Construction and Development

Construction in most coastal communities is now regulated such that development of beachfront lots, or parcels on the steeper slopes near the coast, require geotechnical/geologic hazards analysis prior to issuance of a building permit. OGS can provide you with the necessary site analysis and reporting to assist in obtaining your building permit. My unique approach and low overhead provides you with the necessary documentation, as well as recommendations to minimize site development costs, at a reasonable cost.

Buying and Selling Real Estate

When buying real estate, either for an individual homesite, a large parcel for subdivision, or a commercial building site, OGS can provide a pre-purchase property inspection and geologic hazards analysis to document the existing geotechnical issues, known geologic hazards, and general feasibility of construction or development. In addition, OGS can provide a geologic hazards analysis of existing homesites to assess the setback of the home compared to what would be allowed under present building codes, and the relationship of setback to design life.

In the coastal environment, coastal recession and slope stability are the primary geotechnical concerns. Coastal recession (beach cliff erosion) is a chronic problem on the coast, with parts of the coast eroding at rates of as much as a foot a year. The active beach cliff erosion, steep slopes of the coast, and the high amounts of coastal rainfall combine to produce an increase risk of slope movement.