Thanks Jim for the advice. As the engineer said,"Drainage, drainage, drainage". We do get plenty af rain in MD. My county is requiring me to build a 16 by 25 by 11 foot dry well for storm water runoff which seems excessive. I'm talking to a landscape guy who wants to put in berms and ponds and natural vegetation as an alternative. We would trench and pea gravel to get the water away from the foundation. I don't even know if the county will go for it but want all the ammo I can get before I go back for a change.