Category: Blog
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Water Under the House: How to Fix a Wet Crawl Space
Musty smell in the house, or mud under the floor after a storm? Water in the crawl space is common in Bay Area homes, especially older houses on clay soil, and the rainy season makes it worse. Start outside. Most crawl space water comes from the yard and the roof, not from below. California’s building…
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Frost Depth and Foundation Digs in Mono County: What to Know Before You Excavate
Building in the Eastern Sierra? The ground freezes every winter, and a footing that sits too shallow can be lifted by freezing soil and crack the foundation. Before you dig, know which frost line applies to your lot. Mono County’s building criteria set a minimum frost depth of 18 inches below finished grade in unincorporated…
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Downspouts Dumping at the Foundation? Buried Drain Lines Explained
Rain is back in California, and every downspout on your house is about to show you where it sends water. If a downspout empties right at the foundation, that roof water soaks into the soil next to your house, where it can lead to wet crawlspaces, soggy beds and soil movement. The fix is often…
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Beat the Snow: Earthwork to Finish Before Winter in Mammoth Lakes
Snow is on the way in the Eastern Sierra, and any dirt work left open on your lot will be sitting under it until spring. Before winter sets in, two things matter most. First, close out what you can: get footings, utility trenches and drainage finished, inspected and backfilled. Open trenches and footing digs collect…
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Trenching for a PG&E Service Upgrade: What Homeowners Need to Know
Adding an EV charger, a heat pump, or an ADU? Your home may need a bigger electrical service, and if that service runs underground, there’s a trench involved. Most homeowners don’t realize that part is usually on them. Under PG&E’s service extension rules, the trench and conduit on your property are generally the customer’s responsibility.…
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Pre-Winter Drainage Checklist: What to Fix Before the First Storm
Rainy season is here, and the first big storm is the worst time to find out your drainage doesn’t work. A clogged gutter or a downspout dumping water at the foundation can turn a normal rain into a wet crawlspace. A few things worth checking this month: Trace every downspout to where it ends. On…
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Grading Your Property: What It Means, Why It Matters, and What It Costs
If you’ve ever stood on your lot after a heavy rain and watched water run the wrong direction — toward the foundation, across the driveway, into the crawl space — you’ve seen what happens when a property isn’t graded right. Grading is one of the least glamorous line items in any construction project, and one…
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Bay Area Soil Types and Why They Cause Drainage Problems
If you’ve lived in the Bay Area for more than one rainy season, you already know the drill. The first big atmospheric river rolls through, and by morning your side yard looks like a koi pond, water is sheeting off your hillside, and there’s a damp smell creeping up from the crawl space. The culprit…
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How French Drains Work and When Your Property Needs One
If water collects in your yard after every rainstorm, your foundation feels perpetually damp, or erosion keeps undoing your landscaping — your property may be telling you something. Drainage problems don’t fix themselves, and in the Bay Area’s heavy rainy seasons and the Eastern Sierra’s spring snowmelt, they tend to get worse fast. One of…
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What Is a Sewer Scope? Why Every Bay Area Homeowner Should Get One Before Building
You’ve got plans. Maybe it’s an ADU in the backyard, a garage conversion, a new driveway, or a full site prep for a home addition. You’ve lined up your contractor, pulled your permits, and you’re ready to break ground. One thing most homeowners never think to check before any of that happens: the condition of…
