Level, Sloped,
Done Right.

Residential Grading Contractor in Middle Tennessee

Grade is the single most important factor in how water moves across your property. Elevation is everything. After more than 20 years in the excavation industry reading land and moving dirt, I can tell you that the majority of drainage problems homeowners call me about aren't really drainage problems — they're grading problems wearing a costume. If the ground doesn't shed water the way it should, no amount of pipe, gutter, or mulch will keep up.

What I Look For First

When I walk a property I'm reading the land. I want to know where the high point is, where the low point is, and what the fall is between the house and the property line. I'm watching how water would sheet off the yard in a storm — every property has a story if you take the time to read it. One thing I always look for is negative slope against the foundation: a yard that gently tips back toward the house instead of away from it. That single detail causes more expensive problems than any other grade issue I see.

On bigger jobs I'll pull out a laser or a transit and shoot elevations so I'm working with real numbers instead of eyeballing it. Sheet flow — the way water moves across the surface as a thin layer — is invisible until you shoot the grade. Once you see the numbers, the fix becomes obvious.

Why The Grade Is Wrong

A lot of the homes I work on were originally graded for the convenience of the builder, not the long-term performance of the property. Over time, settling, added landscaping, new patios, pool installs, and pushed-up mulch beds all change how water moves. In Spring Hill subdivisions I see backfilled foundations that settled a few inches and turned the whole perimeter into a bowl. On Franklin hillsides I see cut lots where the original swale was landscaped over. Grade doesn't stay the way the builder left it — it needs to be rechecked, and sometimes corrected.

Mistakes I Commonly See

Adding mulch or topsoil to "raise" a low spot without addressing the actual slope — the water still ends up in the same place a season later. Grading a yard flat because it looks tidy, when what it actually needs is a controlled slope. Building up a mulch bed against siding until it's covering the weep holes or the flashing. And, most commonly, installing a French drain because the yard is wet, without ever checking whether a proper regrade would have solved the problem for a fraction of the cost.

Grading often solves more problems than homeowners expect. I've talked plenty of homeowners out of a big pipe project when the honest answer was reshaping the yard.

How I Grade For Drainage

Drainage grading is grading done with water in mind. I use proper fall — typically a minimum of 1-2 percent slope away from the foundation — so storm runoff moves off cleanly. On hillside lots I add swales and surface drains to break up runoff before it picks up speed and starts cutting erosion. On building pads I shape positive drainage away from the structure before anyone pours a footer. Pair grading with our drainage solutions or erosion control services for a complete fix.

New Construction and Site Grading

Building a home, barn, garage, or shop? The grade you set before the slab is poured will determine whether that structure sits on stable, well-drained ground or fights water for the rest of its life. I like homeowners to understand that changing the finish grade after concrete is set is expensive — sometimes impossible. Get it right before, not after. I handle rough grading, building pad preparation, and final grading for new construction across Middle Tennessee. Learn more on our site preparation page.

Yard Reshaping and Final Grading

Final grading is the finish coat of any property project. After construction, a pool install, or major landscaping, the yard needs to be smoothed, sloped, and prepped for seed, sod, or hardscape. I grade with the finish in mind — clean lines, consistent slope, and proper transitions — so what goes on top actually holds up.

What You Can Check Yourself

Walk your foundation perimeter on a dry day with a small level or a straight board. In the first 10 feet away from the house, you want a visible fall — a good rule of thumb is about 6 inches of drop over that 10 feet. If you can't see any fall, or if the ground tips back toward the house, that's a grading problem regardless of what else is going on. Watch how water actually moves in a storm — if you see it running along the foundation instead of away from it, the grade needs help. Keep landscaping beds below siding and don't let mulch pile up against the house.

Driveway and Property Grading

A driveway is one of the most punishing surfaces on any property, and bad grade is almost always the reason it fails. I reshape, crown, and re-slope gravel and dirt driveways so water sheds off the surface instead of cutting through it. See our driveway installation and repair page for full details.

When To Call Me

If water pools near the house, if the yard is uneven enough to be a hassle to mow, if landscaping keeps washing out in the same spot, or if you've got a build in the plans and want the ground set up right the first time — that's the moment to bring someone in. I'll tell you honestly whether grading alone will solve it, or whether it needs to be paired with drainage or erosion work. Every recommendation starts with actually understanding your property.

Schedule a Grading Assessment

If your yard isn't draining the way it should, or you've got a project that needs the dirt moved before anything else can happen, give us a call at 931-442-5060 or request a free grading assessment. I'll walk the property, explain what I'd do and why, and put it in writing.

Recent Grading Project

Take a look at a recent Franklin TN drainage and grading project in the Starnes Creek subdivision where regrading along the home was a key part of solving standing water and foundation moisture.

See also a recent Williamson County backyard grading and drainage project where correcting negative grading toward the foundation — combined with new downspout drainage and a yard drain — helped stop basement water problems.