A separate order, N-20-25, lets a home built to the 2019 codes be permitted using its original design without added plan review, at the local agency's discretion.
Decide the edition before the model
A report is modelled to one edition, so tell your consultant which the department has accepted. A home lost in another fire is not named in that description, so ask the department which edition it applies. Product choices in a fire hazard zone fall under the Wildland-Urban Interface Code, and the wildfire rebuild guide works through the details, with Pasadena for Eaton Fire homes.
See also wildfire-zone windows, solar-ready requirements and new home Title 24. Our residential reports cover rebuilds.
Common Title 24 Questions
- What is Title 24?
- Do I need a Title 24 report?
- How much does a Title 24 report cost?
- How long does a Title 24 report take?
- What is included in a Title 24 report?
- What plans do I need to upload?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The Energy Commission describes it for projects substantially damaged or destroyed in the January 2025 Los Angeles and Ventura County wildfire emergency. Other fires follow the general rule.
The Commission says Executive Order N-20-25 lets a home built to the 2019 codes and destroyed in that emergency be permitted from its original design, at the local enforcement agency's discretion.
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