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Best Fire Damage Restoration Companies in Los Angeles (2026)
By Asher Ben-Haim. Updated September 2026.
The best fire damage restoration companies in Los Angeles fall into three groups, and the group matters more than the ranking. Some clean up after the fire, some rebuild the house, and some handle only the contents. Hire for the cleanup, assume the rebuild comes with it, and you end up hiring twice, with a gap in the middle where nobody owns the schedule.
Where each company on this list lands:
Cleanup and rebuilding: Built to Perfection, ATI Restoration, Paul Davis Restoration of Santa Clarita, Unity Restoration (construction contracted through CRE Construction and Design Inc.), RestoKleen Restoration, BELFOR Property Restoration, and some SERVPRO and PuroClean franchises.
Cleanup only: SOS Restoration.
Contents only: Contents by Save The Day.
Built to Perfection is on the list as the licensed general contractor, with CSLB License #837987, Class B General Building, IICRC Certified Firm #70224833, and active rebuilds in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. We're not a 24-hour emergency response company, and we say so below.
Fire Restoration and Fire Rebuild Contractors in Los Angeles Do Different Jobs
Fire recovery breaks into three scopes. They overlap in time, but they're separate jobs with separate skills, certifications, and often separate contracts.
That line is written into the industry standard. The ANSI/IICRC S700 Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration, first edition 2025, covers assessment, building systems, contents, cleaning, and odor management. Its scope section states that the standard "does not comprehensively address" reconstruction, and it limits demolition to what's required for assessment, mitigation, or source removal.
That doesn't mean restoration companies refuse to rebuild. Plenty do. The useful question is narrower: after the fire, who owns your project? One company might perform both phases under the same licensed entity. Another might contract the rebuild through a different entity, sometimes under a different name. A third stops after mitigation and hands you back to the market. All three are legitimate. Only one gives you a single point of accountability. If firefighting water is part of your loss, ask the same question about the drying work, which we cover on our water damage restoration page.
How We Chose These Fire Restoration Companies
In September 2026 we checked five things on every company: the CSLB license number and classification, and whether it belongs to the entity that would sign a construction contract; IICRC and EPA Lead-Safe firm certifications; which of the three phases the company performs itself; service area; and years operating.
The details below are as published by each company or as they appear in CSLB public data files, not from a live database pull. A license record can also change, because status, bond, and workers compensation all move. Run the number yourself through CSLB's Check a License tool before you sign.
We left companies off, too. Several firms advertising fire restoration here didn't publish a license number we could verify, and I won't recommend a contractor I can't check. One holds a C-61 Limited Specialty license covering water, fire, and mold remediation, which authorizes remediation but not a multi-trade rebuild.
Best Fire Damage Restoration Companies in Los Angeles for Cleanup and Rebuilding
Built to Perfection
Family-operated residential general contractor in Canoga Park, in business since 2001, on this list as the builder rather than the emergency responder.
License: CSLB #837987, Class B General Building, with a $25,000 contractor bond.
Certifications: IICRC Certified Firm #70224833 for fire and water damage restoration, and EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm #LBP-F307833-1. Both are firm certifications, not individual technician certifications.
Scope: Fire and smoke restoration plus full reconstruction under one licensed entity, from permits through final walk-through. Partial repairs and full ground-up rebuilds. No contents pack-out.
What we don't do: 24-hour emergency dispatch. Single-family residential only.
Track record: 356 building permits over 25 years according to our own records and Houzz profile. Active fire rebuilds in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, including a custom home in Altadena. 8-time Best of Houzz Service winner (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2025, and 2026). BBB A+ accredited since 2016.
Most homeowners start with a free 30-minute rebuild feasibility review covering zoning, timeline, and rebuild options. More on our fire damage restoration page.
ATI Restoration
National restoration company with a Los Angeles regional office.
License: ATI Restoration LLC publishes CSLB #1075543, with classifications including B General Building and hazardous substance removal.
Certifications: Not published on the pages we reviewed.
Scope: Fire and smoke mitigation plus reconstruction, described as running from permits through framing, finish work, and final inspection. Residential and commercial.
Paul Davis Restoration of Santa Clarita
A franchise network of independently owned offices, brand founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 1966. Scope and licensing vary by office, so the office matters more than the brand.
License: CSLB public data reports #545194 for Paul Davis Restoration of Santa Clarita, CA, classified B General Building. A San Fernando Valley franchise advertises similar work under its own license, which we weren't able to confirm.
Certifications: Not published on the pages we reviewed.
