Importance of Proper Lot Grading & Your Home Inspection

Probably one of the most common comments observed during most home inspections is that the lot grading is substandard in one area or around the entire perimeter of the home. Why is proper grading so important?

Having the lot properly graded is very important because it promotes ideal water drainage away from your home and its foundation. Believe it or not, but poor grading can lead to foundation leakage and wet basement problems and in general is a leading contributor to these problems. In severe cases it can also lead to accelerated foundation deterioration which could potentially lead to a structural problem.

In most cases the grading can be fixed with some minor landscaping and improvements, but in other cases it may require extensive excavation and help from a professional with the proper equipment. This can be very common especially with older homes where the importance of proper grading didn’t seem to gather as much attention back then as it does with newer homes today.

Speaking of new homes, grading may appear to be fine during your new home inspection, however over the course of the first few years the house and grading generally will settle and it’s not uncommon to have to perform some minor re-grading in order to maintain proper water drainage away from the foundation in these newer homes.

If your home inspector mentions anything about poor grading during your home inspection, you should pay close attention and monitor water drainage after heavy rains and spring thaws to help prevent the potential for a wet basement problem. Improvements may be needed so don’t wait until it’s too late!

Above Grade Home Inspections Inc. performs home inspections on new and resale homes in Barrie and across all of Simcoe County.