Fire Rebuild Guides

    Owner's Representative for a Fire Rebuild in Altadena

    An owner's representative on an Altadena fire rebuild is a builder who works for you and not for your contractor. On an Eaton Fire lot that means four things every month. Before you commit, the license, bond and workers' compensation of your builder are read on the State record and his permit history is pulled under the company name. Every week, your Los Angeles County permit record is read, because Altadena is unincorporated county land and your permit sits with County Public Works, not the City. Once a week the site is walked and you receive a written report with photos. Before you pay, every invoice is measured against the work in place. The representative takes no fee from any builder, supplier or subcontractor, and you pay a flat monthly fee for the work done that month, nothing ahead of it. Build And Decor Construction does exactly this in Altadena and Pasadena. The first call is free.

    I am Sebastian Moreno Rivera, the owner of Build And Decor Construction, and I wrote this on October 23, 2026. The license, CSLB #1113888 (Class B General Building and C-33 Painting and Decorating), is held by the corporation, Build And Decor Construction, and I am its qualifying individual on the State record.

    Request a first call(949) 558-9738

    What the County record tells you each week

    Your permit carries three facts that decide whether the house is moving: the last inspection and its result, any open correction, and the expiration date. A failed inspection that nobody re-called, a correction that sits open, or an expiration a month away are the first signs of a rebuild drifting. I read them every week and tell you what each one means for your schedule.

    The County may grant an extension of 180 days on written request before a permit expires, and only the permittee can ask. If your builder is the permittee, that request is his to make and yours to insist on. After expiration the County wants a new application and new fees.

    Where an Altadena rebuild goes wrong

    Money runs ahead of the house. California bars a contractor from collecting more than the value of the work performed and the materials delivered, apart from a capped down payment, and the rule covers draws released by your lender or financier. An invoice for a stage you cannot see on the lot is the moment to stop.

    The permit lapses. A quiet month on site is a month closer to the expiration date. Nobody at the County calls you.

    Subcontractors go unpaid behind a paid builder. A sub or supplier who sent you a preliminary notice can place a lien on your house if the builder does not pay him, even after you paid the builder. Lien releases for every payment are what close that door.

    You are not there. Many Altadena owners live elsewhere while the house goes up. The site needs eyes that read framing and do not belong to the person being paid.

    What you receive

    A written report with photos every week: what was built, what passed, what comes next, and what needs your decision. An invoice check with photos before you release money. A reading of every change order before you approve it, with what it does to the schedule and the budget. A shared folder with the plans, approvals, inspection results, invoices, lien releases and warranties. At the end, the final inspections and the certificate of occupancy tracked, and the warranties and lien releases collected for what you paid.

    How it starts

    1. A free first call. Twenty minutes on the phone. You tell me where the house stands and what worries you, and I tell you what I would check first. Book a first call (opens in a new tab)

    2. The fee in writing. If we are a fit, you receive the agreement and the monthly fee in writing. Nothing starts before you approve it.

    3. The first month. I read your builder, your permit record and your agreement first. Then the weekly site visits and reports begin. I take a limited number of houses at a time. The full service is on the owner's representative page.

    Frequently Asked Questions