Scope: Fire, smoke, water, and mold restoration, contents cleaning, and reconstruction covering structural stabilization, board-up, demolition, permits, and the major trades.
Unity Restoration, with construction through CRE Construction and Design Inc.
The clearest example on this list of why the name on the truck isn't always the name on the construction contract, and the company is upfront about it.
License: Restoration is marketed under Unity Restoration. Licensed construction and permit work is contracted through CRE Construction and Design Inc., published as holding CSLB #1121026, Class B General Building.
Certifications: Unity publishes IICRC Firm #70266264.
Scope: Fire and smoke, water mitigation, mold, contents processing, and reconstruction. Residential and commercial.
If you hire Unity, read which entity your construction contract names and run that entity's license. That applies to any company structured this way.
RestoKleen Restoration
Mid-size local operator between the national firms and the single-phase specialists.
License: RestoKleen USA, Inc. publishes CSLB #1047297 and states it has operated since 2011.
Certifications: States it is IICRC certified.
Scope: Soot removal, odor treatment, water extraction, and rebuilding and repair. Residential and commercial.
BELFOR Property Restoration
One of the largest disaster restoration companies in the market, corporately owned rather than franchised, with company roots stated to 1946.
License: We weren't able to locate a published CSLB number for the Los Angeles operation. For a company advertising general contracting, that's worth asking about directly, not a reason to rule them out.
Certifications: States it is an IICRC Certified Firm and has received the Restoration Industry Association Phoenix Award.
Scope: Emergency board-up, containment, smoke and soot removal, water extraction, structural cleaning, mold removal, odor control, contents restoration, and reconstruction. No 24/7 dispatch commitment is published for the LA operation.
SERVPRO and PuroClean franchises
National franchise networks where each office is independently owned, so scope and licensing are per location, not per brand. Recognizing the logo tells you nothing about what you're getting, so ask the specific office.
PuroClean: States the brand was founded in 2001 and operates more than 500 North American locations, with West Los Angeles and Silicon Beach franchises serving the basin.
SERVPRO: The Malibu, Topanga Canyon, and Pacific Palisades franchise describes itself as family run, with the Stanley family in the industry since 1984, and has worked in Altadena and the Palisades. The North Pomona and La Verne franchise publishes CSLB #928131, states it has been a general contractor since 2009, and states it performs its own asbestos abatement.
Fire Restoration Companies Focused on Mitigation
SOS Restoration
Contents Cleaning and Pack-Out
Everything in the rooms has to be inventoried, cleaned, stored somewhere climate-controlled, and brought back once the house is finished. That last step is what the industry calls pack-back, and it's a different operation from drying a house out or rebuilding it.
Contents by Save The Day
License: Publishes CSLB #1049188 with B and C36 classifications. Operates under its own motor carrier authority, DOT #3887754, with CPUC Household Goods Permit CAL-T192584.
Certifications: Publishes IICRC Firm #59366100 and EPA Lead-Safe Firm #NAT-F308130-1. BBB A+ accredited.
Scope: Pack-out, inventory, photography and barcoding, cleaning, climate-controlled storage, and pack-back. Document and photo restoration, art and antiques, ultrasonic cleaning, freeze drying, and ozone treatment for smoke odor in textiles.
Emergency response: States 24/7 availability with a 90-minute Los Angeles response target.
Los Angeles Fire Restoration Companies Compared
Licenses and certifications above are as published by each company or as they appear in CSLB public data, current to September 2026. Confirm status before signing.
What Changes Between an Altadena Rebuild and a Pacific Palisades Rebuild
These two communities get talked about together and permitted separately. A contractor who says "we know LA permitting" without distinguishing between them is telling you very little.
We have active rebuild work in both communities, covered on our Altadena fire rebuild and Pacific Palisades fire rebuild pages. For scale, a California Governor's update dated September 17, 2026 stated that local building departments had issued 8,450 permits for the January 2025 fire recovery as of that week, across the whole recovery rather than any one community.
Rebuilding also means building to current code. The 2025 California Building Code includes Chapter 7A, which covers exterior wildfire exposure. Its provisions include Class A roof assemblies in the relevant fire hazard areas, ember-resistant treatment around roof profiles, valleys, and eaves, and vents designed to resist ignition from embers and flame. Chapter 7A sets testing and listing requirements rather than an approved products list, so the specification work happens at design. More in our post on fire rebuild code upgrades.
