Straight, square and noncombustible. Your finishes go on next.
Light-gauge steel framing · Los AngelesYour plans.
In steel.
APB Inc. is a California-licensed light-gauge steel framing contractor. We convert wood-frame home plans to steel and build them, for wildfire rebuilds and custom homes across Southern California.
CSLB License #951030 · Class B · Verify on cslb.ca.gov
Why steel wins
A frame that can't be eaten, can't rot and doesn't burn
The reasons Southern California homeowners choose steel, with the sources behind every number.
Termite food in a steel frame. Drywood termites, California's second most important termite pest, can't eat it, and it won't rot.
UC IPMof homes with four wildfire-hardening features avoided damage in the January 2025 LA fires, versus 36% with one. A noncombustible steel frame is the right structure under that hardened exterior.
IBHS, Dec 2025lower projected wildfire losses, on average, when the LA burn areas are rebuilt to the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard, in modeling by the NAIC and the California Department of Insurance.
California Dept. of Insurance, Mar 2026recyclable. The industry says steel framing contains at least 25% recycled steel, and offcuts can be recycled again.
Steel Framing Industry Association- LicensedCalifornia CSLB #951030, Class B. Verify
- EngineeredEvery load-bearing frame designed and stamped by a California-licensed engineer
- Complete packageWalls, floors and roof in light-gauge steel
- Service areaLos Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties
Plan conversion
Same plan. Steel frame.
You keep your architect and your design. Here is a real job: a home we framed in Pacific Palisades, shown as a drawing and as the steel frame on site.
What changes
Members
Wood studs become cold-formed steel studs and track, sized by your engineer for your loads.
What changes
Connections
Nails give way to screws and engineered clips. Hold-downs and anchors are redrawn for steel.
What changes
Energy
Steel conducts heat, so Title 24 usually calls for continuous exterior insulation. We flag it early.
Switching an approved wood plan to steel is a structural redesign, so the revision goes back through plan check. Read how it works.
Five steps
From wood plan to steel frame
- 01
Send your plans
Upload your wood-frame plans, permit status and address.
- 02
Feasibility review
We check the layout, spans and site for a steel conversion.
- 03
Engineering
A California-licensed engineer produces the stamped LGS package.
- 04
Plan-check revision
The revision goes to your building department for review.
- 05
Framing
We frame the home in light-gauge steel from the approved set.
Check your address
Fire zone. Fire perimeter. Rebuild rules.
Type an address and see what official public maps say about it, in seconds.
Field file 001 · Real job-site photos
On site in Pacific Palisades
A home we framed in light-gauge steel, from numbered wall panels to the finished roof frame. Photos from the site, not renderings.
Your design stays
Steel is the structure, not the style
Stone, stucco, glass or wood siding: the frame behind the finish is light-gauge steel. You choose the architecture. We build what holds it up.
Steel, honestly
What steel does, and what it doesn't
You should know both before you choose a framing material. Sources are on each guide.
| Topic | What steel does | What it doesn't do |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | Steel studs are noncombustible. The structure doesn't burn or add fuel. | It doesn't make a home fireproof. Embers, vents, windows, roof and the 5-ft zone decide most outcomes. |
| Termites & rot | No cellulose, so termites can't eat it and it won't rot. | Drywall paper and dust in a wet wall can still grow mold. Keep the cavity dry. |
| Earthquakes | Full-scale CFS buildings have come through Northridge-level shaking in tests. | Performance depends on engineering: every frame needs a licensed engineer's design. |
| Energy | Straight, stable walls make airtight construction easier. | Steel bridges heat. Title 24 usually requires continuous exterior insulation. |
| Corrosion | We frame with G90 galvanized steel: 0.90 oz of zinc per square foot, 50% more than the G60 minimum for structural framing. | Galvanizing slows rust; it doesn't stop it. Cut ends, coastal air and wet wall cavities still need proper detailing. |
What we do
Steel framing, built from your design
We're not a factory selling a catalog house. You keep your architect and your plans. We convert the frame to steel with a California-licensed engineer and build it.
Flagship
Wood-to-Steel Plan Conversion
Already have wood-frame plans, even approved ones? We turn them into an engineered light-gauge steel framing package and build it.
How it works →Light-Gauge Steel Framing, Built to Your Plans
The complete light-gauge steel structural package (walls, floors and roof) built from your engineered plans.
Learn more →Steel Fire Rebuild — Altadena & Palisades
Noncombustible steel framing as one layer of a wildfire-hardened home.
Learn more →Commercial Metal Stud Framing in Los Angeles
Metal stud framing for select commercial and tenant-improvement projects.
Learn more →Steel framing library
Straight answers about steel framing
Rebuild rules for each jurisdiction, and plain-English guides with sources.
Rebuild guide · Unincorporated LA County
Altadena steel rebuild guide
County like-for-like rules, self-certification, pre-approved plans and switching to steel.
Read the guide →Rebuild guide · City of Los Angeles
Pacific Palisades steel rebuild guide
City executive orders, coastal considerations and switching an approved plan to steel.
Read the guide →Are Steel-Framed Houses Bad? Myths vs. Facts
Are steel-framed houses bad? Straight answers on noise, creaking, Wi-Fi, rust, lifespan, termites, mortgages, cost and fire, for California homes.
Read →California's New WUI Code (Title 24 Part 7): What Changed in 2026
Since Jan 1, 2026, California's wildfire building rules sit in a new WUI Code, Title 24 Part 7. What moved, exterior wall paths, and how to check your lot.
Read →Metal Stud Gauge Chart: Mils, Gauges and Sizes Explained
Metal stud gauge chart with mil-to-gauge conversion, thickness and color codes, how to read 600S162-54, structural vs. drywall studs, and G40/G60/G90 coatings.
Read →Steel Framing for Wildfire Rebuilds: What It Does and Doesn't Do
Steel studs don't burn, but homes ignite from embers and radiant heat. How steel framing fits with the roof, vents, windows, siding, eaves and 5-ft zone.
Read →Steel vs. Wood Framing for California Homes (2026)
Steel vs. wood framing for California homes: cost, fire, termites, seismic, Title 24 insulation, speed and mortgages, plus steel's real downsides.
Read →Termite-Resistant Homes in California: Steel Can't Be Eaten
Can a house be termite-proof? Drywood termites eat wood framing in California; steel framing can't be eaten. What steel removes, what remains and fumigation.
Read →What Is Light-Gauge Steel Framing? A Plain-English Guide
Light-gauge steel framing explained: what cold-formed steel and metal studs are, how they're made, how to read 600S162-54, and where steel is used in homes.
Read →Send us your plans.
Every steel home is engineered, so we start with your plans rather than a price list. We review them and tell you what a conversion involves.