Bakersfield Municipal Code Ch. 16.44 Soil and Grading Reports

A. A preliminary soils report based upon adequate test borings, and a grading plan, shall be submitted to the city engineer for every subdivision prior to the filing of the final tract map or final parcel map. The city engineer may review the report and may require additional information or reject the report if it is found to be incomplete, inaccurate or unsatisfactory. Such soils report and grading plan shall be prepared by a civil engineer registered in this state, who shall recommend the corrective action which is likely to prevent structural damage to each structure proposed to be constructed in the area where the soils problem exists.

B. If the soils report indicates the presence of critically expansive soils or other soils problems which, if not corrected, would lead to structural defects, a soils investigation of each lot or parcel in the subdivision may be required by the city engineer. Such soils investigation shall recommend the corrective action which is likely to prevent structural damage to each structure proposed to be constructed in the area where the soils problems exist.

C. If the preliminary soils report indicates the presence of rocks or liquids containing deleterious chemicals which, if not corrected, could cause construction materials such as concrete, steel and ductile or cast iron to corrode or deteriorate, a soils investigation of each potentially affected lot in the subdivision may be required.

D. The city may approve the subdivision or portion thereof where soils problems described in subsections B. and C. of this section exist if it is determined that the recommended action is likely to prevent structural damage to each structure to be constructed, and as a condition to the issuance of any building permit may require that the approved recommended action be incorporated in the construction of each structure. (Ord. 3515 § 1, 1993)

A. A preliminary soils report and/or the grading plan may be waived, but only when the building director and city engineer both find that due to the knowledge the city has as to the quality of the soils or the topography of the land in the subdivision, no preliminary analysis of the soil or grading plan is necessary.

B. If the city engineer or building director requires a preliminary soils report and/or grading plan for subdivisions for which a final parcel map is required, the soils report and/or grading plan may be deferred by the advisory agency as a requirement of the approval of the tentative parcel map and recordation of the final parcel map until such time as a building permit application is filed. (Ord. 3515 § 1, 1993)

A. Grading shall be performed in accordance with the approved grading plan and the preliminary soils report and compaction tests shall be submitted to the city’s building director for each lot in a subdivision prior to recordation of the final map, except as the building director may determine that no public interest would be served thereby.

B. When any soils investigation has indicated any soil problems and a civil engineer has recommended the corrective action which is likely to prevent structural damage to each structure proposed to be constructed in the area where the soils problems exist, the final map or parcel map may be approved for recording subject to the following condition: The building director shall not approve any building permit on any lot within any new subdivision until a final soils report has been submitted to him showing that all corrective action set forth in the preliminary soils report and report of the soils investigation has been completed and until the civil engineer has certified that all corrective action likely to prevent any structural damage to any structure proposed to be constructed in the area where the soils problems exist, has been taken and completed to his satisfaction. (Ord. 3515 § 1, 1993)

No building permit shall be issued for any lot in any subdivision until all grading has been completed in accordance with the approved grading plan and a final soil report has been submitted to and approved by the building director. Whenever such conditions have not been satisfied prior to recordation of a final map, notice of such conditions shall be set forth on the face of the final map. (Ord. 3515 § 1, 1993)