Have you recently bought land on which to build your dream home? One of the first steps to making your vision a reality is to hire an excavating contractor to clear away trees and other obstacles from the construction site—and also to grade the land to redirect water flow. The guide below explains the benefits of this process—known as creating positive drainage—and the consequences of not grading your property correctly.

Positive Drainage

Positive drainage is made by creating a very gradual slope away from your house so that your home sits on the highest point on the land. This ensures rain moves elsewhere, instead of toward your foundation where it could cause it to weaken, settle, or become unstable. Most building codes will require that the ground slope at least six inches down within the first ten feet of your house.

Once your home is built, you will also want to make sure your gutters are in solid condition. A rainstorm that results in one inch of precipitation drops about 1,743 gallons of water on an average roof. Gutters deposit this rain several feet away from your home where the effects of positive drainage can take over.

Negative Drainage

If your home has negative drainage, your home is at the low point of your yard. When it rains or there’s flooding, water flows towards your home. When this happens, the water soaks into the soil, potentially causing erosion and mudslides. Unfortunately, buyers of pre-existing properties often can’t tell that a home has this problem just by looking at it. Even a small, subtle slope can cause large problems. They often have to hire an excavating contractor after the fact to reshape the land appropriately by moving dirt, laying support structures, or adding filler material.

If you’re ready to excavate land to build your dream home, call the experts at LeGrande Excavating in Lincoln, NE. Their skilled team has over 25 years of experience when it comes to grading and lot clearing and offers competitive prices. Visit their website to learn more about their capabilities or call (402) 423-4076 to ask these excavating contractors for a free estimate.