Two Altadena Fire Rebuilds Just Poured Their Foundations
East Las Flores Drive and East Palm Street, two Altadena fire rebuilds, went from drawings to concrete. What each drainage design means for the lot.
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Altadena
Posts on Altadena civil engineering work, mostly Eaton Fire rebuilds after January 2025. We cover drainage plans, hydrology reports, sump-pump avoidance, and grading in LA County.
Our Altadena Fire Rebuild: Glenrose Site Clearing
Cleared our Glenrose Avenue Altadena fire rebuild lot: driveway concrete, fire sprinklers, sewer lateral out, soils report done, rough graded 1% to street.
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Our Own Altadena Fire Rebuild: Glenrose Avenue Drainage
Our own Altadena fire rebuild on Glenrose Avenue: reversing a rear-sloping lot with area drains and a 12 inch parkway drain, no pump.
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W Mendocino Ave Drainage: Altadena Fire Rebuild
W Mendocino Ave fire rebuild in Altadena: two-story house with cellar and garage ADU, tied into the existing driveway apron and routed to a rain garden.
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Altadena's Coming Grading Plan Backlog
Lots in Altadena are getting fully graded with no grading plans on file. When the county catches up, here's what it's going to take to fix.
Read MoreWildfire Tax Relief Extended for LA Fire Rebuilds
Senate passed the Padilla wildfire tax relief bill August 7, 2026. Insurance settlements on the 2025 LA fires stay out of federal taxable income through 2026.
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W Marigold St Drainage: 11ft Slope, ADU, Rain Gardens
Drainage plan and hydrology report for an Altadena rebuild on an 11-foot sloping lot: flowlines around the house and ADU, lined rain gardens both sides.
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ADU Timing: Ask Before Altadena Plans Are Approved
LA County often requires sump pumps on Altadena rebuilds. Planning an ADU later? Extra engineering now can save $15,000 to $20,000 in pump costs.
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Skipping the Sump Pump and LID Covenant in Altadena
We recently got a drainage plan approved in Altadena without requiring a sump pump or a LID maintenance covenant. Here is the engineering behind why it worked.
Read MoreDoes Your Altadena Rebuild Need a Grading Plan?
LA County requirements keep changing after the Eaton Fire. Most Altadena rebuilds only need a drainage plan, not full grading. What can trigger more.
Read MoreDraining a Sideways Lot Addition Without a Sump Pump
An Altadena addition on a sideways lot sat lower than the existing garage at the rear. Here's how we drained it without a sump pump.
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Olive Ave Drainage Plan: Sideways Lot, 7% Slope
Drainage plan for a 0.17-acre Altadena sideways lot sloping 7% east to west. Sheet flow design splitting flowline to the sideyard and driveway.
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Canon Boulevard Grading Plan: Steep Altadena Hillside
A steep Altadena fire rebuild grading plan near the San Gabriels. We took over from another engineer to design cost-effective grading and drainage.
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Second Wapello Street Drainage Plan in Altadena
Our second Wapello Street drainage plan: an excavated house pad, downslope site, and an existing pool to work around.
Read MoreAltadena Fire Rebuild Costs: What to Expect
A look at current construction costs for Altadena fire rebuilds, what goes into the pricing, and where engineering fits into the total budget.
Read MoreAvoiding a Sump Pump on Your Altadena Fire Rebuild
Many Altadena fire rebuilds get told they need a sump pump. We show the site drains like it did pre-fire and skip the pump entirely.
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Driving Through Altadena After the Fire
A first-hand drive through the Altadena fire aftermath, and a look at a hillside rebuild we're engineering: drainage plans and a hydrology report.
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W Mariposa Drainage Plan: Existing to Final Design
Drainage plan for an Altadena fire rebuild: existing survey data, neighbor elevations, and flowlines set to gravity drain to the street.
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Altadena Fire Rebuild Drainage Plans
Altadena fire rebuild drainage plan on a lot with a 10ft drop and existing pool: raised house, regraded driveway, and rain gardens matching pre-fire Q.
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Sump Pump Design in Altadena - LA County Standards
When does an Altadena property need a sump pump? We follow LA County standards for design and try to avoid pumps whenever gravity drainage can work instead.
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Altadena Fire Rebuild Sheet Flow
Taking over from another engineer to cut construction costs: this Altadena fire rebuild lot sheet flows the entire property to the street.
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Changing Drainage Pattern to Remove Sump Pump in Altadena
Another Altadena drainage plan engineered to skip the sump pump: stormwater that used to drain from the curb to the rear is re-routed to the street.
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Altadena Fire Rebuild Manufactured Homes
An Altadena drainage plan for a lot with manufactured homes - two ADU-like structures on a sloping lot, engineered to cut construction costs.
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Widening Driveway Apron for an Altadena Fire Rebuild
Widening an Altadena driveway apron sounds simple, but older streets have concrete slabs bridging the flowline. Here's how we detail around them.
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Altadena Fire Rebuild Drainage Plans Continue to Go Out
Still working with LA County on Altadena drainage approvals. Plan check asked to move plastic lined rain gardens 5 feet off property lines.
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Altadena Drainage Plans Being Approved
We're getting our latest batch of Altadena drainage plans approved by LA County by keeping the existing drainage pattern, avoiding sump pumps.
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Altadena Multi-Unit Fire Rebuild Drainage Plans
Our first Altadena sideways lot: west entrance, north-to-south slope, and a goal of draining stormwater to the street by gravity alone.
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Altadena Fire Rebuild Drainage Plans - Insurance Question
During plan check, an insurer asked what code LA County uses to require drainage plans on some Altadena lots and not others. Here's the answer.
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Drainage Plans in Altadena Fire Rebuild
A corner-lot Altadena fire rebuild keeping the house in a similar location, adjusting contours to hold 5% slope 10 feet from the structure.
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Altadena Grading Plan to Remove Pool
Our first pool removal in Altadena: a large lot where LA County requires a full grading plan to demolish the pool and restore the yard.
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Altadena Drainage Plans with Lined Rain Garden
An Altadena fire rebuild drainage plan on a longer lot with a gentler front yard slope, leaving room to regrade contours without pumps.
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Drainage Design Models in Altadena
LA County wants earthwork numbers between existing and proposed grade. 3D contour orbit views are a fast way to check the model reads right.
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Altadena Drainage Plans
Lots on the north side of the block or sideways lots in Altadena likely need drainage plans. Some south lots too. Here's how to tell.
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First Altadena Like for Like into Plancheck
Our first like-for-like Altadena rebuild went through plan check smoothly, with the proposed house in nearly the same footprint as the original.
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Grading & Drainage Solutions for Altadena's Terrain
Altadena's flatter terrain brings different grading and drainage challenges than LA's steep hillside lots. Here's what works on these lots.
Read MoreAltadena and SB9
Was doing some networking this week and getting to chit chat with Architects and developers about the fires has been most interesting.
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Rebuilding Altadena
The first Altadena lot since the Eaton Fire sold on Calaveras Street for $100k over asking. What that means for rebuild timing and engineering.
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