Home above grade home below grade (with respect to roadway or to slope of
driveway):
The inspector may indicate above grade though most of the lot is below
the street and below grade though most of the lot is above the street
The deciding factor for most real estate inspectors is driveway slope
ABOVE GRADE SITE Above grade generally means the lot is above the
servicing street or that the driveway, should there be one, slopes away
from the garage vehicle door and away from any buildings. With the
exception of hillside lots modern lots usually are between two and five
feet above the street and are usually sloped slightly towards the
street. Maintain this slope if at all possible to provide good site
drainage. Often yard drains will be installed as part of the site
drainage. Although the inspector may indicate the existence of yard
drains the inspector does not test site drainage systems or site
drainage in any way BELOW GRADE SITE Below grade means that the lot is
below the street or that the driveway slopes toward the garage vehicle
door. Driveways which slope toward the garage or other buildings can be
drainage problems especially if debris or dirt is allowed to direct the
water improperly Below grade lots can sometimes be more difficult to
drain This particular site condition may be conducive to moisture
migration through concrete foundations and slabs. The inspector cannot
ascertain if water migration through the slab is occurring and/or is
causing or contributing to indoor air quality concerns This may include,
but is not limited to, fungi, mold, volatile organic compounds, etc.
This is an exaggerated example of a "Below Grade" condition.
The inspector may not be able to determine whether drainage or sump
pumps are adequate.
Note: This inspection, being a visual inspection, cannot possibly
reveal whether soil contamination exists from fuel tank leakage or from
any other source. If this item concerns you it is recommended that you
contact the present owner of the property or previous owners for further
information
The above information was provided by TWI Systems Copyright 1995-2005 1-800-553-5660
