Sea level rise resulting from climate change will eventually impact all coastal communities. To assess the vulnerability of California to sea level rise and coastal hazards, PWA was funded by the Ocean Protection Council to provide technical studies to support the Pacific Institute’s economic analysis on the impact of flooding and erosion on infrastructure and property. PWA mapped future coastal erosion hazards resulting from sea-level rise scenarios on the central and northern California coast. PWA collaborated with researchers at Scripps, USGS, and the California Energy Commission to develop a new methodology for assessing future erosion hazards. PWA collected geospatial and physical data to evaluate the geomorphic erosion responses of various backshore types by applying a total water level methodology. This methodology divided the coast into 500m sections and estimated future erosion hazards based on the changes in total water level above various shoreline features. In addition, PWA compiled existing FEMA coastal flood elevations, updated these elevations based on observed sea level rise and tidal datum changes then provided these estimates of the 100 year Base Flood Elevation to Pacific Institute. The PWA team organized and engaged an expert peer review team on methods and results, and then collaborated with the Pacific Institute to identify economic impacts associated with coastal erosion hazards. The end result of the project with Pacific Institute was the first systematic vulnerability assessment of the California Coast to sea level rise. This information will help state policy makers develop an adaptation strategy to climate change and sea-level rise.