How often should you check grading around a foundation?
Updated July 2026
Check the grade of the soil around your foundation once a year, ideally in spring once the ground has thawed and settled. What you are looking for is slope: the soil should fall about 6 inches over the first 10 feet away from the wall so rain runs off instead of pooling. Over time soil settles, mulch piles up, and beds go flat or even tilt back toward the house. That negative grade is the leading cause of wet basements and one of the biggest drivers of foundation damage.
What changes the interval
| Your situation | Interval | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Established home, stable soil | Check yearly | Grade shifts slowly, but downspouts and beds change it |
| New construction, first 5 years | Check yearly, expect settling | Backfill keeps compacting and dropping around the wall |
| Clay or expansive soil | Check yearly and after droughts | Clay heaves and shrinks, opening gaps at the wall |
| Grade slopes toward the house | Regrade now | Negative slope funnels every rain to the foundation |
| Soil or mulch touching the siding | Pull it back 6+ inches | Contact wicks moisture and hides rot and termites |
| Downspouts dumping at the wall | Extend them 4–6 feet out | Roof runoff at the base overwhelms any good grade |
The cost of skipping it
What skipping it costs: water that pools against the foundation finds every crack, and hydrostatic pressure does the rest. The escalation is steep: a damp basement and ruined belongings, then a sump pump and interior drain ($3,000–8,000), then wall cracks, bowing, and settlement that need piers or wall anchors at $10,000–30,000+. Fixing the grade itself is cheap by comparison: a few yards of soil and a weekend, or roughly $1,000 to $3,000 for a landscaper to regrade a problem side.
How to do it (30 minutes to check · DIY with a level and a tape)
- Walk the full perimeter after a heavy rain and note anywhere water stands within a few feet of the wall.
- At a few spots, measure the drop from the foundation out to 10 feet; you want about 6 inches of fall.
- Check that soil and mulch sit at least 6 inches below the siding and slope away, not toward the house.
- Confirm every downspout discharges onto a splash block or extension that carries water 4–6 feet out.
- Where the grade is flat or negative, add compacted soil against the wall and taper it out, keeping it below the siding line.
Knowing the interval is the easy half. OnOtto reminds you at the right interval, and it won't let you snooze it into next year. Tasks persist until they're done, and completing grading checks schedules the next one automatically.
Put this on autopilot, free for 30 daysFrequently asked questions
What does correct foundation grading look like?
The ground should slope steadily away from the house on every side, dropping roughly 6 inches over the first 10 feet, which is about a 5% grade. Beyond that first 10 feet the yard can flatten out. The soil line should stay at least 6 inches below the bottom of your siding or brick veneer. If you set a level on a board running out from the wall and the far end has to rise to read level, your grade is negative and needs building up.
How do I fix negative grading myself?
For a mild case, haul in clean fill or topsoil, mound it against the foundation, and rake it out to a gentle downward slope, tamping as you go so it does not just wash away. Keep the finished soil at least 6 inches below the siding. Do not use mulch alone to build the slope, since it floats and holds water. For a severe drop or a walkout that traps water, a landscaper with the right soil and compaction is worth it. See the cost of negative grading.
Can bad grading really cause foundation problems?
Yes, it is one of the most common causes. Water pooling at the wall raises the soil's moisture and pressure against the foundation, forcing water through cracks and, in expansive clay, driving the heaving and settlement that crack and bow walls. It is also the number one reason for a wet basement. Grading and gutters together solve a large share of foundation water problems before they start. Pair this check with inspecting the foundation for cracks.
How often should I check grading on a newly built home?
Every year for at least the first 5 years, and more attentively than on an older home. The backfill packed around a new foundation keeps settling and compacting, so a grade that looked fine at closing often sinks into a low spot or a reverse slope within a couple of seasons. Watch especially where the excavator disturbed the soil. Topping up the low areas early, before water can pool and find a crack, is far cheaper than waterproofing later.