Chapter 17.88
GRADING DESIGNATION AND LOCATION
Sections:
17.88.020 Appropriate Certifications.
17.88.010 Inspection.
A. General. Grading operations for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the City Engineer. In addition, professional inspection of grading operations shall be performed by the field engineer, geotechnical engineer, and the engineering geologist retained to provide such services in accordance with this section for engineered grading and as required by the City Engineer for regular grading.
B. Special and Supplemental Inspections. In addition to the called inspections in subsection (G) of this section, the City Engineer may make such other inspections, as may be deemed necessary, to determine that the work is being performed in conformance with the requirements of this code. The City Engineer may require investigations and reports by an approved soil testing agency, geotechnical engineer and/or engineering geologist, and field engineer. Inspection reports shall be provided when requested in writing by the City Engineer.
The City Engineer may require continuous inspection of drainage devices by the field engineer in accordance with this section when the City Engineer determines that the drainage devices are necessary for the protection of the structures in accordance with the City Building Code.
C. Field Engineer. The field engineer shall provide professional inspection of those parts of the grading project within such engineer’s area of technical specialty, oversee and coordinate all field surveys, set grade stakes, and provide site inspections during grading operations to ensure the site is graded in accordance with the approved grading plan and the appropriate requirements of this code. During site grading, and at the completion of both rough and final grading, the field engineer shall submit statements and reports as required by subsections (K) and (L) of this section. If revised grading plans are required during the course of the work, they shall be prepared by a civil engineer and approved by the City Engineer.
D. Geotechnical Engineer. The geotechnical engineer shall provide professional inspection of those parts of the grading project within such engineer’s area of technical specialty, which shall include observation during grading and testing for required compaction. The geotechnical engineer shall provide sufficient observation during the preparation of the natural ground and placement and compaction of the fill to verify that such work is being performed in accordance with the conditions of the approved plan and the appropriate requirements of this code. If conditions differing from the approved geotechnical engineering and engineering geology reports are encountered during grading, the geotechnical engineer shall provide revised recommendations to the permittee, the City Engineer, and the field engineer.
E. Engineering Geologist. The engineering geologist shall provide professional inspection of those parts of the grading project within such engineer’s area of technical specialty, which shall include professional inspection of the bedrock excavation to determine if conditions encountered are in conformance with the approved report. If conditions differing from the approved engineering geology report are encountered, the engineering geologist shall provide revised recommendations to the geotechnical engineer.
F. Permittee. The permittee shall be responsible for ensuring that the grading is performed in accordance with the approved plans and specifications and in conformance with the provisions of this code. The permittee shall engage project consultants, if required under the provisions of this code, to provide professional inspections on a timely basis. The permittee shall act as a coordinator between the project consultants, the contractor, and the City Engineer. In the event of changed conditions, the permittee shall be responsible for informing the City Engineer of such change and shall provide revised plans for approval.
G. Required Inspections. The permittee shall call for an inspection by the City Engineer at the following various stages of work and shall obtain written approval from the City Engineer prior to proceeding to the next stage of the work:
1. Pre-Grade. Before any construction or grading activities occur at the site, the permittee shall schedule a pre-grade inspection with the City Engineer. The permittee shall ensure that all the project consultants are present at the pre-grade inspection;
2. Initial. The permittee shall schedule the initial inspection when the site has been cleared of vegetation and unapproved fill and it has been scarified, benched, or otherwise prepared for fill. No fill shall have been placed prior to this inspection;
3. Rough. The permittee shall schedule rough grade inspection when approximate final elevations have been established; drainage terraces, swales and other drainage devices necessary for the protection of the building sites from flooding have been installed; berms have been installed at the top of the slopes; and the statements required by subsection (L) of this section have been received; and
4. Final. The permittee shall schedule the final grading inspection when grading has been completed, all drainage devices necessary to drain the building pad have been installed, slope planting has been established, irrigation systems have been installed, and the as built plans and required statements and reports have been submitted.
H. Notification of Noncompliance. If, in the course of fulfilling their respective duties under this chapter, the field engineer, geotechnical engineer, or the engineering geologist determines that the work is not being done in conformance with this chapter or with the approved grading plans, or in accordance with good accepted practices, the field engineer, geotechnical engineer, or the engineering geologist shall immediately notify, in writing, the discrepancies and the recommended corrective measures to the permittee and the City Engineer.
