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Consultation with the local government helps identify necessary permits, avoid project delays or legal issues, and protect project integrity.

The best type of soil to build on is a mixture of sand and clay, known as loam soil. Loam soil has the best combination of these soil types to build a foundation on. The clay particles help with water retention, so it won’t erode like sandy soil might, and the sandy particles help with drainage, so you won’t see unsafe soil expansion or have an increased risk of leaks from water sitting against your foundation.

A crawl space can be as little as 42 inches below the grade of your house, but this is not always recommended in flood-prone areas. At a minimum, there must be at least 16 inches of clearance between the ground and the floor joists to access the space in an emergency.

Professional installers often include a deep layer of crushed gravel under permeable pavers to allow more runoff to soak through into the soil below. Many installations will include multiple layers of gravel, with coarser aggregate at the base and finer aggregate that sits on top of that bottom layer. Above the gravel, you’ll often find coarse sand that helps reduce paver shifting over time. Some permeable paver designs include a water collection system set into the gravel layer to route runoff to a safe area for disposal.