Foundation grading check
Does the ground slope away from your house enough? Check the grade with a string line and a level, and work out how much fill soil it takes to fix.
Water pooling against a foundation is one of the most expensive problems a house can have. The common building-code guideline is that ground should fall at least 6 inches over the first 10 feet from the house (about 5%). You can check it in an afternoon.
How to measure: drive a stake against the foundation and another 10 ft (3 m) out. Tie a string between them and level it with a line level. At each stake, measure from the string down to the ground. The drop is the outer measurement minus the inner one. Repeat every 10–15 ft along each wall.
Other signs of a grading problem
- Water standing next to the foundation after rain or irrigation.
- Mulch or soil piled up against the siding, often built up over years.
- Downspouts that empty right at the wall.
- Patios, walks or window wells that have settled so they tip toward the house.
- Damp patches, efflorescence (white crust) or musty smells in a basement or crawlspace.
Most of these are cheap to fix compared with foundation repairs.