(A) Inspections authorized. All construction or work for which a permit is required will be subject to inspections by authorized employees of the city, and certain types of work to be determined by the City Engineer or Building Official will have either continuous inspection and supervision by a registered civil engineer, soils engineer, engineering geologist, and/or other appropriate consultants as a condition of the issuance of the grading permit. Prior to issuing a grading certificate, a final inspection will be made of all construction or work for which a permit has been issued.
(B) Exposure of work. Whenever any work on which called inspections are required, as specified in this section, is covered or concealed by additional work without having first been inspected, the City Engineer or Building Official may, by written notice, require that such work be exposed for examination. The work of exposing and recovering will not entail expense to the city.
(C) Notices. The permittee or his or her agent must notify the City Engineer or Building Official at least 24 hours in advance of the time when the grading operation is ready for each of the following inspections:
(1) Initial inspections. When the permittee is ready to begin work but before any grading or brushing is started;
(2) Toe inspections. After the natural ground is exposed and prepared to receive fill but prior to the placing of any fill. Approval for placing fill must not be made until all debris and unsuitable material has been removed from the site to an approved location;
(3) Subdrain inspections. Inspections will be required on all subdrains after the installation but prior to the placement of any fill;
(4) Excavation inspections. After the excavation is started but before the vertical depth of the excavation exceeds ten feet;
(5) Fill inspections. After the fill emplacement is started but before the combined vertical height of the lift exceeds ten feet;
(6) Drainage device inspections. After the forms, steel reinforcement, and pipe are in place but before any concrete is placed;
(7) Rough grading. When all the rough grading has been completed. This inspection may be called for at the completion of the rough grading without the necessity of the City Engineer or Building Official having previously reviewed and approved applicable reports;
(8) Rough grading certification. A conditional interim certificate may be issued to the Public Works Department to allow the issuance of building permits. This certificate will in no way exonerate the applicant from completing the grading;
(9) Final certification. When all work, including the installation of all drainage structures, other protective devices, the compaction of trench backfill, and planting and slope stabilization, has been completed and the "as built" plan and required reports have been submitted;
(10) Other inspections. In addition to the called inspections provided by this section, the City Engineer or Building Official may make any other inspections of any work to ascertain compliance with the provisions of this chapter and other laws; and
(11) Interrupted grading. When the permittee is ready to resume work, but before any grading or brushing is started, the permittee or his or her agent must notify the City Engineer or Building Official 24 hours in advance of the time when the grading operation is ready.
(D) Issuance of certificates. Upon the final inspection, when it is found that the work authorized
by the grading permit, including the installation of a drainage structures, has been satisfactorily completed in accordance with the requirements of Chapters 16.96 through 16.99 (Grading and Erosion Control) of this Title 16, a grading certificate covering such work will be issued to the permittee by the City Engineer.
(E) Final reports. Upon the completion of the work, the City Engineer may require the following reports and information:
(1) A report from a registered civil engineer certifying that all grading, lot drainage, and drainage facilities have been completed in conformance with the approved plans and the provisions of Chapters 16.96 through 16.99 (Grading and Erosion Control) of this Title 16 and that the graded site will support residential or commercial type structures, whichever is applicable;
(2) A soils engineering report including, but not limited to, certification of the soil bearing capacity, summaries of field and laboratory tests, locations of tests, expansive soil classification lot by lot, and slope tests taken in the fills showing the limits of compacted fill on an "as built" grading plan;
(3) An engineering geology report by the engineering geologist, based on the final contour map, including specific approval of the grading as affected by geological factors. Where necessary, a revised geologic map, cross sections, and any recommendations necessary must be included; and
(4) When "as built" grading plans are required, as determined by the City Engineer, such plans must be signed by the supervising civil engineer, the soils engineer, and the engineering geologist, when applicable, for their portions of the work.
(Ord. 1103, passed 3-7-05)