Photo courtesy Cover
An architectural-grade all-steel home is the first ground-up fire rebuild in Pacific Palisades. The custom-designed home belongs to Sue Labella, a Palisades resident who lost her previous house in the January 2025 fire, and shows what faster, simpler rebuilding can look like.
The pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) was designed, engineered, permitted, manufactured, and built by one company, giving the homeowner a single point of contact from concept through certificate of occupancy. The building permit was issued on May 23, 2025, and the certificate of occupancy was issued on January 7, 2026.
The new residence includes a 213.7 m² (2,300 sf) main home organized around a courtyard, along with a detached 74.3 m² (800 sf), two-bedroom guest home, or accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Both structures are built from non-combustible, all-steel panels and assembled on site without a crane, exceeding California’s fire, seismic, and energy requirements.
“Homeowners shouldn’t have to choose between uncompromising architecture and a simpler, efficient and predictable process,” says Alexis Rivas, CEO of Cover, a PEMB manufacturer. “Sue’s rebuild makes that case clearly, and we’re so proud to have helped bring her back home.”
