Projects

After PG&E’s post-wildfire pole clearing left the roadside stripped and vulnerable to erosion, this homeowner turned to Betz Works in August 2026 to repave the washed-out roadway and install a hand-formed berm to keep water off the road for good.

Here’s their firsthand account of the project, from the mess to the finished result:

Since the wildfires, PG&E has been removing dried foliage from a ten-foot section around every pole with a transformer. At first, it was weed whacked, and then they started scraping clean down to the dirt. The contractor (Davey Tree) said that they had to take a picture of every pole they did as proof.

Naturally, with the foliage gone, the rain washed out all the dirt (into my driveway) and eroded away under the roadway. That was compounded by those two giant pine trees that I removed, pushing up and breaking the asphalt. I had to put a waddle there and bury bricks to keep it from washing out completely every year.

The mess.

Upper section. I filled in that dirt, it was worse before.

Lower section. A couple of wheelbarrow loads of dirt filler.

I made a brick border eleven feet around the pole as a guide. Now we can landscape ‘Our’ area without intruding on ‘Theirs’. Don’t look too bad either.

With that in place, I contracted with Betz Works to repave it with two ‘Drops’ (their term for layer), 2 inches thick each.

Then put in a fifty-foot ‘Hand Berm’ (their word for rounded curb) along the upper driveway and around the pole down past the start of my driveway. That should keep the water out on the road.

Cut out the roots. Apply hot oil to the old road edge for adhesion.

Apply first ‘drop’.

First layer done. Tamp it down.

Apply second layer.

Second layer done. Tamp it down good.

Construct the Berm. All done by hand. (Duh).

Berm done. Top view.

Berm done, street view. A work of art. Great job, guys.

All raked and bricks replaced.

Ready for rain. August 7, 2026. I will add a little more fill dirt to level it tomorrow.