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

HLS on the Radio

We hope everyone had a wonderful President's Day Holiday!  Our staff is all very excited about the newest Hogan Land Services campaign... have you heard it yet?

That's right, we are running a radio ad on the Sonoma County KZST and KJZY!  Over the years Hogan Land Services has helped out thousands of clients all over California, and we want to share with everyone what we can do for you!

Whether you wave next time you see the Permit Mobile, or decide to give us a call regarding that home improvement project, we thank you for tuning in!

Our dedicated staff of professionals are excited to share our knowledge and help homeowners and developers reach their land development and services needs.

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

An Update on Wet Weather Testing

The 2015 season of Wet Weather testing has been a busy one!  We have successfully completed multiple Wet Weather Percolation tests over the last month and a half.  The testing window for Wet Weather Percolation testing opened the first week of January and is projected to remain open until March.

Coincidentally, the window for Groundwater testing just opened this past Monday, February 9.  If you are in need of a Groundwater test, now is the time to call us to get on the schedule.  

Are you unsure if you property requires one of these tests? Contact our office and we will explain the process and if these Wet Weather Tests align with your project needs.

To leave you with a laugh, we never know what we are going to encounter in the field.  This horse was clever enough to drink the fruits of our labor.  At least the water wasn't going to waste!

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

Top Ways to Improve Your Property Value - Part 3

This week's post is Part 3 of our reoccurring theme, "Top Ways to Improve Your Property Value".   Today we will be looking into projects or enhancements you can do to increase your property's value throughout the years.  Adding entitlements to your property is a great way to give your particular parcel its highest and best value.  An entitlement is a legal agreement with a governing municipality to allow a certain building type to occur on the site.

There are a few ways you can add entitlements to your property.  An example is adding a pond or a well onto your land.  With these types of entitlements, project coordination is typically required with multiple agencies.  For example, the California Regional Water Board will most likely be involved, along with the local permitting agency to ensure regulations are upheld.  Other entitlements can be in the form of special zoning or land-use improvements.

Although coordination and management of a project with multiple agencies sounds daunting, it is something the pro's at Hogan Land Services do on a daily basis.

If you have an existing feature on your property such as a pond or stream, contact us to find out if we can help you add entitlements, and increase your property value!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Groundwater & Wet Weather Testing Window

Happy 2015!  With a new year, the window for Sonoma County's Groundwater and Wet Weather Percolation testing has opened for a limited time.  As many of you know, 2014 was a record dry year for California.  The impact of the low rainfall can be seen throughout the state.  The lack of rain these last few years caused the 2013/14 window for Wet Weather Percolation and Groundwater testing to last a mere few weeks, creating a disadvantage to many pre-construction projects.

Luckily Sonoma County has been saturated with a few storms over the last few weeks, and the window for Wet Weather Percolation and Groundwater testing looks promising for 2015. The testing window for Percolation has just opened for Petaluma, Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Guerneville and Cloverdale.  If you have been needing a Wet Weather test, please call us to get on the schedule!   The window for Groundwater testing can be conducted 10 days after rainfall of .8 inches within a 48 hour window for the specific geographic location.  We monitor the rainfall daily in our office, therefore our staff will be able to respond quickly and effectively if your project opens for Groundwater Testing. We don't want anyone to miss out on this opportunity.  Once the testing window closes the next possibility will be in 2016.  So make sure you don't miss out! 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

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

Top Ways to Improve Your Property Value - Part 1

Real estate is often our most valuable asset, and nothing feels better than crossing projects off the home improvement list.  Aside from the honey-do items, what about the assets that your property has, but didn't know could be improved?  That's where we come in.

Over the next few months we will be posting Hogan Land Services' "Top Ways to Improve Your Property Value" and provide tips and tricks for understanding more about your property, and what you can do about it.

This week our post features how to find out what you can do with your existing property.  Can  you build a second unit on your parcel?  Is there potential for commercial use?  Is it zoned for agricultural use?  Did you know you there are ways to change your zoning?

These questions have readily available answers, and once you have the information on what you can do; then you can determine what you want to do!

