Grading and drainage: what Cenla buyers should know before closing

Most of the water problems I find inside a house started outside it. In Alexandria, Pineville, and Ball, heavy rain and clay soil make the ground around the foundation one of the first things I walk on every inspection. Listing photos show a green lawn. They don't show which way that lawn slopes.

Grading is the shape of the soil around the house. Drainage is everything that moves roof and surface water away from it: gutters, downspouts, swales, and any underground lines. When both work, the foundation stays at a fairly even moisture level. When they don't, water collects against the house every time it rains.

What I look for around the house

• Slope at the foundation. Soil should fall away from the house. The residential code standard is about 6 inches of drop in the first 10 feet. Flat or reverse grade sends water straight to the slab edge or into the crawl space.

• Soil and mulch height. Flower beds built up against siding, over brick weep holes, or touching wood trim. Keeping soil several inches below wood and weep holes lets the wall dry and leaves a visible gap where termite tubes would show.

• Gutters and downspouts. Clogged or sagging gutters, leaking seams, and downspouts that dump right at the foundation with no extension or splash block. Buried downspout lines get checked at the outlet, if I can find one.

• Low spots and ponding. Depressions near the house, erosion channels, silt lines, and water marks on the foundation that show where water has been sitting.

• Hardscape pitch. Patios, driveways, and walks that have settled and now tilt toward the house, plus open joints where they meet the slab.

• Openings at grade. Crawl space vents, access doors, and foundation penetrations sitting at or below soil level, where surface water can run in.

• Discharge lines. AC condensate lines and other drains that empty against the foundation instead of a few feet out.

Why Cenla makes it matter more

A lot of Central Louisiana soil is clay that holds water and swells when it's wet, then shrinks during a dry spell. When one side of a house stays wetter than the other, the soil under it moves unevenly. Over time that can show up as stair-step cracks in brick, doors that drag, and floors that slope.

Constant moisture at one corner also feeds wood rot in sills and trim and gives subterranean termites the damp soil they need. Drainage is one of the cheapest things to fix on a house, and it sits upstream of some of the most expensive problems.

Signs inside that point back outside

• White mineral deposits (efflorescence) or water stains along the slab edge or crawl space walls

• A crawl space that is wet or muddy after rain

• Damp baseboards, stained carpet, or rusted tack strip along an exterior wall

• Cracks in brick or drywall and sticking doors on the side of the house where water collects

Not every crack is a drainage problem, so I trace what I see back to the outside and write down where the water is coming from.

What I can and can't tell you

I evaluate the grade and drainage as they exist on inspection day. I can't see inside buried drain lines, and a dry week can hide a problem, so I look for the evidence water leaves behind. When I see signs of foundation movement, I recommend a structural engineer evaluate it rather than guessing at repairs.

Why a buyer should care before closing

Most drainage defects are fixable: regrading, pulling beds down, cleaning gutters, adding downspout extensions, or a swale or French drain where the lot needs one. The cost runs from a weekend with a shovel to a contractor job. Either way, you want to know before your option period ends, not after the first big storm in your new house.

Home inspections across Cenla

Call Major Home Inspections checks grading and drainage this way on every buyer inspection in Central Louisiana. If you are buying nearby, read about hiring a home inspector in Alexandria, LA, what to expect from a Pineville home inspection, or booking a home inspector in Ball, LA — or call 318-200-0425 to schedule.

If you're under contract in Alexandria, Pineville, or Ball, I'll walk the whole perimeter, check where the water goes, and write it up with photos.

Call Major Home Inspections

Call or text 318-200-0425

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Major Briggs

InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector · LA license 20041-E