Grading & Pitch Correction

Grading and pitch correction is the foundation of effective drainage on Long Island. No matter how many drains, pipes, and dry wells you install, water will always follow the path of least resistance, and if the grade of your property directs water toward your home instead of away from it, you will have problems. Brothers Paving & Masonry provides professional grading and pitch correction services across Nassau and Suffolk County, reshaping the ground surface to establish the proper slopes that keep water moving away from structures, off paved surfaces, and toward designated drainage collection points.

Proper grading means that every surface on your property, from the lawn around your foundation to your driveway, patio, and walkways, slopes in the right direction at the right rate to shed water efficiently. The International Residential Code recommends a minimum slope of six inches over the first ten feet away from a foundation, and paved surfaces should pitch at least one-eighth inch per foot toward drainage collection points. When these grades are not maintained, water pools against foundations, sits on driveways, floods patios, and saturates landscaped areas, creating the drainage problems that plague so many Long Island properties.

Grading issues develop on Long Island for several reasons. Soil settlement over time is one of the most common causes, as the sandy soils prevalent across much of the island compact and shift under the weight of structures and fill material. Landscaping projects that add soil or mulch without maintaining proper grades can redirect water toward the house. Erosion from improperly managed runoff can wash away soil that once provided a positive slope. And in many cases, original construction grading was inadequate from the start, creating problems that worsen over time as the soil continues to settle.

Our grading and pitch correction process begins with a thorough topographic assessment of your property. We use surveying instruments and laser levels to map the existing grades and identify every area where the slope is flat, negative, or insufficient. We trace the path that water follows across the property during rainfall and identify the low points where it accumulates. This detailed analysis allows us to develop a grading plan that addresses every problem area with the minimum amount of earthwork needed to achieve effective results.

For lawn and landscape grading around foundations, we typically add or redistribute soil to build up the grade adjacent to the house and create a consistent outward slope. We use clean fill material that compacts well and resists erosion, building the grade up in layers and compacting each lift to create a stable surface that holds its shape over time. The new grade transitions smoothly into the existing lawn or landscape, and we take care to maintain proper elevation at utility penetrations, window wells, and exterior features.

Driveway and hardscape pitch correction often involves more extensive work. If a paved surface has settled and lost its original drainage slope, the options range from adding an overlay to build up the low side to removing and re-grading the base before repaving. For asphalt driveways, a thin overlay can correct minor pitch issues by building up thickness on the low side. For concrete or paver surfaces, correction typically requires removal, base re-grading, and reinstallation. We evaluate each situation and recommend the most cost-effective approach that delivers a lasting fix.

Long Island's flat terrain makes pitch correction both more important and more challenging than in hillier areas. With so little natural slope to work with, every fraction of an inch of grade matters. We use laser-guided equipment to achieve precise slopes throughout the corrected areas, ensuring water flows reliably in the intended direction. On properties where space is limited and significant grade changes are not feasible, we combine subtle pitch corrections with strategically placed drains to create a system where grading and drainage infrastructure work together to manage water effectively.

The soil types found across Long Island add another layer of complexity to grading work. Sandy soils on the South Shore are easy to work with but prone to erosion if not properly stabilized after grading. We use erosion control measures such as silt fencing, erosion blankets, and prompt seeding or sodding to prevent newly graded areas from washing out before vegetation establishes. Clay soils on the North Shore hold their shape better but are difficult to compact and can become slippery when wet, so we pay careful attention to surface finishing and drainage in clay soil areas.

Swale construction is a common component of grading projects on Long Island. A swale is a shallow, vegetated channel that collects and directs surface water across or along the edge of a property. We construct swales as part of many grading projects to provide a defined pathway for water to flow from high areas to collection points such as catch basins or dry wells. Swales are effective, low-cost drainage features that blend into the landscape and manage significant volumes of water when properly designed.

We also perform grading work as part of larger construction and renovation projects on Long Island. New driveways, patios, pools, and additions all change the drainage patterns on a property, and proper grading during construction prevents future water problems. When we build a new driveway or patio, the grading plan is integrated into the project from the design phase, ensuring that the finished product drains correctly from day one.

After grading is complete, we stabilize all disturbed areas with appropriate ground cover. Lawn areas receive topsoil, seed, and straw mulch or sod, depending on the season and your preference. Landscape beds are finished with appropriate mulch or ground cover. Paved surfaces are restored to their final grade and finish. We do not consider a grading project complete until every surface is stabilized and the drainage patterns are verified.

Brothers Paving brings the surveying expertise, earthwork experience, and drainage knowledge that effective grading requires. We understand Long Island's soils, water table, and terrain, and we engineer every grading solution for the specific conditions of your property. Contact us for a free grading evaluation and estimate.