Childproofing in Pacific Palisades depends on where your family is living right now. The Palisades Fire began on January 7, 2025, and destroyed large parts of the community, so many families are planning a rebuild, some are raising young children in a temporary rental, and others are back in homes that were spared. We plan childproofing for each of those situations, including a house that is still a set of drawings.
Homes in Pacific Palisades and what they need
Rebuilding a home
The best time to plan childproofing in a new house is before the drywall goes up. A gate at the top of a staircase needs solid wood behind the wall to hold its screws, and that blocking is simple to add during framing and much harder to add later. The same goes for the spots where a wall-mounted TV or a tall built-in will go.
Some protection comes with the code. Under the California Electrical Code, outlets in a new home are the tamper-resistant type, and the residential code requires fall protection on operable windows with sills less than 24 inches above the floor when the ground outside is more than 72 inches below. The childproofing plan covers what the code leaves to the family, from stair gates and cabinet locks to furniture anchoring. For more on timing a project with your contractor, see childproofing for new construction and remodels.
Living in a temporary rental
A leased house or apartment needs childproofing that comes out cleanly when you move. Adhesive and magnetic cabinet locks, pressure gates at the bottom of stairs and outlet covers handle much of it without drilling. A gate at the top of the stairs still has to be screwed in, so we mount it where the holes are easy to patch and suggest you clear it with the landlord first. See childproofing for condos and rentals and our guide to renter-friendly babyproofing.
Back in a home that was spared
Families returning to a standing house may come home to new furniture, replaced appliances and rooms that have changed use. Every new dresser, bookcase and TV needs anchoring. Anything that was moved during cleanup or repairs is worth a second look too, including gates that were taken down.
Common childproofing projects in Pacific Palisades
- Gate blocking during framing. We mark where top-of-stair and hallway gates will go, so the builder can add solid backing in the right places.
- Stair and railing gaps in new designs. If your plans include open-riser stairs, cable rails or glass railings, we plan clear shields or riser guards that suit the design.
- Hidden cabinet locks. Magnetic locks fitted inside new cabinetry once it is installed, out of sight from the room.
- A no-drill kit for the rental. Removable locks, outlet covers and pressure gates in safe spots, listed so you can take them with you.
- Furniture and TV anchoring. New pieces, and anything bought to furnish a rental, get anchored to the wall framing.
- Water heater strapping. State law, in Health and Safety Code §19211, says every water heater must be braced, anchored or strapped so it can’t fall or shift in an earthquake. In a rental we check the straps and flag any gap for the landlord.
- Locks on doors to the yard. High-mounted latches on sliders and French doors, placed above a toddler’s reach.
Earthquake, outdoor and pool safety in Pacific Palisades
A rebuild is a chance to plan earthquake safety into the walls. Tell your builder where tall shelving, heavy mirrors and wall-mounted TVs will go, and ask for backing behind each spot. In a rental, we anchor with fasteners sized to the load and note each hole for move-out.
Many Palisades lots sit on hillsides or above the bluffs, so a deck or terrace can sit well above the ground below it. Railings with wide gaps or horizontal bars get clear shields, and outdoor steps that lead down the slope get a gate at the top. Where a deck hangs over a steep drop, we check the gap under the bottom rail as well as the gaps between balusters.
If your rebuild includes a new pool or spa, the permit brings in California’s Swimming Pool Safety Act, which since SB 442 took effect in 2018 calls for at least two of seven drowning-prevention features at a single-family home. Raise it with your architect and pool builder early, since an enclosure or self-latching doors affect the design. Fencing itself is outside our scope, though the assessment does cover the risks between the house and the water.
What a visit looks like
For a rebuild, the first visit can be a plan review, with your builder or architect if they want to join. We walk the site once framing is up, and installation happens after cabinets and finishes are in, close to move-in. If your rental and your rebuild overlap, one plan can cover both, with a note on which hardware moves with you.
For a rental or a home that was spared, the visit runs the usual way. We assess every room, write an itemized plan that marks which items need drilling, and book installation when you’re ready. We serve Pacific Palisades in ZIP code 90272, and we also come to temporary homes elsewhere on the Westside.
Nearby areas we serve
If your temporary home is in Brentwood or Santa Monica, we can childproof it now and plan the rebuild on the same visit. Up the coast, we also serve Malibu, where many families are rebuilding after the same fire.