Landscape & Arboriculture Expert Witness Services
Wildfire Landscape & Exterior Property Loss
San Diego County and California

Areas of Expertise:

Providing landscape construction, horticulture, and arboriculture services.

Based on more than forty years of design/build construction experience, and over thirty years of arboricultural experience, we provide expert consultation, site evaluation, and expert witness services in the following areas:

• Exterior Construction - Stephen George has been a member of the California Landscape Contractors Association, (CLCA) since 1983.
  
  
• Wildfire Landscape Evaluations - Stephen George has been providing wildfire landscape loss evaluations for homeowners of the San Diego County 2003 and 2007 wildfires. He has been involved in detailing the replacement costs for over 20 cases in the 2007 wildfires. This includes landscape, irrigation, lighting, decking, hardscape, water features, and wall reconstruction.
  
  

  2006 Pre-fire aerial

  2007 Post fire aerial

  
  
• Industry Standards - consulting, design, and installation for residential and commercial exterior construction;
  
  
  • Landscape - responsible for the design, material selection, placement, and maintenance of landscape materials.
    
    
  • Irrigation - design, selection of materials, site layout, and installation of simple to complex irrigation systems including, but not limited to drip, matched precipitation, stream rotor, and low water use systems.
    
    
  • Drainage - system design, selection of materials, and installation of basic site drainage to pump collection systems.
    
    
  • Hardscape/Paving - design, selection of materials, site layout, and installation of multiple forms of hardscape paving from simple concrete, stamped concrete, to complex paver systems, natural and manufactured stone.
    
    
  • Hardscape/Fireplaces, Fire Pits, Barbeque Entertainment Centers - design, selection of materials, and installation of simple pre-fabricated units to custom and original “one of a kind” backyard entertainment centers.
    
    
  • Hardscape/Walls - design, selection of materials, site layout, and installation of simple freestanding to complex retaining walls. Wall materials includes standard CMU block with different stucco finishes, to segmented retaining walls requiring a pervious concrete backfill in place of a geogrid system. Stephen George has been certified by the Concrete Masonry Association for segmented wall installations.
    
    
  • Wood Construction - design, selection of materials, site layout, and installation of simple attached patio sunscreen structures, wood and wood composite decking to complex outdoor entertainment rooms.
    
    
  • Water Features & Pools - design, selection of materials, and installation of simple fountains to complex water features and waterfalls.
    Design, selection of materials, consulting and oversee the installation of residential swimming pools and spas.
    
    
  • Lighting - design, selection of materials, site layout, and installation of simple low voltage walkway lighting to complex outdoor structure and water feature low voltage lighting.
    
    
  • Horticultural Evaluation
    
    
  • Arboricultural & Horticultural Service
    
    
• Arboricultural & Horticultural Services – We are currently working with James MacNair of MacNair & Associates on multiple arboriculture and related construction cases in San Diego County. James is a certified arborist (WE-0603A).

Work Experience:

• 1966-1969 Walter Andersen Nursery * Nursery & Landscape Construction
• 1969-1972 Presidio Nursery * Landscape Architecture
• 1972-1978 Environmental Design & Development * Landscape Architecture
• 1978-1980 So. Calif. Landscape Designs * Owner - Landscape Architecture
• 1980-2011 Landscapes West * - Owner - Design & Build Landscape Contractor

Courses and Certifications:

• Course Certified Segmented Retaining Wall Installer
• Certificate CSRW1

Licenses and Certifications:

• C-27 Landscape Construction (#389976 & #961442)

Memberships:

• (CLCA) California Landscape Contractors Association
• (IA) Irrigation Association
• (ISA) International Society of Arboriculture
• (NCMA) National Concrete Masonry Association
• (BBB) Better Business Bureau * A+ rating
• (BNI) Business Networking International

Awards:

• California Landscape Contractors Association * Landscape Awards
  • Residential Design & Build
  • Residential Landscape Construction
  • Commercial Design & Build
  • Commercial Xeriscape & Slope Retention

Consulting & Expert Witness:

• Elizabeth Bhuta - Attorney at Law - San Diego
• Hurst & Hurst - Julie Corbo Ridley - San Diego
• Milstein & Adelman - Mark Milstein - Santa Monica
• San Diego Fire Lawyers - Michael Feinberg, Gerald Singleton, Alexis Bastedo, Hasmik Geghamyan
• Sparacino Law - Demetrios Sparacino - San Diego
• Tosdal Smith Seiner & Wax - Thomas Tosdal - San Diego
• Walter Andersen Nursery - Poway and Pacific Highway