Brass-Tacks | Brass Tacks

Our Story

Brass Tacks is a grassroots organization founded through our partnership with the Altadena Collective and the many stories we've heard about homeowners being taken advantage of after the Eaton Fire.

As fire survivors ourselves, who are rebuilding, we know firsthand how overwhelming this process can be. This is why we created Brass Tacks, now a core part of Altadena Collective's community rebuilding effort.

We're independently built and community-driven. No investors, no board, no outside pressure. That means our only priority is you.

Our Mission

To empower homeowners with the knowledge, transparency, and support they need to move forward with confidence, while strengthening the community we call home.

Meet Our Team

Founder & CEO

Angela Bentley

"The fire took our homes, but it didn't take our community."

After losing my home, I put my project management background to work in a new way. Learning everything I could about architecture, construction, and what it really takes to rebuild. As a founder of Brass Tacks and someone rebuilding my own home, I'm committed to making the process more transparent, less intimidating, and easier to navigate for my community.

Project management Operations Community

Founder & CMO

James Peddie

"Every family affected by the fire deserves to rebuild with confidence."

With deep roots in Altadena, I've dedicated my career to helping families find and create homes they love. After losing my own home, I wanted to put my experience, local connections, and passion for helping people to work in a different way. That's why I helped launch Brass Tacks to give homeowners the guidance, transparency, and support I wish every family had access to.

Project Management New construction Owner's Rep

Client Account Manager

Hanna Peddie

"Dedicated to restoring efficiency, helping families navigate chaos with hope."

I'm an Eaton Fire survivor who has called Altadena home for over a decade. I know how overwhelming recovery can feel, which is why I'm passionate about helping homeowners navigate the process with a little less stress and a lot more support. Whether it's answering questions, coordinating next steps, or simply being a resource, I'm here to help.

Administration Project management Client Care

How it works

Intake & Strategy

You can upload your project yourself, or let us do the heavy lifting. Then we'll schedule time to get to know you, your goals, and your budget so we can map out a supportive plan. Insurance questions? We can help with those too!

Meet Your Builders

We'll introduce you to 3-5 builders so you can meet, ask questions, and most importantly, see who passes the vibe check. Don't worry, we'll give you all the right questions to ask.

Bid & Review

Once you've found your favorites, we'll send them your plans and collect transparent, line-itemed bids. Then we'll walk through everything together, answer your questions, and help you make sense of it all.

Refine & Match

Once you've narrowed it down, we'll take your feedback to the builder(s), negotiate where it makes sense, and review the contract so there are no surprises lurking in the paperwork.

Guidance That Continues

After your contract is signed, we remain available as your trusted advocate to answer questions, help navigate concerns, and facilitate conversations when needed.

Our Commitment to Transparency

At Brass Tacks, transparency is one of our core values...

You never pay a fee to use our Bid & Match service or to be your advocate. Brass Tacks is compensated through a small fee paid by vetted builders who join our network and are selected by a homeowner. We purposely keep this fee lower than similar companies to ensure it is never passed down to you.

This fee allows us to provide hands-on guidance during the bid process and ongoing advocacy throughout construction. Our fee never influences builder recommendations since you remain in full control of selecting your builder. Because the homeowner-builder relationship is so personal, we encourage you to trust your instincts. The right fit matters just as much as the numbers.

A portion of our proceeds supports Collective OR, a nonprofit dedicated to helping homeowners navigate construction administration during the rebuilding process.

Builder Vetting...

Builders in our network undergo a rigorous screening process that includes:

License and insurance verification
Review of experience and project capacity
Homeowner reference checks
Evaluation of contracts, communication practices, and bidding processes
Ongoing performance monitoring based on homeowner feedback

What We've Learned

Over the past year, we've been deeply involved in Altadena's rebuild process, working with homeowners, local architects, and builders, analyzing over 500+ local contractor bids.

The average rebuild in Altadena should cost no more than $450–$550 per square foot depending on finishes, design complexity, and site conditions.

Initial bids are just a starting point to be refined and negotiated. With our dataset as a baseline we can quickly spot when numbers are off.

Choosing the right builder matters just as much as the cost. It's a long-term partnership, working closely together for a significant amount of time.

