new house - wet crawl space

Raleigh Home Inspection on Tuesday April 2008. Inspected a brand new house yesterday and the front foundation wall and soil were very damp. The grading at the front was done improperly and it had a front porch comprised of wooden planks. The porch was only covered about half way with a roof above. The gaps in the planks lead directly to the crawl space. So, when it rains, water will, and has, travel into the crawl space. This is a very bad design that I really wish were not allowed. Wet crawl spaces attract termites, other insects, allow mold growth, lead to decay of wood and dampness damages insulation. This house was also missing a vapor barrier (required when the house was built). Now the buyer knows the pitfalls of this house and what to do about it before damage occurred.