Land Grading: How to Protect Your Foundation from Damage

The grading of property plays a significant role in how protected it is. Grading is a term that describes the evenness of the ground outside your home.  

You may think that your property is flat. You may know that a few small hills in the landscaping are present. However, when there is a grading problem, it puts your home at risk for foundation damage. Your home insurance policy may not cover this type of loss. It is important to fix the problem if it is present. 

What to Look for in Your Home’s Grading 

The grading of the ground located outside of your home is essential. First, take a step back a few hundred yards and look at your home. Notice how the land in your yard moves. Is it higher closer to your home and lower as it comes towards you? This downward angle is important. It helps water to drain away from the structure and towards the street or other property. This is what you want. If you notice the ground seems very flat or even has areas of peaks where it seems higher away from the structure, this might be a concern. 

Why Bad Grading Matters 

When the land outside of your home grades lower near the structure, this might allow water to penetrate into the foundation area. When it rains, water flows from your gutters downward. Instead of moving away from the home due to a slope pointing away from it, it pools next to the home. This creates soil runoff. It also creates the risk that your foundation will absorb more of that moisture. Over time, this could damage the foundation. It can even lead to water in your basement. This is damaging to the structure. Home insurance may not offer coverage. Often, policies do not cover flood damage to foundations or basements. 

What can you do? If you notice poor grading around your home, take action. Many contracting companies can come to your home and provide options. Simply adding soil to the space around your home is not enough.  

Rather, work with a professional site grader. These professionals will properly grade the yard to minimize risk. This can help to reduce risk to the foundation. Speak to your home insurance agent, too. Be sure you have adequate coverage for risks like foundation damage. And, if foundation damage is present, be sure to repair that.