Unpermitted Retaining Walls: How the Legalization Process Works in Sonoma County
Direct Answer: Sonoma County can require you to retroactively permit old retaining walls and grading through an as-built permit process, which typically involves engineering reports, inspections, and sometimes remediation before the county signs off. A homeowner reached out to us recently with a situation I’ve seen come up more and more often. He had retaining […]
Foundation Contractor or General Contractor: Who Digs Your Foundation?
Direct Answer: An excavation contractor opens and prepares the earth. A foundation contractor pours the concrete. They are two separate trades, and the excavation always comes first. I hear some version of the same question almost every week: “I need a foundation contractor, are you the right person to call?” Most of the time, the […]
FEMA Just Remapped 2,500 Santa Rosa Properties, Here’s What It Means for Your Site
Direct Answer: FEMA’s January 2026 flood map update places roughly 2,500 Santa Rosa properties in high-risk flood zones, triggering new drainage, grading, and foundation elevation requirements for anyone building or making major site improvements. If your property is near a creek in Santa Rosa, Bennett Valley, or the unincorporated stretches west of the city, there […]
What a Site Plan Actually Controls, and Why Getting One Wrong Delays Everything
Direct Answer: A site plan coordinates grading, drainage, setbacks, and cut-fill volumes for permit review. Get the contours wrong in Sonoma County and your permit resets, costing weeks to months. One of the most frustrating calls we get goes something like this: a property owner spent weeks getting their paperwork together, submitted everything to the […]
What a Building Pad Actually Is — and Why Getting It Wrong Is Expensive
Direct Answer: A building pad is a precisely graded and compacted earth platform that supports a foundation or slab. It requires engineered soil preparation, proper drainage slope, and stable subsoil — not just a level-looking piece of ground. Most homeowners I talk to hear the term building pad from their engineer or contractor and nod […]
Sonoma County Just Changed How Grading Permits Work
Direct Answer: Permit Sonoma launched a Grading Self-Certification Program in April 2026, allowing approved licensed professionals to certify qualifying grading work themselves — potentially cutting review time significantly. Not every project qualifies. If you’re planning any grading work in Sonoma County — whether it’s a new build, a retaining wall, a driveway approach, or drainage […]
Why Drainage Trenching Fails — and What a Proper Install Actually Requires
Direct Answer: Most drainage trenching fails because of design errors, not bad materials. If the outlet location, pipe diameter, and soil permeability aren’t matched to actual site conditions, the system will back up or route water somewhere worse. I’ve walked properties where a homeowner paid good money for a French drain two or three years […]
Residential Excavation in Sonoma County: The Limits Most Homeowners Don’t Know About
Direct Answer: Yes, residential excavation in Sonoma County has several hard limits — permit thresholds at 50 cubic yards, required utility notifications, property line setbacks, and fire hazard zone restrictions that most homeowners don’t know about until they’re already in trouble. I get some version of this question pretty regularly: “Are there any limitations to […]
Retaining Walls Built on Slopes: What the Excavation Has to Get Right First
Direct Answer: A retaining wall on a slope fails or succeeds based on what happens before the wall goes in — specifically how the slope is cut back, how the footing is prepared, and whether drainage is installed behind the wall during excavation. Most homeowners planning a retaining wall spend their time picking materials — […]
When a Creek Eats Your Property: What Erosion Control on a Riparian Lot Actually Takes
Direct Answer: Creek bank erosion on a riparian lot requires a site-specific solution — rip-rap, bioengineering, or a structural wall — plus permits from multiple agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers and CDFW before any work begins. One homeowner on Londonberry Drive in Santa Rosa described it as watching their backyard disappear in slow […]