When looking for a home to purchase, a potential buyer can hardly be expected to know all the requirements and standards that the property should meet, unless of course, they are experienced builders. It is still helpful, however, to go into the home buying process with a least some knowledge of what a good property should look like so that you avoid wasting your time with the wrong place. For example, one thing a good property should have is the correct amount of grading. So, what is grading and how much should a property have?
To put it in simple terms, grading is the amount of slope that a property needs to have surrounding its foundation so that water does not collect around it but instead runs away from the building. If a home does not have a sufficient amount of slope, this can cause a number of problems, particularly with the foundations.
To find out how much grade (or slope) a property should have, it’s a good idea to check building codes for your area, however, the majority of organizations will agree that about 6 inches for the first 10 feet surrounding the property are good, giving you about a 5 percent slope. If the property has more of a grade than this, it is not a problem and could even be better.
Finding out how much grade a property has will help you to determine what kind of condition the home is in and help you make a wise decision. Of course, the home may have a number of other issues that will need to be inspected further, this is why we are here, to help you with all of your home inspection needs. So, please feel free to contact us with any home inspection questions.