Malibu reaches milestones with first certificate of occupancy

By Hayley Mattson · Sat Sep 19 2026

Big Rock residents Denise and George Toberman become first Palisades Fire-affected homeowners to complete their rebuild and return home as city marks progress in recovery

Malibu reached two significant milestones in its recovery from the Palisades Fire this week, announcing the issuance of its 100th construction permit for a single-family home rebuild and its first certificate of occupancy for a completed rebuilt residence. The milestones were announced during the Malibu City Council meeting Monday, Sept. 14, where Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy presented the city's first certificate of occupancy to Big Rock residents Denise and George Toberman.

“I’m going to start by announcing to you that we have our first certificate of occupancy,” Bundy told the council.

A video shown during the meeting documented the Tobermans' property from the aftermath of the fire through the construction process and completion of their new home.

“This is a major milestone for the city,” Bundy said before inviting Denise Toberman forward to receive the certificate.

The Tobermans obtained their rebuild permit in October 2025 and completed construction in just 11 months.

“I’m just thrilled to be back in the house,” Denise Toberman said during the meeting. “It’s just great to be back. There’sno words.”

In a statement released by the city, Toberman said returning home was something she had been looking forward to since the fire and expressed hope that her family's experience would encourage others still navigating the rebuilding process.

“Coming home is something I have looked forward to since the fire,” Toberman said. “I hope seeing this first completed home gives other Malibu families hope that they can get there, too, with persistence and help.”

Bundy presented Toberman with the certificate of occupancy, flowers and a welcome-home basket as council members and those gathered at City Hall recognized the occasion.

The milestone came as Malibu simultaneously reached another important marker: the issuance of its 100th construction permit for a single-family residence rebuild following the Palisades Fire.

City Manager Joe Irvin said the two achievements demonstrate that rebuilding is progressing, while acknowledging how much work remains.

“The first Certificate of Occupancy means that a Malibu family can finally return to a home that was lost in the Palisades Fire,” Irvin said. “Reaching 100 permits to begin construction shows that rebuilding is moving forward throughout our community.”

During the council meeting, Irvin described reaching 100 permits as an emotional milestone after approximately 20 months of recovery work.

“There’s still a lot more to do, but 100 after 20 months, with everything that we have faced in the beginning, really is a testament,” Irvin said, adding that he hoped the achievement would give families who lost their homes hope as they continue through the rebuilding process.

Bundy expressed a similar sentiment in an op-ed marking the milestone.

“Behind that 100th permit is a family who has taken another important step toward rebuilding their home,” Bundy wrote. “Behind the first certificate of occupancy is a family who can finally open the door, walk inside, and come home.”

At Monday's meeting, city officials also recognized members of the Malibu Rebuild Task Force and its neighborhood captains for their work assisting residents following the fire. Bundy said the city's progress was not the work of city staff alone and credited the community members and professionals who have helped homeowners navigate rebuilding.

Irvin also recognized Bundy's leadership during the recovery.

“Yolanda, thank you very much. Thank you for your leadership this last 18 months,” Irvin said. “Working with the community and the council and our staff to get to this point has been a big step. So congratulations all around.”

Hundreds of rebuild projects moving through city process

The 100th construction permit represents one portion of a much larger rebuilding effort underway throughout Malibu's Palisades Fire burn area.

According to the city's latest rebuilding dashboard, 238 single-family residence projects have received planning approval, while 46 are under planning review. Another 62 projects have been submitted for building plan check and are being reviewed by city departments.

The dashboard also shows 236 single-family rebuild projects are proceeding under the city's “like-for-like plus 10 percent” option, which allows rebuilding in the same location with up to 10 percent additional square footage and/or height, provided the expansion conforms with applicable requirements. One project is proceeding through a Coastal Development Permit involving significant changes.

The city has issued 1,177 permits of all types within the Palisades Fire burn area. That broader figure includes permits associated with rebuilding, repairs, debris removal and related work and should not be confused with the 100 construction permits issued specifically for single-family home rebuilds.

Of the 1,177 permits, 352 are building permits, 215 are for debris removal, 182 are electrical, 116 mechanical, 116 plumbing, 95 grading, and 73 septic. Other permits include 25 for pools and spas, two for temporary housing, and one excavation permit.

The city also reports 370 planning entitlements across all application types within the burn area.

To assist fire-affected property owners, Malibu has established the Malibu Rebuild Center and provided pre-submittal consultations, interagency coordination, online project tracking, a dedicated rebuilding website, and fee waivers for eligible like-for-like rebuilding projects.

Bundy emphasized that reaching 100 permits should not be interpreted as an indication that the difficulties facing fire survivors are over.

“The 100th permit does not mean that 100 families have all had the same experience, or that the challenges facing our community are behind us,” Bundy wrote. “It simply means that 100 families have taken a significant step forward.”

For the Tobermans, however, the city's first certificate of occupancy represents something beyond a permit, approval, or construction statistic: the ability to return home.

“The first certificate of occupancy is therefore especially meaningful because it represents the moment when a family can finally take that next step and begin living in the home they worked so hard to rebuild,” Bundy wrote.

The city said it will continue working with residents, architects, engineers, contractors and partner agencies as hundreds of Malibu families move through various stages of rebuilding.

For a community still facing a long recovery from the Palisades Fire, Monday night's milestones offered the first tangible example of the rebuilding process reaching its final step — a family receiving permission to move back into a home rebuilt after the fire.