For thousands of wildfire survivors trying to rebuild their homes and businesses, awaiting permits has been a slow burn. Los Angeles County’s updated permit tracker could soothe concerns.
Updated two months ago, the Permitting Progress Dashboard highlights more than 12,000 building projects across seven phases of rebuilding that stretch back to January 2025, when the Palisades and Eaton wildfires tore through more than 16,000 structures and killed 31 people. The update follows other county developments like AI-assisted permit approvals and a self-certification permit program in a process that has been a point of tension between wildfire survivors and local governments.
Also see: LA County launches AI software to assist with rate of rebuild permit approvals
“The permitting dashboard was developed to provide the public with real-time information about the County’s rebuilding efforts,” L.A. County Public Works wrote in a statement. “As projects progressed through various phases of development and more data became available, including permits issued and projects under construction, the dashboard was expanded to incorporate that information.”
L.A. County has updated its Permitting Progress Dashboard’s to clear up permitting status.
Refreshed every three hours, the data spans pie charts and graphs with color-coded legends detailing a variety of permitting and rebuilding phases.
As of Thursday, Feb. 19, 52% of projects with ongoing construction are under inspection, and the same number of applications under review have been returned with comments for Eaton property owners. In Pacific Palisades, 64% of projects with ongoing construction are under inspection and 67% of applications under review have been returned with comments.
Also see: LA City Council OKs permit fee waivers for Palisades fire rebuilding
Residents can zoom into their properties on a map on the website’s landing page and track the status of their construction permit. As of Thursday, almost 800 homes were under construction and 13 have been completed across both fire zones.
Among details users can glean from the permit dashboard are the considerable number of accessory dwelling units that are in construction across the properties. Almost 400 ADU applications are under review and over 100 more are on the way. Those spikes are in keeping with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order last year to expedite their construction as a temporary housing solution for wildfire survivors.
Originally launched in January 2025, the county’s initial dashboard displayed similar permitting data in a format less accessible to the average resident tasked with rebuilding a home for the first time.
Among city leaders advocating for a smoother permitting process is Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes parts of Altadena that burned in the Eaton fire. Her spokesperson Helen Chavez Garcia said the upgrades to the dashboard are in keeping with Barger’s commitment to accountability and transparency following fire recovery.
Garcia added that the upgrades made to the website can help whoever is viewing the data understand the many touchpoints in the permitting process that don’t always work hand in hand.
“It’s very tempting to think of permitting as a very linear process, but truly it’s not linear, there’s a lot of back and forth,” Garcia said.