Meet Joel Dickerson, Founder of Madrone Engineering in St. Helena

Before you build on property in the Napa Valley, particularly off the valley floor, you need to watch this week's "Napa Valley Inside Out" with my guest Joel Dickerson of Madrone Engineering. Joel is a Civil Engineer and we talk about his experiences with helping home owners in the aftermath of the October Wild Fires, Napa County's building rules and regulations, residential permitting challenges, county zoning, the difference between standard and engineered septic systems, the many setbacks from wells, septic systems, creeks and pools to name a few. We talk about the challenges with the new road and driveway standards and the requirement for turns out and fire truck access, and we offer a little advice on power lines and tips to consider when developing a property to make your asset more appealing to insurance companies who are currently more discerning when it comes to choosing which properties they want to insure.