How to Check a Fire Restoration Contractor in California
The burn zones drew opportunists, and you've probably already been approached by one. Checking is public and free, and it works on any company, including the ones above.
Run the license. Search CSLB's Check a License tool by number or business name for status, classifications, bond, workers compensation, and complaint disclosure. Confirm the classification covers the work you need done. CSLB also states the database has limits, since complaint disclosure is restricted by law and some information may not have been reported yet. A clean record is good news, not proof.
Match the entity to the contract. The legal name on the license record should be the legal name on the contract. Marketing under one name and contracting under another is fine, as long as you can see both and check both.
Check the bond. California requires a $25,000 contractor bond written by a surety licensed through the California Department of Insurance, with the name and license number matching CSLB records exactly.
Read the disaster contract terms. CSLB's Disaster Help Center states the down payment for disaster-related home improvement work can't exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, that further payments must track completed work or delivered materials, and that disaster rebuilding must use a fixed-price contract rather than time and materials or cost-plus. Separately, a home improvement contract should identify the contractor, address, and license number, specify the work and payment schedule, name who obtains permits, and state a completion date, with changes handled through written change orders.
Know that enforcement is active. The Los Angeles County District Attorney announced felony charges against five unlicensed contractors accused of operating illegally in Altadena as residents rebuilt after the Eaton Fire. CSLB reported in its April 2026 newsletter that its Statewide Investigative Fraud Team conducted 52 sweeps in the Palisades and Eaton fire areas during 2025.
Check lead-safe certification if your house predates 1978. EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting requirements apply to work disturbing painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing. Covered firms must be certified, use certified renovators, and follow lead-safe work practices. The obligation sits on the firm, not on you, but the consequence is lead dust in a house your family moves back into. This matters more in Altadena than most places, because the 2023 American Community Survey puts the median year of housing construction there at 1976.
Two answers should end the conversation: a company that won't give you a license number, and one that wants a deposit larger than CSLB permits for disaster work.
Questions Homeowners Ask About Fire Restoration
Who should I call first after a fire?
A 24-hour mitigation company, if the house is still wet, open to the weather, or full of soot. Board-up, water extraction, and soot removal are time-sensitive in a way the rebuild isn't.
Do fire damage restoration companies rebuild your house?
Some do and some don't. The IICRC S700 standard states it does not comprehensively address reconstruction, so rebuilding is a separate scope requiring the appropriate California contractor license. Ask each company directly rather than assuming.
What license does a fire rebuild contractor need in California?
Reconstruction after a fire is multi-trade construction work, which is what a Class B General Building license covers. A limited specialty license for water, fire, and mold remediation authorizes remediation, not a full rebuild.
Is it better to hire one company for cleanup and rebuilding, or two?
One company under one contract means one schedule and one point of accountability. Two specialists can each be better at their own phase. The risk with two is the gap at the handoff, so get the scope boundary in writing on both.
How long does a fire rebuild take?
There's no single number, and the answer is jurisdiction-specific. In Altadena, permits aren't issued until Phases 1 and 2 of debris removal are complete. In Pacific Palisades, City departments have been directed to complete initial review within 30 days. Construction time after that depends on scope, and both permit processes are still changing, so confirm current requirements with the County or the City.
What does a fire rebuild cost?
It depends on how much of the house is gone, the code upgrades triggered when a home is substantially damaged or destroyed, the jurisdiction, and the condition of the lot. Anyone quoting a per-square-foot figure before walking the property is guessing.
Does insurance cover fire damage restoration?
That's between you and your carrier. Your policy and your insurer determine what gets paid, and no contractor can tell you what your coverage includes.
Where to Start
We're not the 24-hour mitigation company, and we'd rather tell you that than take the call.
If you're past that point and looking at a rebuild, one room after a kitchen fire or a full ground-up in Altadena or Pacific Palisades, that's the work we do. We've been building in Los Angeles since 2001, we hold CSLB License #837987, and we carry projects from permits through final walk-through under one contract. Reach out to our team for a free 30-minute rebuild feasibility review covering zoning, timeline, and options, and we'll tell you honestly whether your project is a fit.
About the author. Asher Ben-Haim founded Built to Perfection in 2001 and has led its Los Angeles construction and restoration projects since. The company holds CSLB License #837987, Class B General Building, and is an IICRC Certified Firm. More on the people running these projects is on our Built to Perfection team page.
Built to Perfection, Inc. · 21201 Victory Blvd #235, Canoga Park, CA 91303 · (888) 955-0535 · info@builttoperfection.com · CSLB License #837987
