**Tell him to lower the finished soil level to at least 6 inches below the bottom edge of your siding**, including any mulch. Virginia’s Henrico County publishes that same 6-inch siding clearance in its residential inspection guidance. [Henrico County guidance](https://henrico.gov/bldg/residential-building/inspection-requirements__trashed/slab/)

There are two related measurements: the height of the foundation above ground and the clearance beneath the siding. They can differ because siding sometimes overlaps the foundation. The IRC’s foundation provision calls for the **top of a concrete or masonry foundation to be at least 6 inches above finished grade** for houses with siding. [ICC explanation of R404.1.6](https://media.iccsafe.org/news/icc-enews/2016v13n7/2015_res_essentials_p70.pdf)

The excavation also needs to drain:

- **Slope the soil away from the house**, ordinarily dropping at least 6 inches over the first 10 feet.
- If the brick pad or property line prevents that slope, provide a drain or swale with an outlet. Simply digging a narrow trench beside the foundation could create a water-filled trough. [IRC R401.3](https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2021P2/chapter-4-foundations)

For your snow conditions, I’d aim for **8–12 inches of siding clearance where practical** as an extra margin, rather than treating 6 inches as protection against every snowfall. Keep piled snow away from that wall.

Since you already have substantial water damage, have the lower wall opened and inspected during the repair. Lowering the soil prevents further burial; damaged sheathing, framing, and flashing still need attention.