To word the question another way, how much of the foundation wall needs to be exposed below the siding? My neighbor isn't the best at home projects and decided to install a brick pad so that the soil is above my siding. Obviously aluminum siding on top of fire rated drywall (don't get my started) is not an appropriate foundation material, causing a lot of water damage. So I'm having him dig it out so the foundation is exposed, but I need to know how far to tell him he needs to dig.
Location is in Virginia, we usually get a good 6" snow storm every year, sometimes a lot more. Other parts of the neighborhood seem to have at least 6" or so.
Best Answer
Four to six inches is what my home inspector told me. Besides the risk of water intrusion, any area where dirt extends above the sill plate is a huge invitation to wood destroying insects like termites or carpenter ants.