Are most homes surrounded by a plastic covered slopes all around their foundations? I don't think so. Yet they survive without problems. So the advice to do that sounds a bit from a paranoid viewpoint to me. However, there is a level above which the soil should not be placed. I don't think you've exceeded it. Below that level, however, most new homes have their underground portions covered with a bituminous waterproof coating so that ground moisture does not seep into the foundation walls. When the coating is present, usually one sees a trace of it at the soil line. I don't see any here so doubt you have it below the soil within the raised planter area. How bad that could be for you depends on what's on the other side of the walls. If it's unfinished basement, there is not too much to worry about. If there is wood attached to the walls, you might want the waterproofing. You would only need to create a trench in order to apply waterproofing, not dismantle the entire planter.

It's crawlspace under the sun room and unfinished basement under the rest and we haven't had water problems yet. The home had foundation issues a while ago and there were more issues notices on inspection which the seller paid to have fixed before we closed. The bed seems to be filled with the heavy, clay-type soil that we have in the rest of the yard so I think the concern is the weight of it when wet more than the chance of water getting in.

But isn't the soil in the planter just sitting on top of soil in the yard? I don't think it would have a bottom (like concrete) since it must drain, or it will become a muck pool. As long as the level of soil of planter is a foot below any floor structure, and at the back side of wall is crawl space or unfinished basement, I don't think you will have worries.

If the home had "foundation issues" prior and they are connected with this planter, then explain specifically what and how.

Yes, Yardvaark, we're assuming there's not a bottom. Our soil is REALLY heavy - like clay and doesn't drain well. We're assuming that especially when it's wet there is sideways pressure as well as downward pressure. The past foundation issues were in an area very close to where the planter is. We're not sure what they were caused by but several metal supporter were added on the inside of the basement.

My husband is considering digging it all out and replacing it with woodchips and lighter soil. Another idea is to create an air gap between the planter and the foundation by digging a trench along the house and then creating a wall of bricks so that nothing is actually touching the foundation.

Emmarene, The plants are fairly good sized bushes in the summer. A lot of landscaping doesn't look its best during WI winters. :) We could plant directly into the ground, but then we would need to redo the drainage pipes that are buried in the planter and connect to the downspouts from the house.

I think it makes sense to dig out the soil in the planter. That will allow you to evaluate the situation and properly re-fill the planter. I'm in the south, and I don't have any plantings directly against our home (which is also brick). I like keeping a gap, and in my case I use gravel which reduces insects and allows for drainage. You can always cover the top inch with mulch (I use rubber mulch) so it does not stand out. For filling the bed, lighter soil sounds good but I would not recommend mixing in wood chips, I believe as they degrade I believe they will take nitrogen from your soil. If you meant that the wood chips would be mulch, that makes sense.