Geotechnical (Soils) Reports

What Is It?

Geotechnical (soils) reports for your site are prepared by llicensed Professional Engineers (Civil) with demonstrated expertise in geotechnical engineering. These reports may include:

• Information about the surface and subsurface character of your site
• Design recommendations for your project's foundation, retaining walls, drainage, slope stability, seismic design, and shoring elements (supports to prevent damage to neighboring property during excavation)
• Recommendations for sequencing, erosion control, and other measures to safely construct your project

• DR 5-2016, General duties and Responsibilities of Geotechnical Engineers

Find Geotechnical Reports

If we ask for a geotechnical report for your permit application, we usually require a report that is specific to your site and your project. You can use an existing geotechnical report for a nearby site to give you an idea of the scope of explorations and study that you may need.

To find existing geotechnical reports that we have on file, follow these steps:

1. Go to our Permit and Property Records search page
2. Enter a record number or a street address in the appropriate search box
3. Scroll down the list of reports to find the Geotechnical Reports
4. Click on the hyperlinked report title to open the PDF