The City of Los Angeles is stepping up in a big way.

Following the devastation of the January 2025 wildfires, including the Palisades and Eaton Fires, Mayor Karen Bass has issued two most recent landmark executive actions to fast-track the rebuilding process. These measures—introducing a Self-Certification Pilot Program for plan checks and a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative—are set to cut red tape, reduce permitting delays, and get families back in their homes faster.

At Letter Four, we’re already prepared to help you take advantage of these opportunities. As an award winning design-build firm with both licensed architects and general contractors in-house, we’re ideally positioned to guide our clients through these evolving systems while maintaining full control over quality, safety, and code compliance.

Let’s break down what these changes mean—and how our team can support you every step of the way.

Executive Order No. 6: Self-Certification Pilot Program

For the first time, Los Angeles will allow licensed architects to self-certify residential construction plans that meet the California Residential Code. This means that instead of waiting weeks or sometimes months for plan check approval from the Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), eligible projects can move forward with permits issued on the basis of architect certification.

What This Means for Fire-Affected Homeowners:

  • Faster Permits: Get plans approved without waiting in a city backlog.
  • Streamlined Design-to-Build Process: Fewer bottlenecks, less back-and-forth.
  • Increased Accountability: Only qualified, licensed professionals can participate.

‍Understanding Self-Certification and What to Watch For

Self-certification isn’t a shortcut, it’s a responsibility. In cities like New York and Chicago, where self-certification programs have been in place for years, the system has successfully reduced permitting backlogs and allowed qualified professionals to move projects forward without unnecessary delays. However, these programs also highlight the importance of working with a reputable team. Self-certification allows a licensed architect to assume full responsibility for code compliance, bypassing the traditional plan check review by the city. This means that not all architects are qualified to self-certify, and unfortunately, in high-pressure rebuild markets, there are bound to be individuals who try to game the system, either by cutting corners or acting as "rubber stamp" architects with little involvement in the actual design or construction.

At Letter Four, our self-certification approach is deeply integrated into our design-build process, where our licensed architects and general contractors work in lockstep from day one. This ensures not only compliance, but clarity, quality, and true accountability. If you’re approached by someone offering to “just stamp your plans,” that’s a red flag. A stamped plan isn’t a self-certified one unless the architect is actively overseeing code compliance and construction. Make sure your team is both licensed and invested, because rebuilding your home deserves nothing less.

You can check the status of your architect’s license on the California Architect’s Board’s website.

Why Self-Certification Increases Architectural Costs and What That Means for Your Project

With the City of Los Angeles soon allowing architects to self-certify certain rebuilding plans, the permitting process is moving faster, which is great news for homeowners. However, it’s important to understand that this shift also changes who carries the responsibility for code compliance.

Normally, city staff review your plans to ensure they meet all building and zoning codes. With self-certification, that responsibility now rests fully on the architect. This means we’re not just designing your home, we’re also officially certifying that everything complies with local and state regulations, without a second review by the city.

Because of this added liability, additional time, and the risk involved, we need to:

  • Carry more robust professional insurance
  • Spend extra time on quality control and code checks
  • Be prepared to respond quickly if the city audits the project or requests changes during construction

Why Letter Four Is Ready:

We’ve always believed in doing things the right way, by the book, not skirting the rules. With licensed architects who meet the participation requirements and a full team of builders who can execute with precision, and our in-house interior designers to handle all of the finishing touches, our design-build approach means your project stays cohesive from concept to keys.

And yes, we’re fully qualified to self-certify the plans we create for you. Learn more about our fire rebuild services and why design-build is the best way to rebuild.

Eligibility and Oversight - Important Details to Know

While this is an exciting step forward, the program is designed with safety in mind. Here are a few key parameters:

  • Only licensed California architects may self-certify.
  • Projects must be for single-family homes, ADUs, or related structures on properties damaged in the January wildfires.
  • All field inspections and grading reviews still apply.
  • Structural and energy calculations must be completed and signed off by licensed engineers.
  • Projects in Geologically Sensitive Areas are not eligible.

At Letter Four, we’re fully compliant with all of these requirements and have the licensed engineering consultants to meet the city’s standards.

Executive Directive No. 10: Using AI to Support Plan Review

This second action brings Los Angeles into the future. The City is exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence tools to help review architectural plans for code compliance, streamline zoning checks, and catch potential issues early.

AI in Action (Soon):

  • Faster feedback loops during permitting
  • Real-time flagging of missing documentation or code violations
  • Fewer revisions and resubmissions, keeping projects on track

While AI won’t replace human plan reviewers, it can serve as a powerful tool to support them, and reduce the workload that often causes major delays.

