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I bought a house 18 months ago with some known issues. I discovered that the permit for the deck is still open (17 years old) because of the issues the contractor made putting it in. I think some of the issues were fixed but the biggest is that the grading is done incorrectly as it slopes (partially) toward the house. The deck is 28x14 with thecdeck on top and pressure treated underneath. All the supports are on concrete pier columns and it sits about 4’ above grade. What is the best material and way to grade under an existing deck?

George
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  • Welcome to Stack Exchange. Your question is very general. In order for us to help you please identify the problem you are trying to solve. Are you having water seepage in the house because of the grading? If you're trying to bring it to code your local building inspector can tell you specifically what needs to be done. If you want to edit your question, pictures would be very helpful. – HoneyDo Aug 24 '20 at 23:15
  • 4 feet is pretty decent clearance as these things go. Not fun, but not terrible "crawling on your belly" level clearance. – Ecnerwal Aug 25 '20 at 13:14

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You pretty much have to use earth to correct the slope.

Make a plan of the area and figure out which bits are too high and which are too low (you can measure down from the boards) then go under there with a short-handled shovel a board to sit on and a little wagon (of any colour) and start moving dirt.

Jasen
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  • Watch out for the red one - you can't ride it, the front wheel's broken and the axle's draggin... More seriously, bring a steel rake (rock rake, not leaf rake) as well as the shovel. Very useful in correcting grade... A few sticks cut to length can be helpful for quick measuring reference "down from the deck." You'll need different ones for different locations, but they beat fiddling with a tape measure all the time. – Ecnerwal Aug 25 '20 at 13:16
  • This may be as simple as the answers imply or maybe not. Changing the grade involves either adding soil at the desired high points or removing soil where you want the water to flow - or some combination. Depending on the contours around the house this may require more extensive grading than just under the deck in order to get the water to where you want it without compromising existing deck supports or other nearby fixtures. Just saying. – HoneyDo Aug 25 '20 at 16:01