Thinking about Summer Construction?

Does the warm spring days make anyone else think about summer construction?  At Hogan Land Services, we can almost smell it in the air.

Summer is the perfect time to build, grade, and improve your property- and we can help ensure your property is ready for those steps!

Before starting any project, it is important to know if you need any permits for your plans.  For example, building a small tool shed, or a children's play structure? You may not need a permit!

But did you know a permit is required for an improvement such as replacing a water heater?

Whether your summer construction or improvement plans are big or small, it is important to know you plans will be executed properly, safely, and up to code standards.   If your project needs engineering, or you just don't want to handle the permitting process, give us a call!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Rapid Parcel Analysis

At Hogan Land Services, we get very excited about our clients that have creative ideas about maximizing their property potential.  Examples range from obtaining a use permit to farm their land, to adding secondary units for extra living space.

You may be wondering, "How do I know if I can do these improvements to my own property?"  Well the answer is easier than you think.  Its all about knowing your full property potential.... and we offer a lens to see it through.  Oh, did we mention it is FREE??

Thats right, our Rapid Parcel Analysis is a free service we offer in order for you to have a view into your property zoning, permit history, septic, record maps, utilities, and potential flood zones.

All you need to do is contact our office and provide your property address, and within 48 hours, we will send you our packet with a write up of our findings.

If this sounds too good to be true, call our office and give it a try!  Our belief is that knowledge is power, and we want our clients as educated as possible about their land.  Property is a large investment, and its important to know the ways your can improve it.

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Wildlife Wednesdays

We have begun a fun installment on our Hogan Land Services Facebook page called "Wildlife Wednesdays".  Every other week we are posting shots from the field that we have taken of the great wildlife around us.  The pictures so far have ranged from curious cows, to tiny lizards!

Being as active in the field as our crews are, our team always takes care to watch where they are hiking and set-up their equipment.  We share this world with some amazing wildlife, and we do the best we can to leave the smallest footprint possible.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook for all of our posts and updates!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Staff Feature: HLS Engineering Dept. Manager

Now that Daylight Savings has officially sprung everyone into the warmer season mindset, we decided to shake up our Blog post this week!  As you know, we usually post about what we are up to and feature our work in action.  This week we are sharing a behind the scenes feature on our very own Engineering Department Manager, Daniel Byrne.

Daniel is an essential part of the HLS team, and was recently nominated as one of the North Bay Busienss Journal's 40 under 40!  We are very happy to have Daniel recognized for his accomplishments and future potential.

Given his ever-busy schedule as the Engineering Department Manager and father of two youngsters, Daniel shared with us some of his personal interests and favorite memories at HLS.


Did you always want to be an Engineer?
Daniel:  No, growing up I wanted to be a Firefighter, Pro-athele, or a mail man.


What are your hobbies and interests?
Daniel: Mountain biking, motorcycling, anything outdoors and active.


What do you consider you greatest professional accomplishment?
Daniel: In March of 2012 I received my license as a Registered Civil Engineer, and joined my mentor, Ken Carr in the club of first attempt exam passers.


What is your favorite thing about working for Hogan Land Services?
Daniel: That we have stayed true to our original purpose of helping people achieve their dreams.


What is the best advice you have ever received?
Daniel: "I have not failed.  I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work" - Thomas Edison


We hope you enjoyed our "shake-up" this week on our Engineering Department Manager, Daniel Byrne

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Top Ways to Improve Your Property Value - Part 4

When searching for a house to purchase, many people create a "must-have" list.  These items can range from wanting a pool, to an open space floor plan, acreage, etc...  As many homeowners know, there are usually compromises that must be made for your dream home to fit with reality.  And for many, this includes the yard or property boundaries being smaller than they dreamed.

Many times those "compromises" turn into honey-do or annual projects lists.  But here's one improvement you may not have realized was possible.  With the right tools, you can adjust your property boundaries for a desired topographic configuration to your parcel.  Your neighbors property might have a perfect piece that would add value to your property without taking away from the value of his, or vice-versa!

The process begins with a conversation.  Talk to your neighbor and see if it's something they are interested in.  The next step to initiate this type of project would be to call a professional Land Surveyor, and determine what your existing, and reconfigured future boundary lines would look like. Certain requirements must be met, but the process can be inexpensive and cost effective.  

If this sounds like an item on that honey-do or annual project list, give us a call and learn how our professional Land Surveyors can help improve the value of your property.

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Above the Flood Line

Have you ever heard of an Elevation Certificate?  Perhaps if your insurance has been asking you to get one, it is a very familiar term. If not,  FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has developed certain guidelines for communities located in  flood hazard areas to allow homeowners to obtain flood insurance.      

So what exactly does this mean?  Certain areas have been designated as  "SFHA's" or Special Flood Hazard Areas by FEMA.  The SFHAs indicate there is a potential for the area to be affected by rising water levels and flood zones.  An Elevation Certificate is a document prepared by a Land Surveyor to provide accurate information to insurance providers about the relationship between a homeowners house and property and the Base Flood Elevation (BFE).  The BFE is determined by FEMA and is subject to change. Therefore, specific information about a house or property may show the risk of flooding is less, and thus lowers or removes the obligation to obtain insurance that some loan providers require.