The land service professionals at Hogan Land Services will explain to you all the allowable uses for your property, and help modify it to maximize value.  If you've been curious about the assets your property may contain, give us a call!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Don't Let it Wash Away

The rainy season is approaching!  As the rain washes in, there are a few things we want homeowners to be on the lookout for this fall.  Unexpected rain storms can unsettle dry earth that has built up over this hot summer we had.  In this post, we want to demonstrate the importance of recognizing erosion, and learning what can be done about it.

Soil erosion is the action of water flow or wind, which removes soil and rock from one location, then transports it to another location where it is deposited.  Do you think you have seen the effects of erosion?  An extreme example that many people have seen is the Grand Canyon.  

Examples of soil erosion are everywhere, but why do we want Sonoma County residents aware of the issue?  With such a diverse community of farmers, vintners, and wildlife,  soil that is not properly managed can lead to run-off affecting our natural streams and rivers.  The velocity of rain fall can be as great as 20 mph! (1)  The force of the rain breaks apart the dry soil, and causes sediment to be transported away from its original location.  This effects the landscape by creating polluted water as the soil runs downslope with the rain fall.

So what can be done to prevent soil erosion at your property?  If your property is currently undergoing construction, and is larger than 1 acre, a certified QSP (Qualified Storm Water Pollution Prevention Practitioner) must be called to monitor and set up proper erosion management.  If you think you observe erosion at your property, snap a picture and e-mail it to us.  Hogan Land Services has two qualified QSP/QSD staff members, who can easily identify if your property is in danger of eroding.

Effective erosion control is an important technique in preventing water pollution, soil loss, wildlife habitat loss and property loss.


Below are two examples of erosion control management.  Can you guess which one is not being properly managed?

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

(1)http://www.sonoma-county.org/agcomm/pdf/bmp_handbook3.pdf

Falling into Fall

Although summer is official over, Sonoma County is just beginning to see hints of the seasons change.  The rain showers here and there have been a treat, but the reality is still hot and dry days for our survey crew.

In conditions such as these, we try to be extra cautions of our carbon footprint.  From avoiding tall grasses with our field vehicles to curb fire danger, to conserving water for our in-office meetings and events.  As a green company, the Hogan Land Services team is conscious of how a little extra effort and conservation can go a long way.

Here's our latest view from the field as we continue deeper into the Fall season.  Let's all hope for rain on the horizon!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

Closer to Home

This year has been an exciting one so far for Hogan Land Services.  As some of you may know, we changed locations!  In January, our office moved from Farmers Lane to our current home 1702 4th Street.  Our new office is roomy and bright, with a beautiful conference room, and even our very OWN parking lot!

Inside, we have the pleasure of displaying a series of Aerial Survey photographs taken by Mike Hogan's father in 1976!  These photos traveled the County and lived proudly at the Sonoma County Library for years, until they were returned to our office a few months ago.  The collection spans from Ukiah to the San Francisco Bay, and were strategically hung in our office to represent the North to South flow of the photos.

Now to brag a little, we are extremely excited to debut our building signs.  Did you know that business must obtain a permit to display building signs from the County PRMD?  Fortunately we knew someone to handle the job, and now there is no missing us!

Below is a little view into our office, stop on by to see the full picture!

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls

The Foundation of it All...

This week's view from the field is a peek at our Structural side.

We love being involved in development projects, and there is no grander transformation than a house built from scratch.  Hogan Land Services has a qualified team of Civil and Structural Engineers on staff, and provide Architectural Drafting and Structural Engineering services for a wide spectrum of projects.

Our experience ranges from the engineering of new homes, to the reconnaissance missions of examining older homes.  Sonoma County is a historic area after all, and some homes are over 100 years old!  Many of these historic homes show their age due to natural settling appearing in the form of cracks and separations.

So, if you are hearing some creaking or seeing cracks in your historic house, do not hesitate to give us a call!  We can determine if the home is settling naturally, or if there is engineering work that needs to be addressed.

For now, we are leaving history behind- and showing you a new construction project overlooking beautiful Sonoma County.

See you on our next view from the field!

Hogan Land Services Team

#hoganls