Expert House Plans
Our team of Rebuild Experts, including licensed architects, engineers, and contractors will guide you through every step—from start to finish.
Contact Us for Your Free Consultation
Helping You Rebuild What Matters Most
Losing a home to a natural disaster—especially a wildfire—is devastating. At Expert House Plans, we’re here to guide you through the rebuilding process with care and clarity. Since 2003, we’ve developed house plans for areas affected by major California wildfires, including the 2003 Old Fire, 2007 Slide Fire, 2007 Grass Valley Fire, and 2018 Camp Fire.
Our licensed general contractor has spent 22 years helping hundreds of survivors get fair, honest rebuild estimates—playing a key role in recovering full insurance benefits. Our architect and engineer design homes that align with your vision and stay within a realistic, construction-ready budget that matches exactly what the insurance company agrees to give you to rebuild.
Beyond our design team, our dedicated insurance specialist will guide you through your policy, helping you understand what your coverage allows—so you can move forward with confidence, clarity, and a plan that truly fits.
Paradise Camp Fire 2018
“Drawing plans for my home is a small part of what needed to be done. I came to them without a budget because my insurance company wouldn’t commit. I was shown what to do and how to handle the insurance piece so I could recoup what was owed me and rebuild almost exactly what I lost.” - FD
Stories of Rebuilding and Hope
San Bernardino Old Fire 2003
“…they finished our plan on time and on budget. They did everything they said they would do.” - LM
Lake Arrowhead Grass Fire 2007
“…I came in to the office not knowing how much I would have to spend because my insurance company wouldn’t give me my policy limits. With the help of the licensed general contractor in their company, the insurance company ended up giving me the full amount and I was able to rebuild a beautiful home.” - CP
San Bernardino Country Slide Fire 2007
“Much more than an architectural firm. They made sure I had enough money to build by helping me fight the insurance company to get paid. They never gave up and finally we got the money, set the budget and got plans approved. Nobody else had the experience to do that for me.” - KD
Step by Step, We Help You Move Forward: Here’s How
STEP 1:
Pre-Design Process
Begin by filling out our short form—this is the first step in a collaborative process. We’ll give you a call to learn more about your goals, property, and insurance situation so we can understand how to best support you.
STEP 2:
Insurance Review
During our first meeting, we’ll go over your insurance details, talk about your vision, and explore your budget. We’ll help you start shaping a home you’ll feel proud of—all at no cost or obligation.
STEP 3:
Budget-Friendly Design
After we know what the insurance company will pay to replace your home, we can now start the design process for a home that fits your budget. Too many people have to design twice because they don’t know what the insurance will cover in the first place.
With all these experts involved in your plans, will you pay more? Not at all! For 40 years, we have been known as more reasonable than most.
Our Proficiency Spans Four Licensed Disciplines
Andy Casa, a licensed architect since 2013 (License # 34484), designs homes that are functional, beautiful, and tailored to your needs—while meeting all post-fire codes and community requirements.
Architectural
Structural
Bryant Bergeson, a licensed engineer since 1990 (License #48805), ensures your home is safe, structurally sound, and built to withstand fire-related and seismic stresses.
Civil Engineering
We handle critical site planning—grading, drainage, utilities, and access—especially important when rebuilding on fire-damaged land.
Licensed General Contractor
Kory A., a licensed general contractor since 1986 (License #1129079), has provided honest, accurate cost estimates to hundreds of survivors. Kory plays a vital role in helping clients stay within insurance budgets. Additionally he has built hundreds of fire resistant homes. He was a key contributor to the new fire codes set by the State Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) advisory board.
Get to Know Us
Building a More Fire-Safe Home
We design homes with the highest level of fire protection within your budget, going beyond legal and code requirements to maximize fire resistance.
There are 2 major fire-resistant designations:
- WUI – California’s Wildland-Urban Interface fire code.
- Wildfire Prepared Home – A designation from wildfire safety experts.
We exceed both standards. We’ve designed many homes in Paradise with completely fireproof walls. For around $10,000 in additional construction costs, your builder can incorporate the ultra-safe, fire-resistant features we include in our design.
Interested in the best fire protection for your home?
Our team served on the committee that established today’s state fire laws. For 40 years, we've been designing homes to exceed those standards.
FAQs
The LA County Building Department has said they are going to make it easier to get plans through the plan check process. That’s good news. We are hoping this reduces permit time to 2-3 months from the time plans are submitted.
Yes, BUT…Los Angeles County adheres to the California Building Standards Code with many, many added local amendments and requirements. Multiple county departments jump in to add their requirements. Frustration levels are high enough for fire survivors without having to educate themselves on the 1700+ codes, regulations and compliance factors.
Our first answer to this is that we will make sure the insurance company pays for your plans. Two things determine how much you will spend for plans. The main determining factor is the size of the house and the second is the complexity of the house, including the roof, interior features, etc. Before we take a deposit you will know all exact costs.
Not quite. There are other things that have to happen, such as a site map, as well as various other required permits and reviews. We handle all this for you. LA County is one of the toughest in the US for getting plans approved and we are up for the task!
Yes. However, there are many requirements the county has which makes it frustrating for an average citizen to submit. We have our own department just to meet all the requirements that aren’t related to the actual plans.
We have a method that is both fun and interesting to help you find the right inside design and determine how the outside will look.
Permits are good for one year with two 180-day extensions for a total of two years.
If you are rebuilding the exact same square footage or up to 10% more, then you can build your new home in the exact same place as it was. If you build larger than 110% then you are subject to new setbacks, to be determined by the LA Planning Department. Additionally, you can add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if you want. We can discuss attaching an ADU to your existing house (called a Jr. ADU) at much less cost.
We have been designing homes and getting permits for 40 years in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Sutter, Orange, and San Diego counties.
We have helped hundreds of wildfire survivors. We have seen and come to understand how difficult and overwhelming it is. Many times what makes it overwhelming is not having all the information. Feel free to talk to us anytime. We know that the more information you have the less stress you will feel. Please know that we will take care of you without hesitation.
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