What is grading?

Grading is when any excavating, filling, clearing, grubbing or agricultural clearing is done on property. It's basically landscaping the soil elevations and where the house will eventually sit.

There are 2 types of grading:

Rough Grading:
This is where the slope, soil composition, and drainage will be decided. It is always crucial to know where any phone, gas, cable, water and electricity lines are before any soil is moved. It is important to mark these lines with flags so they are very noticeable. Then the ground will need to be sloped. The slope of the lawn should always be graded away from the house and towards a drain sewer or other drainage area.

Final Grading:
Once the slope has been done and any extra drainage has been made, then it's time to smooth the surface for planting. If there are any uneven places, then it needs to be leveled out. This is usually done by taking a leveling bar and a rake which then will smooth out the soil until it is level and all the debris is gone.

Why is grading properly so important for your home structure?

If you don't properly grade a site, then water from storms and irrigation can run back towards the home and cause moisture issues at the foundation wall, or soak the soil next to the foundation, which causes cracks in the foundation, structural damage and even soil erosion. Over time this can create a huge problem and it will leave your home in need of extensive repair.

When a new home is built, it is crucial that the lot be graded properly to make sure that the surface drainage is directed away from the home that it does not cause problems or damage to neighboring properties. Proper grading should allow surface runoff to reach any natural drainage area, the drainage and utility easement, or an installed storm water structure.

Sometimes when the grading isn't right then the neighbors suffer the results. When grading improperly, then rain and snowmelt run off can cause erosion and flooding for the people next door and then whoever graded the property and owns it is liable for all the damages.

When is the best time to do grading?
Many people have said that one of the most important times to do grading is during the dry season to prevent erosion of the soil during construction and prevent the need to re-grade later. Although others tend to disagree, make sure you check this out before you decide to grade.

As you can see, there are many reasons why grading properly is so important for your home structure. When others fail to take the time to grade correctly, many bad situations can take place which can leave you and the builder liable for any damages done to the property. Make sure before you build that your property is graded properly to ensure a safe place to live.