I. Transfer of Responsibility. If the field engineer, the geotechnical engineer, or the engineering geologist of record is changed at any time after the required grading plans have been approved by the City Engineer, the permittee shall immediately provide written notice of such change to the City Engineer. The City Engineer may stop the grading from commencing or continuing until the permittee has identified a replacement project consultant and the replacement project consultant has agreed in writing to assume responsibility for those parts of the grading project that are within the replacement project consultant’s area of technical competence.
J. Noninspected Grading. No person shall own, use, occupy, or maintain any noninspected graded property. For the purposes of this code, noninspected grading shall be defined as any grading for which a grading permit was first obtained, but which has progressed beyond any point requiring inspection and approval by the City Engineer without such inspection and approval having been obtained.
K. Routine Field Inspections and Reports. Unless otherwise directed by the City Engineer, the field engineer shall prepare routine inspection reports and shall file these reports with the City Engineer for all engineered grading projects as follows:
1. Bi-weekly during all times when grading of four hundred (400) cubic yards or more per week is occurring on the site;
2. Monthly, at all other times; and
3. At any time when requested in writing by the City Engineer.
Such reports shall certify to the City Engineer that the field engineer has inspected the grading site and related activities and has found them in compliance with the approved grading plans and specifications, the City Building Code, all grading permit conditions, and all other applicable ordinances and requirements.
L. Completion of Work. Upon completion of the rough grading work and at the final completion of the work, the following reports, drawings, and supplements thereto are required for engineered grading or when professional inspection is otherwise required by the City Engineer:
1. An “as built” grading plan shall be prepared by the field engineer, who is retained to provide such services, that shows all plan revisions as approved by the City Engineer. This as built grading plan shall include original ground surface elevations, as built ground surface elevations, lot drainage patterns, and the locations and elevations of surface drainage facilities and the outlets of subsurface drains. As built locations, elevations, and details of subsurface drains shall be shown as reported by the geotechnical engineer.
The as built grading plan shall be accompanied by a certification by the field engineer that to the best of his or her knowledge, the work within the field engineer’s area of responsibility was done in accordance with the final approved grading plan;
2. A report shall be prepared by the geotechnical engineer retained to provide such services, including locations and elevations of field density tests, summary of field and laboratory tests, other substantiating data, and comments on any changes made during grading and their effect on the recommendations made in the approved geotechnical investigation report. The report shall include a certification by the geotechnical engineer that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the work within the geotechnical engineer’s area of responsibility is in accordance with the approved geotechnical engineering report and applicable provisions of this code. The report shall contain a finding regarding the safety of the completed grading and any proposed structures against hazard from landslide, settlement, or slippage;
3. A report shall be prepared by the engineering geologist retained to provide such services, including a final description of the geology of the site and any new information disclosed during the grading and the effect of such new information, if any, on the recommendations incorporated in the approved grading plan. The report shall include a certification by the engineering geologist that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the work within the engineering geologist’s area of responsibility is in accordance with the approved engineering geology report and applicable provisions of this code. The report shall contain a finding regarding the safety of the completed grading and any proposed structures against hazard from landslide, settlement, or slippage. The report shall contain a final as built geologic map and cross sections depicting all the information collected prior to and during grading;
4. When planting and irrigation is required by Section 17.87.020 (Slope Planting and Erosion Control), at completion of final grading, and prior to final approval of the grading by the City Engineer, the landscape architect or field engineer shall submit a statement that the slope planting has been established and the irrigation system has been installed in conformance with the approved plans; and
5. The grading contractor shall certify in writing that the grading conforms to said as built plan and the approved specifications.
M. Notification of Completion. The permittee shall notify the City Engineer when the grading operation is ready for final inspection. Final approval shall not be given until all work, including installation of all drainage facilities and their protective devices and all erosion control measures, has been completed in accordance with the final approved grading plan and all required reports have been submitted and approved.
N. Change of Ownership. Unless otherwise required by the City Engineer, when a grading permit has been issued on a site and the owner sells the property prior to final grading approval, the new owner shall be required to obtain a new grading permit.
O. Violation. It is a violation of this code for any person to verify to the satisfactory completion of work as required by this chapter if such work is subsequently found by the City Engineer to have been in substantial noncompliance with the approved design or code requirement at the time of verification. (Ord. 13-8 § 4 (Exh. A), 6/11/13)
17.88.020 Appropriate Certifications.
Any project subject to Section 17.51.020 (Hillside Development) and involving less than five thousand (5,000) cubic yards of earth may also require the reports, statements, or certifications set forth by this code. (Ord. 13-8 § 4 (Exh. A), 6/11/13)