South Pasadena Grading Plan: Garage Widening and Drainage Exit to Hanscom Drive
Grading plan for a South Pasadena residential remodel. Lot above street grade with garage widening, new staircase, and area drains routing to Hanscom Drive.
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Perspectives on civil engineering, hillside construction, and grading in Los Angeles.
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Pacific Palisades Grading Plan: 12% Slope, Basement Level, and Deep Trench Drainage
Grading plan for a Pacific Palisades hillside rebuild on a 12% slope. Garage and basement on same level with lightwell, area drains, and deep trench drainage to the street.
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Burbank Grading Plan: SB9 House with 34-Foot Slope
Burbank SB9 project on a 34-foot slope. See how we designed the garage level, handled drainage, and got planning approval.
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Altadena Drainage Plan: 11-Foot Slope, ADU, and Rain Garden Design
A drainage plan and hydrology report for an Altadena fire rebuild where the site slopes 11 feet from street to rear. We designed flowlines around the main house and proposed ADU, added plastic lined rain gardens on both sides, and used the hydrology report to show pre-fire impervious was greater than proposed.
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The ADU Timing Question Every Altadena Fire Rebuild Owner Should Ask Before Plans Are Approved
LA County often requires pumps on Altadena fire rebuild projects. But there are ways to get around that requirement. If you are planning to add an ADU later, doing the extra engineering now could save $15,000 to $20,000 by avoiding sump pump requirements.
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AI Search and Status Monitoring for Civil Engineering
We built a status page with real response time metrics and an AI search tool that answers questions about our civil engineering work.
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Why Your Altadena Fire Rebuild Might Not Need a Sump Pump or LID Covenant
We recently got a drainage plan approved in Altadena without requiring a sump pump or a LID maintenance covenant. Here is the engineering behind why it worked.
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Most Altadena Fire Rebuilds Do Not Need a Full Grading Plan. Here's How to Know If Yours Does.
LA County requirements keep changing after the Eaton Fire. Most Altadena fire rebuilds only need a drainage plan, not a full grading plan. Here is what can trigger the requirements.
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Pacific Palisades Fire Rebuild: Basement, Pool, and Sump Pump on Chapala Drive
A fire rebuild project on Chapala Drive in Pacific Palisades required a grading plan, excavation plan, erosion control plan, and stormwater sump pump design for a basement with 2 stories above. The corner lot had existing drainage from NW to SE and a proposed pool with lightwells below street grade.
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Baseline Hillside Ordinance Explained: What Homeowners and Contractors Need to Know
The Baseline Hillside Ordinance controls how much you can grade on hillside properties in Los Angeles. Here is what the BHO actually says, what triggers it, and how the formula works.
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