Expert Witness Services

Landscape & Arboriculture Expert Witness Services
Construction Defect & Personal Injury
Drainage, Irrigation & Water Damage
Evaluation of Exterior Property Loss From Fire
Concrete, Brick, Stone & Block Evaluation
Homeowner & Contractor Disputes
Site Review, Testing, Destructive Testing & Analysis
Servicing San Diego County, So. & No. California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, New York & Services Available Throughout the U.S.

Areas of Expertise:

Providing landscape construction, horticulture, and arboriculture Expert Witness services
Providing litagation services to attorneys specializing in construction defect and personal injury cases including:
- Inspection and cost of repair and replacement
- Photography - forensic imaging and construction documentation
- Aboriculture analysis
- Landscape construction defects and failures
- Homeowner/Contractor evaluation of contract and degree of completion
- Wildfire Evaluations to establish valuations at the time of the fire, as well as Cost to Repair at today’s Construction costs.
Industry Expert for C-27 Landscape Construction
Review of project drawings, details & specifications
Lifelong nursery and landscape construction experience

Exterior Construction - I started in the Nursery industry with Walter Andersen Nursery in 1966, which lead to a Landscape Design business and eventually as a Design & Build Landscape Contractor in 1980.

I currently still provide exterior landscape construction services throughout San Diego County, in addition to Expert Witness services throughout the State of California, Nevada and Arizona.

I have been a member of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA), the Irrigation Association (IA), the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute (ICPI), and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an A+ rating.
Industry Standards - consulting, design, and installation for residential and commercial exterior construction;
- View defect photos Click Here Landscape - responsible for the design, material selection, placement, and maintenance of landscape materials.
- View defect photos Click Here Invasive Landscape Plants - Plants can be considered "invasive," but are good plant selections under the right site conditions. Bamboo that grows with "runners" as a root system works great in a raised concrete "bunker" style planter.
  See the Sunset Garden Book" for a list of bamboo with "runners" and "clumps".
- View defect photos Click Here 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.
- View defect photos Click Here Drainage - system design, selection of materials, and installation of basic natural site drainage to repair and replacement of existing systems.
  "Water intrusion" site review often is reviewed with drainage evaluation.
- View defect photos Click Here Hardscape/Paving - design, selection of materials, site layout, and installation of multiple forms of hardscape paving. Materials range from simple to stamped concrete, complex paver systems, natural and manufactured stone to brick.
- View concrete details and
  defect photos Click Here. Hardscape - Concrete Details.
- View defect photos Click Here 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.
- View defect photos Click Here 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.
- View defect photos Click Here 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.
- View defect photos Click Here Water Features, Pools & Spas - 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 - Stephen George has been reviewing Southwest residential and commercial plant identification, including landscape design and plant cultivation since 1966.
- Arboriculture & Horticulture Services - Including landscape techniques, plant selection, planting, plant training, fertilization, prunin and removal.
Wildfire Landscape Evaluations - I have been providing landscape loss evaluations for homeowners and insurance companies for the 2003 and 2007 San Diego County Wildfires. In 2011, I joined up with Certified Arborist James MacNair in order to provide the most complete landscape evaluation service available for not only San Diego County, but the State of California as well. This includes Landscape, Irrigation , Pavers & Stone, Walls and Embankment Reconstruction, Lighting, Wood Construction and Water Features/Pools.

Click on the images below to view a larger display.

2006 Pre-fire aerial

2007 Post fire aerial

Pre-fire 2006

Post-fire 2007
Arboriculture & Horticulture Services – We worked with James MacNair of MacNair & Associates on multiple arboriculture and related construction cases in San Diego County. James is certified arborist (WE-0603A).
We are currently working on other cases with James, requiring arboriculture Expert Witness services.

Work Experience:

1966-1969 Walter Andersen Nursery * Nursery & Landscape Construction
1968-1971 Mesa Jr. College & Cal Poly Pomona * Nursery & Landscape Tech
1971-1980 Southern California Landscape Designs * Owner * Landscape Design
1980-current Landscapes West – Owner – Design & Build Landscape Contractor * C-27 389976

Courses and Certifications:

Course - Mesa Junior College - Nursery & Landscape Technology
Certificate - Associate Degree
Course - Cal Poly - Pomona, CA - Landscape Architecture - 1 year
Certificate - None
Course - Certified Segmented Retaining Wall Installer
Certificate - CSRW1
Course - Certified Concrete Paver Installer
Certifcate - ICPI Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute - Concrete Paver Installer
Course - Specialist Course - Permeable Paver Installation
Certificate - ICPI Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute - Permeable Pavers
Course - MWEL Mastering Water Efficient Landscapes
Certificate - California Landscape Contractors Association, (CLCA) & The Metropolitan Water District
Course - Belgard Hardscapes
Certificate - Belgard Authorized Contractor Certificate of Authenticity

