Scene: New construction the cement patio in front of house is sloped away from front door (good) with about 1.5 foot overhang overhead. They put the fascia skirt board for the house almost touching on the cement (very little clearance and no flashing and in some places it actually touches the cement porch). Would you guys call this out as needing atleast flashing and/or 1/2 clearance to prevent water wicking up under board during heavy rains, wind blowing rain episodes, etc… (see pic)
I do.
yep.
Good call Robert;
I would have called it too. What kind of siding was it?
Marcel 
It was basic composition (fiber cement)
Are not the fiber cement board more tollerable to moisture intrusion? Therefore, should it not be that close proximity to concrete surfaces be more flexible. Just a question.
Marcel
This answers my question 100% thank you!!
(I should have thought about checking the installation specifications first duh… thank you!)
I made a mistake on my previous post. The siding on the house was fiber cement compo. BUT the skirt fascia board around the base of the front of the house was regular wood. Therefore clearance is probably still needed especially if james hardie siding requires 2" and these seem to hold up more to water…
Wood in contact with concrete is going to be adversely affected by the moisture in the concrete, so it should be called out so the buyer is aware of a future problem that will eventually show up and need to be taken care of. Otherwise the buyer will be wondering why the wood is rotting and may come back to the inspector and ask “why, why didn’t you tell me this when you inspected the place?” Then things may become very interesting for the inspector.
George Maher
Home - Safe Home, LLC
Fargo, ND