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A Fall Foundation Check Before Winter

Posted October 28, 2026 · Verified

Fall is a good time to check the things that decide how much water reaches your foundation, before freezing weather turns that water into ice. It takes an hour or two and costs almost nothing.

1. Gutters and downspouts

Clear the gutters, then check that every downspout has an extension. A University of Missouri Extension publication estimates that without extensions each 1,000 square feet of roof can put about 27,000 gallons of water next to the house per year.[1] The Colorado Geological Survey's guidance for swelling soils says downspouts and splash blocks should carry water at least 10 feet from the building.[2]

2. Grading

Walk the perimeter and look for low spots or soil that has settled against the foundation. Correct any low spots or settlement of soil next to the foundation, which the Colorado Geological Survey recommends maintaining.[2] The Missouri publication gives a standard of 6 inches of fall over 10 feet away from the house.[1]

3. Sprinklers and beds

Shut off or adjust sprinklers that spray the foundation. The Colorado Geological Survey advises keeping grass, shrubs, flowers and sprinklers at least 5 feet from the foundation in swelling soils.[2]

4. Porches, steps and walls (cold climates)

Frost heave needs frost-susceptible soil, moisture and freezing temperatures; remove any one and it does not occur.[3] You can't change the temperature, but you can keep water from collecting near porch footings and steps. InterNACHI notes frost heaving, often under porches, can raise or tilt a pier.[4] Note the position of steps and railings now so you can tell if anything moves this winter. See frost heave.

5. The crawl space

If you have one, look inside on a dry day: damp framing, standing water, a ground cover that has slipped or torn. The U.S. Department of Energy's guidance describes a ground vapor retarder at least 6 mil thick with taped, overlapped seams that does not interfere with drainage.[5] See crawl space problems.

6. Write down what you find

Photograph any cracks with the date and a ruler, and keep them in one folder. See the foundation maintenance checklist for the whole year.

Foundation Maintenance Checklist: Seasonal Steps That Prevent ProblemsSimple habits that reduce foundation movement: drainage, moisture, trees, monitoring and records.Water, Drainage and Foundations: Grading, Gutters and French DrainsWhy water is the common thread in foundation problems, and what grading, gutters, drains and irrigation do.Frost Heave and Foundations in Cold ClimatesHow freezing ground lifts structures, what frost depth means, and how frost-protected shallow foundations work.Crawl Space Problems: Moisture, Sagging Floors and Vapor BarriersSigns of a wet or failing crawl space, what vented vs sealed means, and what the Department of Energy says.

References

Figures and claims marked with a number come from these references. Dates are the publication or last-update dates shown by the publisher, where one was shown. Older references are flagged in the text.

  1. House Moisture Problems (Agricultural Engineering Extension publication). University of Missouri Extension; PDF with no author or date shown.Undated, and written for Missouri and Ozark conditions. We use it for general grading and gutter figures.
  2. Home Construction on Shrinking and Swelling Soils (Special Publication 11). Colorado Geological Survey; Wesley G. Holtz and Stephen S. Hart, October 1978.Published in 1978. We use it for soil behavior and landscaping distances, not for costs or current practice.
  3. Protecting Foundations from Frost. Fine Homebuilding, issue 297; Glenn Mathewson; January 2021.Trade magazine article that cites International Residential Code sections.
  4. Inspecting Foundation Walls and Piers. InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors), revised January 2013.Inspector-training material. It describes cracks by cause rather than by a fixed vertical/diagonal/horizontal chart.
  5. Install or Repair a Crawl Space Vapor Retarder (Weatherization Installer Job Aid 16-1). U.S. Department of Energy, DOE/GO-102023-5934; June 2024.

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