Every home we build in the Palisades and Malibu is engineered as a system of fire-resistant assemblies — from the steel in the walls to the mesh in the vents. Explore the systems below, detail by detail.
Most homes lost in wildfire don't ignite from the flame front. They ignite from embers — drawn through a vent, caught under a deck, resting against a wall that could burn. Every system in the tour above exists to close one of those doors.
California's Chapter 7A code makes much of this mandatory in the Wildland-Urban Interface. Our standard goes further, because we've watched what survives. In pre-construction, we price every fire-hardening assembly as its own visible line — so you know what the code requires, what we recommend beyond it, and what your code-upgrade coverage should carry.
Eight systems working together: non-combustible steel framing where wood can be eliminated entirely; fire-treated siding tested to ASTM flame-spread and smoke standards; dual-pane tempered glazing built for the heat that shatters ordinary glass; exterior doors carrying 20- to 90-minute fire ratings; ember-resistant vents with metal mesh openings no larger than an eighth of an inch; a Class A roof assembly — the highest fire rating a roof can carry; fireproof skirting sealing the foundation line and crawl spaces; and built-in interior sprinklers. Most homes lost in wildfire ignite from embers, not the flame front — each system closes one of the doors embers use.
Fire-hardened assemblies cost more than their conventional equivalents — and on a rebuild, that difference is exactly what code-upgrade insurance coverage exists to pay. In pre-construction we price the fire-hardening scope as its own visible line, assembly by assembly, so you can see what the code requires, what it costs, and what your coverage should carry.
Yes — done well, you mostly can’t see it. Nearly every material palette our clients love has a compliant path: stone, stucco, fiber-cement, metal roofing, aluminum-clad glazing, and fire-treated wood siding that keeps the craftsman face. The difference is designing the defense in from the first drawing, not bolting it on at permit time.
In California’s mapped Wildland-Urban Interface, Chapter 7A of the building code makes much of it mandatory — ignition-resistant exteriors, ember-resistant venting, tempered glazing. Our standard goes further than the minimum, because we’ve watched what survives.
Bring us your lot, your loss, or your plans — and we'll walk you through exactly how these systems come together in your home.
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