City Requirements

City of L.A.

Are you homeowner or developer planning to make changes to your home or property? You may need a report.

The City of Los Angeles requires Geology and Soils Reports for the following:

  • New Construction on Single Family Homes (hillside properties)
  • Room Additions
  • New Swimming Pool, Spa, and Deck (hillside properties)
  • Retaining Walls
  • Landslide Areas
    http://geology.com/usgs/landslides/
  • Liquefaction Zone Sites (Liquefaction is when loose sand or silt is soaked with water, looses its strength, and acts as a fluid. Can be caused by earthquake shaking.
    Link to USGS Liquifaction Zones
  • New Basements and Underground Parking for flatland sites
  • New Ground Level Parking

City of Santa Monica

The City of Santa Monica requires Geology and Soils Reports for the following:

  • New Construction for houses, garages with livable space, guesthouses, pools, and other accessory buildings
  • Room Additions
  • Sites located within the ‘Seismic Hazard Zone’ as defined by the California Geological Survey (A Seismic Hazard Zone means that the state has determined that weak soil and/or rock may likely be present under the property that can fail during an earthquake and can cause damage to buildings, unless proper precautions are taken during grading and construction. If a property is undeveloped, a site-specific investigation by a licensed engineering geologist and/or civil engineer may be required before the parcel can be subdivided or before most structures can be permitted.)
  • Sites located within the “Fault Hazard Management Zone” mapped by the City of Santa Monica http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/glossary/?term=fault
    (California requires Engineering Geologists to perform detailed fault investigations to find the location of these active faults and find the distance structures should be away from active faults.)
Reports
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