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Geotechnical

Soils Reports

Site-specific geotechnical investigations with foundation and earthwork recommendations — required by California Building Code for most new construction.

What Is a Soils Report?

A soils report — formally a geotechnical investigation — evaluates subsurface soil and groundwater conditions at your project site. The report provides engineering recommendations for foundations, retaining walls, slabs, earthwork, and drainage that are specific to the soil conditions encountered. In Southern California, soils reports are required by the California Building Code (CBC) and local jurisdictions for virtually all new structures, additions, retaining walls over four feet, and grading permits.

Moment Engineering performs the full scope in-house: field exploration, laboratory testing, engineering analysis, and report preparation. Our reports are reviewed and stamped by a California-licensed Professional Engineer (Geotechnical) and formatted to meet the submittal requirements of the City of San Diego Development Services, County of San Diego, and jurisdictions throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County.

2–3 Weeks

Typical turnaround from field work to report delivery

10–50 ft

Standard boring depths for residential and commercial sites

Hundreds

of geotechnical reports delivered across Southern California

Need a Soils Report? Get a fixed-fee proposal — typically within 24 hours.

Request a Proposal ✆ (619) 374-8677

Typical Investment

$3,500 – $7,500

Residential sites. Commercial and hillside projects may be higher based on depth and scope.

Fees vary by site conditions, scope, and jurisdiction. Request a proposal for a fixed-fee quote tailored to your project.

Scope of Work

What's Included

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Subsurface Exploration

Hollow-stem auger borings, hand auger borings, or test pits logged by a field engineer. Continuous sampling with SPT (Standard Penetration Test) or California Modified sampler at regular intervals.

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Laboratory Testing

Moisture content, dry density, grain-size distribution, Atterberg limits, direct shear, expansion index, R-value, corrosivity (pH, resistivity, sulfate, chloride), and consolidation as warranted by site conditions.

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Foundation Recommendations

Allowable bearing pressures, minimum footing dimensions and embedment depths, and foundation type selection (conventional spread footings, continuous footings, post-tensioned slabs, or drilled piers) based on soil conditions.

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Earthwork & Grading Recommendations

Site preparation, removal depths, fill placement and compaction criteria, temporary and permanent slope inclinations, and subgrade preparation for slabs and pavements.

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Retaining Wall & Lateral Earth Pressures

Active, passive, and at-rest lateral earth pressure coefficients, allowable passive resistance, and coefficient of friction for retaining wall and below-grade wall design.

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Drainage & Groundwater Evaluation

Groundwater observations during drilling, percolation characteristics, and site drainage recommendations to protect foundations and flatwork from moisture-related distress.

When You Need a Soils Report

Most jurisdictions in Southern California require a geotechnical investigation before issuing a building or grading permit. Here are the most common triggers.

New Construction

Single-family homes, ADUs, multi-family, and commercial buildings — the CBC requires a soils report for essentially all new structures.

Room Additions

Adding square footage or a second story typically requires updated geotechnical recommendations, especially if the original report is outdated or unavailable.

Retaining Walls

Walls over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) require engineered design backed by site-specific soil data.

Grading Permits

Significant cut or fill (typically 50+ cubic yards in San Diego) triggers a grading permit, which requires a soils report and grading plan.

Hillside Development

Steep lots, coastal bluffs, and mapped landslide zones require slope stability analysis and often deeper exploration.

Pool & Hardscape

Many jurisdictions and structural engineers require geotechnical data for swimming pools, large patios, and detached structures.

Our Process

From Boring to Building Permit

Scope & Proposal

We review your plans, site address, and project scope to determine the exploration program (number and depth of borings, lab tests needed). You receive a fixed-fee proposal within 24 hours.

Field Exploration

Our drill crew advances borings at the site, collecting continuous soil samples. A field engineer logs each boring and classifies soils per USCS. Typical residential sites require 2–4 borings at 15–30 feet.

Lab Testing & Analysis

Samples are tested at an accredited lab. Our engineer analyzes the data to develop foundation, earthwork, and lateral earth pressure recommendations tailored to your project.

Report Delivery & Support

You receive a PE-stamped PDF report ready for plan check submittal. We respond to plan check correction letters and coordinate with your architect, structural engineer, and grading contractor through construction.

Want to learn more about what a soils reports involves?

Read: What Is a Soils Reports? →

Related Services

Often Paired With Soils Reports

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Grading Plans

Grading plans implement the earthwork recommendations from your soils report — they're almost always paired together for permit submittal.

Learn More →

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Compaction Testing

Your soils report specifies compaction requirements. We provide field testing during grading to verify those requirements are met.

Learn More →

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Drilling & Exploration

For complex sites requiring deep borings, rock coring, or CPT — our drilling services support the investigation scope.

Learn More →

Common Questions

Soils Reports FAQs

As a general industry reference, residential geotechnical investigations in Southern California typically run $3,000–$7,500; commercial projects generally range $8,000–$25,000+. Fees vary depending on site conditions, access, number of borings, and testing scope. These are general reference figures — your actual fee will be detailed in a fixed-fee proposal, which we provide after a brief project review. Contact us for a same-day quote.

Most residential reports are delivered within 2–3 weeks of field work. The timeline includes drilling (1 day), lab testing (5–7 business days), and report preparation (3–5 business days). Rush turnaround is available for time-sensitive projects.

Yes. In San Diego and most Southern California jurisdictions, new ADU construction requires a geotechnical investigation. The scope is typically the same as a single-family home — 2–3 borings at 15–20 feet. If a recent soils report exists for the property, we may be able to prepare an addendum letter instead of a full new report.

They're the same thing. 'Soils report' is the common term used by contractors and homeowners, while 'geotechnical investigation' or 'geotechnical report' is the formal engineering term. Both refer to the subsurface exploration and engineering analysis required by the building code.

It depends. Most jurisdictions accept reports that are less than 3–5 years old if site conditions haven't changed (no new grading, no adjacent construction, no changes in groundwater). If the report is older, we can often prepare a geotechnical update letter based on a limited site review rather than a completely new investigation.

Our field engineer will be on-site for the entire duration of drilling to log borings and collect samples. You do not need to be present, though we ask that you ensure site access (unlocked gates, clear drill rig path). We coordinate with DigAlert (811) for underground utility clearance before mobilizing.

Need a Soils Report?

Ready to schedule a site visit? Tell us your project address and we'll confirm boring locations, access requirements, and turn a fixed-fee proposal around same day.

Request a Proposal ✆ (619) 374-8677