Code Compliance · 5 min read
Altadena fire-hardening code: what's new after the Eaton fire
Published May 3, 2026
After the Eaton fire, LA County tightened its Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code for unincorporated Altadena rebuilds. The new requirements are stricter than what your pre-fire home likely had — but the code-upgrade rider on your insurance policy usually covers the difference.
Here’s the practical list of what an Altadena rebuild now has to include.
Required upgrades
Class A roof assembly. No exceptions for unincorporated Altadena rebuilds in the WUI overlay. Most metal, tile, and modern asphalt-shingle assemblies qualify.
Ember-resistant 5-foot perimeter (Zone 0). No combustible materials within five feet of the structure. That means no wood mulch, no wood fencing connecting to the house, no wooden trellises against the wall. Decking transitions to non-combustible substrate.
Hardened vents. All attic and crawlspace vents must be ember-resistant — typically 1/16" mesh + intumescent baffles. Old 1/4" screen doesn’t qualify.
Fire-rated glazing. Dual-pane tempered glass minimum, with at least one tempered pane facing outward. Operable windows in walls less than 10 feet from a property line need higher-rated assemblies.
Non-combustible fascia and soffit. Open-eave soffits with combustible boxing get rejected on plan check. Plan for boxed or non-combustible-clad soffits from day one.
Defensible-space landscaping. Zone 0 (0–5 ft): non-combustible. Zone 1 (5–30 ft): irrigated, low-fuel. Zone 2 (30–100 ft): maintained. LA County Fire inspects before final.
Where families get tripped up
Stucco isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card. Stucco walls still need protected openings, hardened vents, and Class A roof. Stucco buys you a higher rating on the wall, not a code exemption.
Decks need rated assemblies too. Attached decks within 10 feet of openings are now treated as part of the structure for fire-hardening purposes. Plan the substrate accordingly.
Pool equipment + outbuildings count. Pool pumps, sheds, and ADUs within 30 feet of the main structure trigger their own WUI compliance.
If you’re trying to map the new code against your specific lot, book a free consultation and we’ll walk through the requirements parcel-by-parcel.