I just bought a house in Iowa.

[rusty quoin]

5. There is actually a lot to the answer.

I'll start with downspouts from the gutters. You can buy those accordion extenders which can shoot a lot of water past where the grade brings water back to your foundation.

That thing about bringing dirt to the house..it really is a judgement and code call.

Lots of questions come to mind. Are you doing the work yourself, how severe is the problem, do you need mechanized equipment, do you see signs in crawl space or basement of major problem.

I had a home in Ohio with soil of pure clay, and the foundation on the downside of a hill faced saturated soil freezing in the winter pushing in the foundation block.

I'm betting it's a small issue though, so grade away from the house, dirt close to house...I forget...maybe 5-6 inches from wood or shingles...make a slope to the point the water does not come back...things like that.