Do I need a geotechnical report to get a building or shoring permit?
Most Lower Mainland municipalities require a Geotechnical submission for new buildings, significant additions, excavations near property lines, steep-slope sites, or when soft/filled ground is suspected. We routinely provide permit-support documents / reports, shoring concepts, and construction field reviews; for cities that use standardized forms (e.g., S1/S2, Letters of Assurance), we prepare those too.
What Does a Geotechnical Report Include?
A typical DIG report covers: desktop review (LiDAR, geology, historic fills), site walk, subsurface investigation (DCPT, SPT, CPT, boreholes, or test pits), lab testing, groundwater considerations, settlement and bearing capacity analysis, seismic site class / liquefaction screening, shoring/excavation recommendations and concepts, slab-on-grade / subgrade preparation, pavement / subbase design, lateral pressure and basement/retaining wall design, and drainage recommendations. Whether constrained urban sites or steep terrain, we tailor our scope so you’re not paying for tests you don’t need.
How much does a geotechnical report cost, and how long does it take?
It depends on your site, the anticipated ground conditions, and the complexity of the project and what the city requires for building permit submission, but here are typical ranges. A desktop study report (no drilling / investigation) for simple projects or to support early planning of larger projects often falls in the $1,000–$2,500 range. A single-lot house of infill site with one day of field testing (e.g. test pits, hand augers, CPT, or a small drill program) can range from $1,500–$4,000. Mid-rise, high-rise, commercial, industrial, infrastructure, and municipal projects, can vary widely (especially if lab testing, soft soils, ground improvement, deep foundations, or shoring design is needed) based on complexity of the project and ground conditions and it's best to request a quote for accurate numbers (click above to contact us) but can range between $2,000 and $5000 for geotechnical and hydrogeotechnical combined reports. Timelines run 3–7 business days for a desktop report and 2–4 weeks after geotechnical investigation is complete for most full reports, depending on utility locates, access, and subcontractor availability. Because we own our CPT unit (West Coast CPT), for soft soiled sites we can often mobilize faster and avoid third-party scheduling delays, rush options may be available but please enquire ASAP to discuss.
Why does geotechnical sometimes cost more, and how do we save you money?
The biggest uncertainties and risks are underground. A single site can have huge variability from one spot to another which increases risk to the project which the best way to reduce this risk is with a well tailored site investigation to ascertain reliable design inputs and confidence in the soil profile beneath the site. We hire third party subcontractors (drillers, excavator operators, and utility locators) specialized in these methods of geotechnical investigation (sometimes called geotechnical survey) to carry out test pits, auger borings, DCPT, SPT, or CPT testing. Professional liability exposure is also higher than many other disciplines, which means Geotechnical firms often carry much higher insurance premiums than other practices.
The payoff is better subsurface information lets us optimize foundation bearing, slabs, and shoring design instead of padding for unknowns. A modest additional investment up front, for a more sophisticatedvinvestigation with extra boreholes, refined testing, or CPT/SCPT where useful, can unlock a leaner structural, deep foundation, or shoring design that often saves hundreds of thousands in concrete, steel, anchors, and schedule on mid to high rise projects or soft soiled sites. Typical wins include smaller mats or fewer piles, shallower soldier-pile embedment’s, shorter or fewer tieback anchors, and dewatering or cut off sized to actual conditions rather than worst case. We stage scopes to answer design-critical questions first, and because we run in-house testing and West Coast CPT, we keep turnaround fast and focus cost on reducing budget risk, change orders, and construction time, to minimize suprises that blow the budget or schedule during construction.
What is shoring and do I need it?
Shoring is excavation support that holds back soil to prevent movement of soil and adjacent structures when a safe sloped cut isn’t feasible, which is common on tight urban lots, soft / loose ground, deeper basements / parkades, or near property lines and streets. We design property-line and non-encroaching systems including soldier pile & lagging (cantilever or tieback), internally braced excavations (struts / rakers), secant / tangent pile walls, sheet piles, anchore and soil-nail / shotcrete walls, underpinning (shotcrete or micro piles), and jet-grout / soil-mix cut-offs. With your excavation depth, setbacks, soil and groundwater info, we’ll confirm whether shoring is required and recommend a safe feasible design.
What happened to Davies Geotechnical? Are you the same team?
Short answer: Yes, we are the same people and project DNA. Longer answer & disclaimer: DIG Engineering Ltd. (Davies Integrated Geotechnical Engineering Ltd.) is the continuation of the former Davies Geotechnical team following a trial merger with another firm. As of May 2025 our team resumed independent practice as a new company, DIG Engineering Ltd. Clients kept their project teams and experience continuity; projects and liabilities worked on by the DIG team from May 2025 onward rest with DIG Engineering Ltd. as a separate company from Davies Geotechnical but with same supports and engineers. If you have a legacy contract/invoice question, we’ll point you to the correct entity so it’s handled properly.
Do you provide soils and construction materials testing and field reviews?
Yes. We perform geotechnical construction reviews (compaction, subgrade proof-rolls, excavation/shoring checks) and complete lab testing when needed in our own laboratory. We offer for hire field density testing, proctor, moisture, Atterberg, and hydrometer and sieve gradation testing services. For density control during construction we use nuclear gauge densometers per project requirements, and we issue clear field memos, so contractors and inspectors know exactly what to do next.
Q: What areas do you serve?
We provide geotechnical engineering across all of BC but mostly work in the Lower Mainland and Sea to Sky corridor from West Vancouver to Hope, including: West Vancouver; North Vancouver (City & District); Vancouver; Burnaby; New Westminster; Richmond; Delta; Surrey; White Rock; Coquitlam; Port Coquitlam; Port Moody; Anmore; Belcarra; Pitt Meadows; Maple Ridge; Langley (City & Township); Abbotsford; Mission; Chilliwack; Kent (Agassiz); and Hope. We also often work on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
What is a WorkSafeBC Excavation Safety (sloping / shoring) Signoff Letter, and when do I need one?
In BC, before anyone works in an excavation deeper than 1.2 m (4 ft), the sides must be sloped or supported per written instructions from a qualified registered professional. A Geotechnical “ExcavationSafety Letter” provides those written instructions, e.g., allowable cut slopes/benching by soil type, when to use shoring or trench shields/boxes, stand-off distances, monitoring, and stop-work triggers, so the site is compliant with OHS Regulation Part 20. DIG issues these letters and performs field reviews to help contractors stay safe and compliant.
What’s in a hydrogeological report and how does it affect design?
Typical components include desktop geology, groundwater level characterization, infiltration testing (as needed), dewatering and drawdown impacts, groundwater seepage analysis for drain sizing requirements, and recommendations for permanent waterproofing, drains, sumps, and discharge limits. We follow regional guidance on source controls and infiltration (e.g., separation above seasonal high water table, factors of safety) so civil designs meet City/Metro Vancouver/municipal expectations. DIG Engineering Ltd. can include hydrogeologic reports within our reporting, please enquire for a quote today.
