While land grading is crucial for planting and building on a lot, its most critical role is to enable drainage. Improper drainage contributes to flooding, erosion, and even sewage problems that can devastate your home or commercial property.

To help you understand the why and how, Golden Alaska Excavating of Kodiak offers the following guide to land grading for drainage.

Slope Is Everything

Land grading for drainage is all about slope—not just the slope’s direction, but its steepness and length. The ideal measurements will differ based on factors like your home and landscape setup, yard size, and the climate in your region. However, most excavating companies recommend about six inches of slope for the first 10 feet of land away from the house.

You may be able to get away with less of an incline, but a little extra won’t do your property any harm. In fact, it may prevent flooding during a severe storm. Proper slope length is also important. Since the drainage system moves water out of the yard as well as away from the house, if a slope is too short, your yard or septic system could suffer damage.

Consequences of Incorrect Land Grading

Leaky and flooded basements are the most common consequences of failed land grading, leading to water damage that causes major structural problems for your home. If your grading slope is too short, water will collect in your yard, potentially causing soft spots and killing your grass. Perhaps most importantly, houses with septic tanks could encounter a sewage mess if too much water builds up on the lawn. Wastewater may not be able to drain when water saturates the ground around the septic system.

As a home owner or soon to be home owner, did you know that your drainage or slope issue could be the fault of your neighbors flooding causing you to be in violation. Every situation is different so if you plan to do a building project that requires proper grade and slope it’s important to have confidence in your contractor and be mindful of the property surrounding and drainage. 

Do you still have questions about land grading for drainage? Call the specialists from Golden Alaska Excavating at (907) 539-6490 today. As the area’s family and woman-owned land grading company, they are dedicated to honest, dependable service. To see for yourself, check out their website for photo galleries of past work.