How to determine where my backyard grade line starts.?

Question

For a raised foundation, I need to level/grade my backyard, how can I determine where the grade line/level starts from off of the house/foundation? That is, how can I determine the level/elevation where the dirt starts sloping down away from my home. I understand that you should grade ~6 inches down every 10 feet or so away from the home, at what point against the house does the initial level start? 6 inches above the crawl space level?

Answer 1

Hi Beavis,

I would think you'd want to factor in height of your drive, sidewalk, bottom of steps, floor level, etc.  Are you doing the grading yourself, or hiring an excavator to do it?  Make the height conducive to the factors above, and have the excavator slope the rest as he sees best to divert water away/around the house.  You should only be limited by the height of your vents around the foundation.