I recently acquired a house that has some drainage issues and have received some conflicting advice from excavation and landscape contractors. The black line is the storm drain runs to the back of the property to a culvert with 2 large square drains. The green is low area of the yard. The 2 blue rectangles are where water pools along the house. The yard above in the picture slops down into mine. The neighborhood is mostly flat and my yard is always soggy. The worst case was 5 years ago where the X's were over 2 feet deep.
The house has no gutters yet since I just replaced the roof. I am planning on fixing some minor cracks in the concrete slab (no basement), installing a drainage system , grading the yard and putting in a fence. In photo you can see where concrete cracked and the bricks nearby. One of my contractors has suggested french drains from the front to the back emptying out into the culvert area but I'm worried about the earth under the house where its cracked already.
Before I jump in I would like to seek counsel and I am waiting for 2 home inspectors to return my calls here in Mississippi. What license and training should a home inspector have, how much should I pay. I prefer to pay extra for a professional especially for something this important. I would to thank all for your consideration and advice.