Our experienced Land Surveyors have completed many Elevation Certificates over the years.  If your insurance is asking you for one, or if you have questions about the process, the professionals at Hogan Land Services are here to help.

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Happy New Year!

Happy New Years Eve!

2014 has been a fantastic year for the Hogan Land Services team.  We are thankful for our great clients, amazing staff, and everything in between.

Cheers to a successful 2014, and best wishes to all as we enter 2015!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Update from our Santa Cruz Office

Hogan Land Services' Santa Cruz location is running full steam ahead!  Meeting other local businesses and supporting the Santa Cruz community is creating excitement for the future as we continue to grow into our new home here.  

Santa Cruz is a thriving community full of opportunity and potential projects.  The connections and relationships we are forming today will lead to a successful collaboration to help you improve the value of your property.

Offering all of the same services, Hogan Land Services is eager to get our foot in the door with all different types of projects.  Whether you have a property out in the country or are looking to remodel a home situated right downtown, we can help ensure your project is managed correctly, built to code, and ultimately turn your vision into a reality. 

We had an amazing sneak peak at a fully collaborative project that is nearing a successful completion.  The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) invited us to view the La Selva Trestle along the County's Branch Rail Line.  This project involved multiple Engineering firms and a rigorous permit processing period.  Now, the end result is a full improvement for the County, the Santa Cruz community, and the Regional Transportation Commission.  Below is a picture from our site visit and everyone agrees, not much beats an office day spent at the beach!

To find out more about our Santa Cruz office, visit our website and click on the "Santa Cruz" tab.

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Top Ways to Improve Your Property Value - Part 2

Time for another installment of "Top Ways to Improve Your Property Value".  In this segment we are reviewing a topic that is difficult for many homeowners to manage on their own.   And in many cases, property and homeowners may not even know a problem exists on their land.

Un-permited work whether done by you, or the previous homeowner can lead to violations against your property, decreasing value until the work is remedied!  This can be in the form of grading or earth movement, un-permited barns or accessory dwelling units, to a deck add-on or sunroom that did not go through the County regulations and process.

While some of these items may look like they increase your property value, unattended violations negatively impact your assets and even the re-sale value of your home.

Hogan Land Services has dealt with many violation resolution projects, and we know they come in all shapes, sizes and circumstances.  

If you are a new homeowner, and are unsure about some work done on your property, give us a call and we can review County records and reports to determine if the work was done legally or not.  If the latter is true, we can help develop and plan and process to get your violation corrected and legalized to County standards.  Even if the violation has not been reported yet, it is important to address the issue and work through solutions to have the work legalized.

The team at Hogan Land Services is determined to come up with creative, cost-effective solutions for all of your property needs.  We know that resolving a violation that you may not have even had a part of is frustrating, and thats why we are here to help!  Even if you are not ready to go through the entire legalization process, knowledge is power - and the experts at Hogan Land Services want you to know everything about your property.

  

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

The Napa Earthquake - A Look Back

The earthquake on August 24, 2014 will be remembered by people in Napa and Sonoma County for years.  The 6.0 registered quake occurred at about 3:20 A.M. and many were awakened by the jolt.

As Civil and Structural Engineers, the team at Hogan Land Services sprang into action.  For two weeks after the quake, we offered a free site review of your home, workplace, or property to assess the damage, and determine accessibility.  We received an enormous response from homeowners all over Napa and Sonoma County.  Some were unsure if their property had been affected, while others reported obvious damage.

The level of reported damage ranged from minor to severe, but we treated every case with extreme care and caution.  Structural damage is a serious issue!  We helped property owners determine the extent of structural movement or damage, and advised how to remedy the issue.  Our goal was to ensure your home, workplace or building was safe - and provide recommendations on how to proceed.

We were happy to support the community in a time of need, and our team of Engineers rose to the occasion with site visits nearly every other day in September.  Below are a few images from the structural damage we witnessed.

                            

Although it has been months since the Napa Earthquake, it is always important to do a visual check of your home 2-3 times a year.  If you have witnessed any movement or cracking in your home, please call us for a site review!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to wish you all the warmest Thanksgiving wishes from our team to you! 

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Introducing... HLS Santa Cruz!

Being a part of the Hogan Land Services Team, there is one thing we all know to be true, "the only constant is change".  Whether this relates to County protocol, civil design modifications, or even adding personnel to our office, we are always in a state of change.

It has been an extremely successful year thus far, and we have recently created change that will open the door to a new County in order to offer our services to the greater Northern California community.

We are pleased to announce the opening of our second Hogan Land Services office, located in Santa Cruz County!

Hogan Land Services, Santa Cruz will offer all of the same services such as Land Surveying, Civil and Structural Engineering, Septic and Wastewater Design, and of course, Permit Processing.

We are very excited to branch out to Santa Cruz County, and help you develop your dream beach home, or fix-up an older mountain cabin.

For more information, visit our website and click on the "HLS Santa Cruz" tab.  Or call us anytime at 831-419-4051.

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls