Updates include stacking incentives, guidance on Zone 0, insurance and more best practices around all-electric homes and sustainable materials
LOS ANGELES, CA (September 16, 2026) When the Los Angeles wildfires began in January 2025, the communities of Los Angeles experienced an enormous level of loss. The decision of how, and whether, to rebuild is complex and personal. For those at any stage of the process, USGBC California announces the first major update to the California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide since it was first released in April 2025.
On September 21, 2026, from 12:00-1:00pm, USGBC California will officially present the updated version in the “Wildfire Rebuilding Guide Version 2 Launch Webinar”, which will explore key updates and build on the practical rebuilding strategies, resources, and best practices originated in the first version, which has been downloaded by thousands of homeowners and professionals.
Supported in part by LADWP and Clean Power Alliance and originally created in collaboration with global sustainable development consulting firm Arup, the Guide’s goal is to help wildfire-affected communities rebuild with resilience, safety, and long-term climate considerations.
“Eighteen months into the rebuilding process, we’ve learned an enormous amount from wildfire survivors, community organizations, builders, utilities, insurers, and resilience experts working on the ground,” said Ben Stapleton, CEO of USGBC California. “This updated guide turns those lessons into practical choices homeowners can use today, from safer materials and all-electric homes to landscaping, insurance considerations, and ways to stack incentives to make resilient rebuilding more affordable. Rebuilding is incredibly personal, and there is no single right path. Our goal is to help families feel better equipped to make the choices that are right for them, while using what we learn through this recovery to build safer, healthier, and more resilient communities across California and beyond.”
The updated edition provides guidance on fire-resistant and sustainable materials, landscape stewardship, and all-electric homes that can provide healthier indoor environments and lower operating costs. Additions include information on stacking available incentives to make resilient and sustainable rebuilding choices more financially attainable. Select key takeaways from the update include:
- Step-by-step soil testing and remediation guidance
- Practical tips on building with natural building materials
- Updated Board of Forestry guidance on Zone 0
- Ways to save water with smart indoor and outdoor devices
- How to electrify your home cost-effectively
- How building back resiliently can make your home more insurable
- Maintaining your newly constructed home for wildfire resilience
“I lost my home in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, so I know the rebuilding process is not simply about replacing what was destroyed. It is about giving families and businesses the tools to build back safer, smarter, and more resiliently against the climate realities we face today,” said CA State Senator Henry Stern (D–Los Angeles). “This updated guide translates on-the-ground experience into actionable strategies, helping Californians protect their homes, stack incentives to lower costs, and fortify our communities for the future.”
“Recovery cannot simply mean rebuilding what stood before. We have to rebuild for the conditions we face now and the future we know is coming,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “This guide puts into practice the resilient, climate-conscious approach LA County has been calling for—giving families concrete ways to build safer homes, reduce future wildfire risk, and make investments that will serve them for decades. The choices we make in this recovery can become a model for how communities across Los Angeles County rebuild with greater resilience.”
The guide is intended to support (a) homeowners and their neighbors navigating the rebuilding process with resilience in mind for enhanced safety and reduced future risk, and (b) the designers and contractors committed to supporting these homeowners. It provides a comprehensive overview, outlining key concepts, major decisions, and instructions so that it is accessible and digestible for a general audience. It also provides a variety of decision-making categories, including placement, envelope design, outdoors, building systems, green innovation, and community.
“Recovering and rebuilding after a wildfire is an incredibly difficult and deeply personal journey, and LADWP is committed to standing with our customers and communities throughout that process,” said David W. Hanson, LADWP Interim General Manager. “Through our HOME LA program and partnerships with organizations like USGBC California, we are helping connect impacted customers with practical information, resources, and incentives to help them make informed decisions about rebuilding. The updated California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide is an important resource that can help families navigate those decisions and explore opportunities to rebuild homes and communities that are safer, more resilient, energy and water efficient, and better prepared for the future.”
The updated guide is developed in collaboration with USGBC-CA’s Wildfire Defense Advisory Group, and dozens of building, design, planning, and resilience professionals. It is also informed by countless hours USGBC California has spent since early 2025 in the field listening to wildfire survivors and working alongside other community-based organizations, government leaders, utilities, insurance representatives, and wildfire mitigation professionals.
“Out of loss comes an opportunity to rebuild with intention—using USGBC California’s Wildfire Rebuilding Guide to inform us on how to build back better, creating a climate-ready, fire-resilient home built to last for the next century,” said Jaime Rodriguez, Altagether Block Captain, Eaton Fire Collaborative LTRG Rebuild Committee Member and Former Leadership Council Member. “Thanks to critical all-electric incentives, we are able to build back a stronger, more resilient home centered on improved comfort, indoor health, and energy efficiency. Ultimately, it comes down to home sovereignty and energy independence that yields a low total cost of ownership. I like to think of the future home as delivering the performance of a BMW with the low operating cost of a Subaru.”
