Fire repair and home hardening, based in Pasadena
Rebuild after a Fire and Harden the House That Stands
We repair and rebuild homes in fire country across LA County and Ventura, and we build the exterior to the wildfire code: vents that stop embers, tempered glazing, and siding and stucco that do not burn.
A builder who reads a house the way a fire would
Fernhill Builders is a licensed contractor based in Pasadena. We focus on two kinds of houses: ones a fire has damaged or taken, and ones still standing in places where the next fire could reach.
Embers, more than a wall of flame, are how many houses catch fire. So we look for the small openings first and build the exterior from materials and assemblies the California wildfire code was written around.
Read more about how we work- Chapter 7A assemblies named in every written scope
- Repairs, full rebuilds and retrofits under one contract
- Remodeling inside the house, built to the same exterior standard
From the first walk-through to a closed envelope
Walk the house or the lot
We look at what stands, what burned and what is exposed: attic and crawlspace vents, eaves, windows, siding and anything wood that touches the walls.
Write the scope by assembly
The scope names each assembly and its rating, so you can see which vent, which glass and which wall build goes where, and why it is there.
Engineering and permits
Where the work needs plans, we line up the drawings and file with the building department that covers your address.
Build and close the gaps
We build in order from the structure out and check each opening and joint an ember could use before the walls are finished.
Work on the shell first, then everything inside it
Every job starts with the parts a wildfire tests: openings, vents, cladding, decks. The rest of the list is remodeling and new space, built with the same exterior in mind.
Fire Rebuild & Reconstruction
Repair a damaged house or rebuild a lost one, with the outside built to resist the next fire.Read about this service
Windows & Doors
Tempered, dual-pane glazing and solid exterior doors, sealed so heat and embers stay outside.Read about this service
Stucco & Exterior
Stucco and fiber cement walls that do not burn, with the gaps at the base and eaves closed.Read about this service
ADU Construction
Backyard units and conversions with a hardened shell from the slab up.Read about this service
Full Home Remodeling
Inside and outside together: new rooms and systems, and a fire-rated exterior while the walls are open.Read about this service
New Construction
Ground-up houses with a hardened exterior designed in, not added later.Read about this service
Before you harden or rebuild
Yes. A standing house can be retrofitted one assembly at a time: vents, eaves, windows, siding and the ground right next to the walls. We start with the openings embers use most.
It is the part of the California Building Code that sets materials and construction methods for buildings in wildfire areas. It covers vents, roofs, exterior walls, eaves, decks and glazing.
Yes. We take a cleared lot through plans, permits and construction, and we build the new exterior to the wildfire code from the foundation up.
Send the form with the address and what you need. We walk the property and write a scope that lists each assembly, then price it from that scope.
Start with a walk-through of the house
Tell us about the property and what happened to it, or what you want to protect. We reply about a visit and a written scope.
Pasadena to Ventura, foothill to valley floor
Fernhill Builders works from Pasadena, with Altadena, Sierra Madre and Monrovia close by. The same repairs, rebuilds and retrofits reach every listed city in LA and Ventura Counties.