Why It Matters:

Design-build firms like ours are used to working in integrated, collaborative systems. As the city shifts to using AI tools for plan review, our in-house team can ensure that our drawing sets are formatted, documented, and submitted to align with the new system, minimizing your risk of delay or rejection.

Are Other Cities Using AI to Review Plans?

Yes, a few cities and jurisdictions, both in the U.S. and internationally, have started piloting or implementing AI-assisted tools for plan check and code compliance review. While it's still an emerging practice, there are clear signs that AI will play a larger role in permitting and development processes in the near future.

Here’s a quick overview of where and how AI is currently being used for plan review:

Cities Currently Using or Piloting AI for Plan Check

1. West Sacramento, California

  • Program: “eReview” with AI augmentation.
  • Focus: Uses AI in partnership with e-PlanSoft and other digital review tools to identify missing documents and flag basic code violations.
  • Status: Early-stage but promising; helps reduce clerical errors and shorten resubmittal times.
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2. Singapore

  • Program: CORENET X (led by the Building and Construction Authority)
    Focus: Full digitization of building approvals using AI and BIM (Building Information Modeling) integration.
  • Capabilities: AI reviews for compliance with zoning, fire codes, and accessibility standards.
  • Status: Advanced and already showing dramatic reductions in approval timelines.

3. Dubai, UAE

  • Program: Smart Dubai and Dubai Municipality AI initiative
  • Focus: AI-assisted BIM model reviews and automatic permit generation.

  • Status: AI is used to validate code compliance and suggest improvements; plans to expand its scope are ongoing.
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4. San Francisco, CA (in planning)

  • Program: As part of a broader digital permitting overhaul.
  • Focus: The city is exploring AI-assisted tools to support planning and zoning consistency reviews.
  • Status: Not yet implemented, but feasibility assessments have been completed.

What to Watch For

  • Accuracy issues: AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on, false positives or missed violations are still possible.
  • Oversight still required: Final plan approvals still depend on a qualified human reviewer, and most cities require confirmation before issuing permits.
  • Data privacy and transparency: Cities must ensure that AI tools are auditable and don’t unintentionally encode bias or inaccuracies.
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Where Are We Now?

So far, 23 permits have been issued across 16 fire-damaged properties in the Palisades. That includes the very first permit issued just 57 days after the fire, a significant improvement over response times following disasters like the Camp or Woolsey fires.

With these executive orders in place, Mayor Bass aims to deliver the fastest wildfire recovery effort in modern California history.

How Letter Four Supports Fire Rebuilds From Day One

We’ve helped clients rebuild after fire disasters before, and we understand how overwhelming the process can feel. Our end-to-end design-build process means:

  • One point of contact from start to finish
  • Transparent cost and schedule control
  • A team that knows how to navigate city permitting, evolving policies, and now, self-certification

We’re also expanding our work with prefab and modular construction partners to offer faster, fire-resistant options for rebuilds, without sacrificing customization or architectural integrity.

Explore Rebuilding Your Home via High-End Custom Prefab and Modular Construction with Letter Four.

Planning Ahead: What You Can Do Today

If your home was damaged or destroyed in the January fires, here’s what you can do now:

  • Visit Letter Four’s Fire Rebuild page, if you haven’t already, to read more of our helpful articles and links directly to reliable resources
  • Gather your documentation such as old plans, property records, photos, insurance claim information, and your soils report and topographic survey if you have them.
  • Schedule a consultation with our design-build team to assess your property’s eligibility for self-certification.
  • Sign-on for an Action Plan so that we can provide you with Conceptual Design of your new home along with the all-in budget to build it.
  • Let us handle the coordination with engineers, LADBS, and any third-party reviewers.

We’ll also help you stay up to date with LADBS’ forthcoming Self-Certification Implementation Guidelines, expected by late May. Please check our site regularly as well as the bi-weekly emails we send out for updates.

A Note on County Jurisdiction

While these executive actions currently apply only to properties within the City of Los Angeles, we anticipate that LA County will likely follow suit in the near future. Historically, the County tends to trail behind the City on policy changes, but we’re monitoring this closely.

If your property is in unincorporated LA County or another jurisdiction, we’ll help you determine whether similar rebuilding streamlining programs are in the works, and how to prepare for them. The County does have One-Stop permitting centers with both appointments and walk-in times available for your questions.

Let’s Rebuild Right Together

These executive actions represent a turning point for how Los Angeles handles disaster recovery. At Letter Four, we’re ready to help you seize your opportunity to rebuild faster, smarter, and with more control than ever before.

Have questions about how this affects your project? Want to find out if you qualify for the self-certification program?

Book a consultation today or give us a call. We’re here to help because rebuilding your home should feel like a fresh start, not another disaster.

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