Geotechnical earthquake hazards often dominate the risk profile of infrastructure projects and can determine project feasibility and costs. Risk assessment studies can help owners plan their investments, informed by a better understanding of the consequences of such hazards on the desired functionality of infrastructure projects. This presentation discusses best practices related to site characterization and geotechnical engineering evaluations, to improve the accuracy of risk assessment studies, enabling owners to make informed decisions for risk mitigation. Geotechnical best practices are discussed in the context of two nearshore infrastructure projects in the highly seismically active San Francisco Bay Area in California.