Over time soil settles against foundations, mulch beds get built up, and the ground ends up sloping toward the house. Every rain then runs straight to the wall. On hillside lots, the opposite happens: the slope washes away.
What you’ll notice
- Ground that is flat or tilts toward the house
- Gullies and bare, washed-out soil after storms
- Mud and clay washing onto patios, walks and the street
- Exposed roots and a slope that keeps creeping
Why it happens
Bare red clay erodes fast in heavy summer storms. Backfill around new houses settles for years. And grading changes from landscaping or a neighbour’s work can send water somewhere it never went before.
What we check on the inspection
- The fall of the ground around the whole house
- Where water enters and leaves the lot
- Erosion paths and unstable slopes
- What can be fixed with grading and what needs a drain or a wall
How it gets fixed
Regrade so the ground falls away from the foundation for several feet, with compacted clean fill. Swales to guide water around the house. On slopes: terracing, erosion-control matting, planting, rock and, where needed, a retaining wall.
