For those choosing to stay, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an executive order on Sunday that he's going to help streamline the rebuilding process by waiving two building permits for homeowners and businesses

Newsom waived California's Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which is meant to protect surrounding residents from the pollution that's produced by construction.

Newsom also waived the California Coastal Act, which protects the coast's habitat and ensures that buildings don't interfere with public access to it.

"It can take three to six months to pull a permit normally, and I imagine this is going to be probably weeks at the most," Cantor said.

Cantor, however, expects some challenges for homeowners and businesses.

"What we don't know is how quickly the insurance companies are going to be able to process the claims," Cantor said. "If they're building in kind, it'll be a very fast track permit, but if somebody wants to customize what they had, then that might extend the process."