Research for the people who rebuild Southern California
Public data on the trades, materials, hazards and insurance behind restoration work in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Every chart names its source and how current it is.
Latest studies
Hazards16,264structures destroyed by the Eaton and Palisades firesThe January 2025 LA fires, by the numbers: what was destroyed and what rebuilding demandsThe Eaton and Palisades fires destroyed 16,264 structures, 11,440 of them single-family homes, most built before 1960. What burned, how old it was, how rebuilding permits are moving, and a labelled model of the trade work.Trades & labor12,614electrical contractor jobs, Inland Empire, Q1 2026Trade PulseJobs, businesses and pay for seven restoration trades in every Southern California county, next to the material prices and new-home demand around them. Starts with the Inland Empire.Material costs+27%copper wire & cable factory prices, year to August 2026What rebuilding materials cost: U.S. factory pricesFactory prices for copper wire, lumber, drywall, paint, plumbing fittings and roofing, side by side since January 2020, plus the world copper price. Which trades feel each one.Hazards5,642acres burned in the Inland Empire in 2026, through Sep 19SoCal wildfire tracker: where fires burn and where the damage isFires burned 5,642 acres in the Inland Empire in 2026 through Sep 19, 13% of the 2015–2025 average for that date. Fire maps since 2015, acres by county and year, and the structures CAL FIRE found damaged or destroyed.Hazards63,940Inland Empire households displaced by shaking or fire in the ShakeOut M7.8 scenarioEarthquakes and the SoCal tradesHow often the ground shakes in Southern California, what the USGS ShakeOut M7.8 scenario says a big one would do, and how that compares with the number of trade businesses here today.Hazards71federal disaster declarations in the Inland Empire since 2000Federal disasters and flood claims in SoCalEvery FEMA disaster declaration that touched a Southern California county since 2000, and every federal flood-insurance claim by year and county. Inland Empire first.Insurance23.4%of policies not renewed in 92372 Pinon Hills (San Bernardino Co.), 2023Home insurance non-renewals in SoCal, 2015–2023How many home insurance policies were not renewed, county by county and in the hardest-hit ZIP codes, 2015–2023. The state's ZIP-level data stops at 2023.Housing stock583,000Inland Empire homes built before 1980Where SoCal’s pre-1980 housing is, and the survey rules that apply583,000 homes in the Inland Empire were built before 1980. The federal lead paint rule covers homes built before 1978, and South Coast AQMD requires asbestos surveys before demolition and most renovation. Census counts by county and large city, plus the rules.
What this is
A free reference on the restoration economy: who does the work, what it costs, where disasters hit and how insurers respond. Built from government and public data, rebuilt when the sources update, and kept short enough to read on a job site.
It is not a homeowner guide and not advice. It is the numbers, with their limits stated.
Who it’s for
- Restoration and mitigation contractors
- Electricians
- Plumbing and HVAC crews
- Drywall, insulation and painting crews
- Roofers
- Abatement and remediation teams
- Adjusters and suppliers
Every chart says what kind of number it is
- Observed
- Published figures from a public source, shown as reported.
- Model
- Our calculation from public data. The method is described on the page.
- Scenario
- A what-if built on stated assumptions. Not a forecast.
Restavo Research is made by Restavo. If you run restoration jobs, Restavo keeps jobs, crews and documentation in one place. If you are a trade looking for restoration work, Restavo Work is where restoration teams find trades.