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.

When a section of roadway near the Rio Del Mar esplanade gave way, exposing a collapsed culvert beneath the pavement, our crew responded quickly. Working alongside the Soquel Creek Water District, we excavated the failed area, removed the damaged infrastructure, and prepared the site for new culvert pipe and structural repair.

The excavation revealed significant undermining beneath the road surface. Our team carefully removed the collapsed material and stabilized the site before rebuilding. We staged and installed new culvert piping to restore proper drainage, then poured concrete to reinforce the roadway structure and support the surrounding area.

Throughout the project, our team maintained safe pedestrian and vehicle access around the site, coordinating closures and signage to keep the community informed while work was underway. We addressed both the immediate safety concern and the underlying drainage issue, helping prevent future erosion and roadway failure in this high-traffic beach access area.

From initial excavation through concrete placement, we completed the project with close attention to the site’s coastal conditions, restoring safe, reliable access to Rio Del Mar Beach for residents and visitors.

In June 2026, our crew prepped a lot in Capitola for new home construction. Before we placed any foundation, we had to properly grade and compact the soil to support the weight of the new home.

We cleared the site, removed the existing structure and debris, then graded and compacted the terrain to build a stable, level building pad. If the base isn’t solid, foundations can shift, crack, or settle unevenly over time. We compacted each layer to meet structural requirements, which will help protect the home’s foundation from settling or cracking for decades to come.

Learn more about our building pad services.

The Rispin Mansion is a historic 22-room, Spanish Eclectic-style structure built in 1921 on Wharf Road in Capitola, California.

At this historic property, we updated the walkways while protecting the original stone architecture and railings. Our crew carefully excavated around historic features, working by hand near the ornate balustrades and stonework to avoid disturbing the original construction, and used our dump trucks to remove debris from the site.

After we prepared the ground, we formed and poured new tiered concrete steps and pathways that matched the estate’s original character, connecting the grounds without damaging the existing structure. The finished steps and walkways give the park stable, even footing across the sloped grounds and match the original stone railings and finishes already in place.