Ryan White Designs is here to help in the wake of the devastating California Wildfires.

As a firm we have lost multiple projects so we understand your frustration and pain. If you have been directly affected by the wildfires and your home has been lost or damaged, we are offering free, 1-hour video consultations to help you begin the process of rebuilding and answer any questions you may have. Fill out this form to get connected.

FAQ

What is the general process from start to finish for my re-build?
  1. Clear debris. Get your site clear of debris in preparation for rebuilding. We recommend getting in touch with FEMA to begin the clearing process, as this can be hazardous.
  2. Financing. Obtain financing for your rebuilding project. Begin by getting in touch with your insurer. If needed, RWD has connections to contractors who have experience in working with claims, property damage and insurance claim lawyers, and private adjusters.
  3. Prepare plans. Prepare building plans for your rebuilding project. RWD partners with many talented architects who have experience rebuilding in wildfire affected areas, like Malibu and Pacific Palisades.
  4. Obtain Permit. Obtain permit(s) to begin construction once building plans are approved. RWD has worked with the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Malibu to obtain permits for clients. We also work with expediters to accelerate the building process. We expect much of the red tape of permitting to be removed in this emergency scenario to help people rebuild as quickly as possible.
  5. Construct and inspect. Schedule inspections at specific milestones to continue construction. RWD has built relationships with world class contractors who are at the ready to help Los Angeles rebuild. RWD will help you project manage all contractors and sub-contractors to ensure your project is running smoothly and on schedule.
    6. Move in! Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and you can move in. RWD will source furnishings to make your new re-build into a home that you and your family can create new memories in for years to come.

Potentially! You will need to get your foundation certified by an engineer if you wish to reuse.

In most of the projects RWD has done, we are involved at the same time as the architect. We find it’s very beneficial for everyone involved to have the designers and Architect working in tandem. This always results in the best possible outcome.

To use the city’s expedited permitting, the footprint of the home can only change by 10%. City records will need to be obtained of your property pre-loss. You can change interior walls and style as much as you’d like or not at all. 

Once your redesign is complete and your submittal package goes into the city, it’ll take a couple months before starting to get permits. The city will have to establish infrastructure (water, and electricity). 

In total, approximately 18-24 months. We estimate architecture and design phase to be 6-8 months and the construction and rebuilding phase to be 16-18 months.

No, but RWD has licensed architects on staff and our team and collaborators can get you from point A to point Z. Alternatively, we work very closely with Los Angeles’ top architecture firms, and we are happy to recommend and collaborate with other architecture firms. Some architecture firms do not offer interior design services, so we recommend for our team be brought in at the beginning of the rebuild process to make sure all elements are covered and addressed.

RWD specializes in luxury residential homes in Los Angeles. We are a full-service design firm, which means we collaborate with architects to create plans for homes, select hard surfaces (such as flooring, countertops, cabinetry, etc.), create construction drawings for custom furniture and interior architecture, collaborate and work directly with contractors and builders, build comprehensive budgets, design detailed renderings, collaborate with and project manage vendors and sub-contractors, and select and purchase all furniture, rugs, accessories, lighting, art, hardware, plumbing fixtures, wall coverings, home goods, outdoor furniture, and custom and bespoke items. View our projects here.

Our typical furnishing budget is around $150 square foot. This typically includes all furniture, rugs, accessories, lighting, art, hardware, plumbing fixtures, wall coverings, home goods (like bedding, towels, kitchenware, etc.), outdoor furniture, and custom and bespoke items.

Every design firm is a little bit different. RWD typically charges a flat fee and a 25% markup on all hard surface materials and soft furnishings we purchase. This markup is applied after our design discounts have been taken off. This essentially allows the client to pay retail pricing, but we do all the heavy lifting of the selecting and purchasing. Markups are typically used to cover the overhead cost of the design business.

Unfortunately, no one knows the answer to this quite yet. The construction firms we work with are incredibly reputable and we hope they do the right thing. RWD has been in the business for over a decade, and we trust our connections and have the experience to know if a construction budget seems to be above average.

We recommend getting quotes from at least 3 builders. You can also hire independent companies who will write an estimate for what the home should cost to ensure fair market value. 

RWD has many fantastic real estate connections who are very knowledgeable in the Los Angeles West Side real estate market. We are happy to refer you to an agent.

RWD specializes in luxury residential homes. This typically means the home values are between $10-$50 million. If this is not your current situation, we are still more than happy to give you advice and a free consultation to help you find the right team and get started on your rebuild. Fill out the form here to get connected.