Licenses:

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

Memberships:

(CLCA) California Landscape Contractors Association (life member)
(IA) Irrigation Association
(ICPI) Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute
(ISA) International Society of Arboriculture
(NCMA) National Concrete Masonry Association
(BBB) Better Business Bureau * A+ rating

Awards:

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

Consulting & Expert Witness Clients:

Aaronson, Rappaport, Feinstein, & Deutsch, LLP - Catrina Barnes & Robert Chappell - New York, N.Y.
Anastopoulo Law - Camden Hodge, Esq. - Charleston, SC
Adrian Cress Law Office - San Diego, CA Daley & Heft, LLP - Craig Weeber & Sam Gazzo, Solana Beach, CA
Bighorn Law – Nick Andersen – Las Vegas, NV
Bullard, Brown & Beal, LLP – John Roddy – Fullerton, CA
Burkhardt & Larson - Phillip Burkhardt - Rancho Santa Fe, CA
City of Laguna Beach – Tessa Yutadco – Kutak Rock Law Office – Irvine, CA
City of Thousand Oaks – Assistant City Attorney – David Womack
City of Torrance – Deputy City Attorney – Jocelyn N. Sarigumba
County of San Diego – Tom Deak – Senior Deputy – Office of County Counsel
Daley & Heft, LLC - Craig Weeber & Sam Gazzo, Solana Beach, CA
Ellis Firm, APLC - Joshua Helm - San Diego, CA
Ellis & Stipp, APLC – Brian Ellis – San Diego & Temecula, CA
Goldberg & Osborne, LLP – Allen Bucknell & Phoenix, AZ
Gordon & Rees – Brandon Saxon - San Diego & Kevin Whelan – Irvine, CA
Grant, Genovese & Baratta, LLP – Arron Kupchella – Irvine, CA
Grimm, Vranjes & Greer – Mark Vranjes& Stephan Gregory – San Diego
Hickey & Associates, P.C. - David Hickey & Michelle Copeland - Mission Viejo, CA
Hiden Rott Oertle – Law Office – Matthew Blancato – San Diego
Horton, Oberrecht, Kirkpatrick & Martha – Nate Michels, San Diego
Hurst & Hurst – Julie Corbo Ridley & Debra Hurst – San Diego
James MacNair & Associates - Arborist - Glen Elen, CA
Koelsar & Leatham - Scott Cook, Las Vegas, NV
Kramer, DeBoer & Keane – Jeff Kramer & Sandy Colin – Woodland Hills, CA
Kutak Rock, LLP – Michael Strickroth & Tessa Yutadco – Irvine, CA
Lewis Brisbois - Jonna Lothyan - San Diego, CA
Lewis Brisbois - Mary Wyman & Jeffrey Schmid, San Diego
Lewis Brisbois - Steven Abbott & Sydney Murdock - Las Vegas, NV
Manning Gross Massenburg LLP - Carrie Lyn - San Francisco, CA & John Hugo - Boston, MA in conjunction with, Kean Miller, Attorneys At Law - Greg Anding - Baton Rouge, LA
McCarthy & Beavers - Leda Kalfa - Newport Beach, CA
Milstein & Aselman – Mark Milstein – Los Angeles, CA
Murchinson & Cummings, LLP - Joseph Fox, San Diego
Nathan Wirtschafter, Esq., Encino, CA
Patel Stillwell, LLP - Alan Smith - San Diego, CA
Payne & Fears – Dan Livingston & Thomas Vincent - Irvine, CA
Peros Law Group - Michael Peros - Placentia, CA
Perry, Johnson, Andersen, Miller, & Moskowitz, LLP - Heather-Ann Young - Santa Rosa, CA
Ron Noya - Attorney at Law – San Diego
Russell Kohn – Attorney at Law – Oceanside, CA
San Diego Fire Lawyers – Michael Feinberg, Gerald Singleton
Sanchez Law - Steven Sanchez - Bonita, CA
Schack Law Group – Alexander Schack – San Diego
Silverstate Forensics, LLC & Hawkins Melendrez - Las Vegas, NV.
Su L. Barry – Attorney at Law – San Diego
Sunderland McCutchan Law Office – Angela J. Elpers – San Diego
U.S. Attorney's Office - Henry Bankard, (USACAS) - San Diego, CA
Walter Andersen Nursery – Poway and Pacific Highway
Wingert Grebing Brubaker & Juskie - Alan Brubaker - San Diego, CA

Stephen George