What is a Soil Report?

A soil report, also called a geotechnical report, explains what the ground is like beneath your property and how it will behave when you build on it. Every site has different soil conditions: some soils are firm and stable, while others can shift, settle, or weaken when they get wet. To create a report, we visit your property and perform field testing, which may include drilling small exploratory holes or digging test pits to collect soil samples. We then analyze these samples in a laboratory to understand soil strength, layering, drainage, and how the ground may respond to the weight of a structure, retaining wall, or slope. Using this information, along with local geology, seismic activity, and site conditions, we prepare clear, practical recommendations specific to your site and its unique conditions. If an adverse earth movement such as a landslide, house settling, coastal erosion, creek embankment failure, or otherwise, has taken place, we can seek to understand why and provide recommendations for repair.

Geotechnical reports are important for new construction because they help prevent costly and potentially serious problems such as foundation cracking, uneven settling, slope instability, or drainage issues. Should those challenges already have occurred, a geotechnical investigation can help determine the best strategy to fix the issue. Architects, structural engineers, and contractors use these reports to design foundations, slabs, retaining walls, drainage systems, slope reconstructions, and more, that are appropriate for your site. In many parts of California, a soil report is required to obtain a building permit. For homeowners, our investigation provides confidence that the project is being designed to work with the ground beneath it, helping ensure long-term safety, performance, and durability.

Our team creates soil reports in the San Francisco Bay Area, including East Bay and the Peninsula, as far South as Santa Cruz and beyond, as well as Marin and Santa Rosa Counties.