A no pressure approach is the only approach. Homeowners need to be given the time and space to make final decisions when they are ready.

No one wants to navigate the building process alone—and finding trustworthy guidance hasn't been easy.

$450–$550

Average cost per square foot

103

Homeowners served to date

Take a peek at Angela's rebuild journey so far...

What are people saying about
Brass Tacks?

5.0 · 10 Google reviews

Resources

Clear, practical guidance to help Altadena homeowners rebuild with confidence.

Contractors Hiring a General Contractor: What Altadena Homeowners Need to Know A plain-English guide to finding, vetting and contracting a general contractor for your rebuild. 5 minute read Planning Why You Never Tell Your Builder Your Budget Never tell your builder your budget. Hire the architect first, then get three builders to bid on the same plans for your Altadena rebuild. 7 minute read Planning Rebuild Budget Basics How to build a realistic budget for your rebuild, from the first estimate to the cushion you should keep. 3 minute read

Grant Small Business Relief Fund External resource Grant CalAssist Mortgage Fund External resource Grant Rise Home Grant External resource Grant Altadena Builds Back Fund External resource Grant Greenline Housing External resource Grant Habitat For Humanity Disaster Relief External resource Grant JFL Free Loan External resource

Loan SBA Disaster Loan External resource Loan Altadena Land Initiatives - Interest Free Financing External resource

(coming soon)

Download Vendor Discounts PDF download

Download Anatomy of a Bid PDF download

Download Rebuild Workflow PDF download

Resource Fire Poppy Project External resource

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Brass Tacks community members at a construction site

Still Have Questions?

If you have questions or need help navigating the platform, feel free to reach out. We're here to assist!

Yes. You never pay us. The builder you choose pays a small fee, which we keep lower than similar services so it isn't passed on to you.

No. If the bids don't work for you, we can find more, or you can walk away. There's no obligation.

Ground-up custom homes, fire rebuilds, homes with ADUs, additions and major remodels, and small multi-unit builds.

That's fine. We also work with vetted local architects and can help you plan the order of steps.

Typically, our projects take between 6 to 12 months depending on complexity.

Our services generally range from $50,000 to $500,000, depending on project scope.

See All

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Yes. You never pay us. The builder you choose pays a small fee, which we keep lower than similar services so it isn't passed on to you.

No. If the bids don't work for you, we can find more, or you can walk away. There's no obligation.

Ground-up custom homes, fire rebuilds, homes with ADUs, additions and major remodels, and small multi-unit builds.

That's fine. We also work with vetted local architects and can help you plan the order of steps.

Typically, our projects take between 6 to 12 months depending on complexity.

Our services generally range from $50,000 to $500,000, depending on project scope.

Still Have Questions?

If you have questions or need help navigating the platform, feel free to reach out. We're here to assist!

See All

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Frequently asked questions

Still Have Questions?

Is It Really Free?

Do I Have To Hire One Of Your Builders?

What Projects Are A Fit?

I Don't Have Plans Yet?

What Is The Timeline For Completion?

What Is The Budget Range?

Frequently asked questions

Is It Really Free?

Do I Have To Hire One Of Your Builders?

What Projects Are A Fit?

I Don't Have Plans Yet?

What Is The Timeline For Completion?

What Is The Budget Range?

Still Have Questions?

Let's Get Down to Building!

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Our Story

Meet Our Team

Angela Bentley

James Peddie

Hanna Peddie

How it works

Intake & Strategy

Meet Your Builders

Bid & Review

Refine & Match

Guidance That Continues

Our Commitment to Transparency

What We've Learned

Take a peek at Angela's rebuild journey so far...

What are people saying aboutBrass Tacks?

Resources

Frequently asked questions

Still Have Questions?

Is It Really Free?

Do I Have To Hire One Of Your Builders?

What Projects Are A Fit?

I Don't Have Plans Yet?

What Is The Timeline For Completion?

What Is The Budget Range?

Frequently asked questions

Is It Really Free?

Do I Have To Hire One Of Your Builders?

What Projects Are A Fit?

I Don't Have Plans Yet?

What Is The Timeline For Completion?

What Is The Budget Range?

Still Have Questions?

What are people saying about
Brass Tacks?