Get water away from the foundation
Water management is the most common category on our reports and the cheapest to fix. Two in three crawlspace homes we inspect show moisture risk factors, and most of them trace back to downspouts and grading.
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- Walk it in the rain. Next hard rain, take an umbrella around the house. Note where water pools, where it runs toward the house, and where gutters overflow. That map is your whole to-do list.
- Extend every downspout. Each one should discharge at least four to six feet from the foundation, farther on a slope toward the house. Extensions are cheap. Hinged ones fold up for mowing.
- Fix the grade. Soil should fall away from the house about six inches over the first ten feet. Pull mulch and beds back from the siding so there's a visible gap, and add soil where the ground slopes toward the wall.
- Clear the gutters. Standing water in a gutter means a clog or a sag. Clean them, check that hangers are tight, and make sure downspout outlets aren't packed with grit.
- Check the crawlspace or slab edge after. A week after the fixes, look at the crawlspace access or the base of the foundation walls. Drying out is the proof.
- Repeat every fall. Gutters in September before leaves drop; grading and extensions any time you notice pooling.
When it's past the do-it-yourself line
Water still standing against the house after extensions and grading means a drainage design problem: French drain, catch basin, or regrading with equipment. Persistent crawlspace moisture after the surface fixes is a pro visit.
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Questions about anything here? Text us a photo. We'll tell you whether it matters.