USGBC California provides broader wildfire recovery and resilience efforts, having been engaged in wildfire education and rebuilding guidance since 2017. With the guide as a primary tool, the organization’s California Wildfire Recovery & Rebuilding Hub also offers home hardening and wildfire defense toolkits, training programs, community workshops, resilient home tours, educational resources, and connections to qualified professionals.
In addition to wildfire, the guide adopts an integrated approach that considers resilience in the context of other hazards like earthquakes, droughts, floods, and extreme heat. The guide also takes a community-focused and holistic lens in ‘building back better’, exploring how we can enhance our infrastructure and strengthen our connectivity to each other and the environment.
Rebuilding offers a pivotal opportunity to set up a property and community for long-term safety and livability. Different cost levels are addressed throughout the guide, and notably, not all upgrades cost more than standard options. Where the enhancement does come at a cost, it’s important to consider how choices can pay off over time through benefits like more durable materials, lower operational costs, less risk of water damage, and healthier living environments.
As the rebuilding environment continues to evolve, USGBC California, Arup, and all the collaborating partners will continue to follow these developments and offer updated guidance.
For further information on the California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide and other USGBC California wildfire offerings, please contact Sarah Wolf at sarah@usgbc-ca.org. For additional USGBC California inquiries, please reach out to Julie Du Brow at julie@usgbc-ca.org.
Rebuilding Guide: Leaders’ Supporting Quotes (alpha by organization)
“AIA California supports tools like USGBC California’s Wildfire Rebuilding Guide that help disaster-impacted homeowners navigate the complex rebuilding process. By connecting accessible, trusted information with the education, experience, and problem-solving skills of architects, we can help homeowners make informed decisions and rebuild safer, more resilient communities.” – Nicki Dennis Stephens, Executive Vice President, AIA California
“The USGBC CA Rebuilding Guide has been an invaluable resource to help convey to community members their options for resilient rebuilding—demystifying often overwhelming topics and decisions. We are so grateful for the partnership that we have with USGBC California in the rebuilding effort, and this is a resource that will live on for years to come.” – Jessica Orlando, AIA, President, AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter
“Rebuilding a home after a wildfire requires making countless decisions at an extraordinarily difficult time. This work with USGBC-CA is designed to meet people where they are with practical, accessible guidance that can support safer, healthier, and more resilient homes and communities and we look forward to supporting its ongoing evolution.” – Heather Rosenberg, Associate Principal at Arup
“Throughout my 40 years of wildfire protection and mitigation experience, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of practical, accessible resources for families recovering from wildfires. This updated guide empowers homeowners to make informed choices that rebuild homes with resilience, sustainability, and long-term safety. By integrating lessons from survivors, builders, fire professionals, and community partners, we turn collective experience into actionable steps that protect families and strengthen communities.” – J. Lopez, Executive Director, California Wildfire Mitigation Program Authority
“Fires now take place with growing regularity in the places where our homes and communities intersect with nature in areas we in Southern California call Wildland Urban Interfaces. These interfaces pose great challenges for how we protect people, homes and businesses. They also offer enormous opportunities for rebuilding strategies that incorporate experience and best practices. The USGBC CA Wildfire Rebuilding Guide, including this update, is a practical, informed and highly useful resource. Homeowners, architects, contractors and others involved with the rebuilding process will benefit from its deep base of knowledge!” – Drew McTigue Pedrick, Founder+CVO, McTigue Architects
“Rebuilding gives us an opportunity to think about resilience holistically, from the health and safety of our homes and our families to the health of the land and watershed around us. Rebuilding all electric reduces ignition sources and the risk of gas leaks in our community, while eliminating indoor combustion that contributes to air pollution and increases risk of respiratory illnesses. Restoring fire-impacted soils, protecting our watershed, rebuilding our native habitat, and preserving biodiversity all help create a neighborhood where both people and nature can thrive.” – Sara G. Marti, Board Member, Resilient Palisades
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About USGBC California
USGBC California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and member-based organization working to make California’s built environment more sustainable, resilient, and equitable. An independent chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, it brings together green building communities across the state, from the Redwood Empire to San Diego. The organization helps leaders act on climate change, public health, and environmental justice. It builds a diverse talent pipeline through training, mentorship, and direct-to-community programs. It connects people across disciplines to drive systemic change, and it advocates for policy that meets the most urgent environmental and social challenges of our time. (www.usgbc-ca.org)
