Are You Applying For

A Building Permit?

 If you are building a New Home or planning Room Additions to an existing home, chances are during the plan check phase, you will be required to submit a Geology & Soils Report. 

Bay City Geology, Inc. provides Engineering Geology &

 Geotechnical Reports for all areas of

 Los Angeles and Southern California.

The following is a guide to help facilitate the

permit process for the most popular requested Cites. 

(Note: Governing agencies can revise requirements without notice)

Geology and/or Soils Reports are Required

for the Following Projects in the

City of Los Angeles:

• New Construction of single-family Hillside Residences. 
• Room Additions if the added square footage is greater than 50% of the existing square footage (i.e. ..."where the value of the addition is more than 50% of the replacement value of the existing building").  
• Proposed Basements or Subgrade Parking on flatland properties.
• Sites in Liquefaction Zones; Any proposed residence or room addition that is greater than the 50% rule discribed above. 
• Hillside Pools, & Decks.
• Retaining Walls (Note: The City of Los Angeles Retaining Wall Ordinance puts limitations on the height and number of retaining walls on a lot [read ordinance]). 

Geology and Soils Reports are Required for

 the Following Projects in the

City of Santa Monica:

• New Construction anywhere within the City of Santa Monica for Residential structures, pools, guesthouses, garages with habitable space, and other accessory buildings. 
• Room additions:  Additions that add 750 square feet or more to an existing building.
• Sites Located within the 'Seismic Hazard Zone' or 'Fault Hazard Management Zone' delineated by the City of Santa Monica. 

     [click here for map]

Types of Geology & Soils Reports:

(Costs will vary depending on the size and scope of your project.)

Engineering Geology & Geotechnical Investigations: 

• Typically are prepared in hillside areas. 
• Fieldwork involves excavating test pits and/or borings, sampling of earth material for laboratory testing.
• Test pits are usually excavated via hand labor or backhoe (space permitting) and borings via a drill rig.
• Report provides slope stability analysis and specific recommendations for site development such as foundation design.
• Will include a geologic map and cross section(s).

Liquefaction Investigation: 

• For sites located within a mapped Liquefaction Zone.
• Fieldwork involves drilling borings onsite up to 50 feet deep to determine groundwater depth and obtain soil samples. 
• A few hand dug test pits may also be conducted to evaluate the existing foundation in projects that involve room additions.
• The report will address the liquefaction potential based on current and historic groundwater levels. 
• Recommendations for foundation design, based on the liquefaction analysis, are included in the report. 

Seismic Investigations within Fault Zones: 

• For sites located within mapped "Earthquake Fault Rupture Zones" (aka Alquist-Priolo or AP Zones).
• Fieldwork involves trenching (usually via backhoe) and detailed mapping to delineate locations of active faults. 
• If evidence of active faulting is exhibited, it will impinge on the site development.  Structures for human occupancy are prohibited across the trace of active faults. 

(Click here for a detailed explanation of the above outline)

The professionals at Bay City Geology are here to advise and assist with your proposed development. 

Contact us today to determine the type of geotechnical soils report necessary for your project. 

We usually provide a quote the same business day!

(310) 429-6681

For a proposal, please email site plans

and contact information to:

JonathanMiller@baycitygeology.com