Wet basement repair in Pontiac
Most wet basements are a drainage problem outside, not a waterproofing problem inside. Here is how to tell which one you have before you spend anything.
Regrading and downspout extensions: $300-1,200
Interior drain tile with sump: $3,500-9,000
Exterior excavation and membrane: $10,000-25,000
National researched ranges, one local company, free written quote
Find out where it comes in before you buy a system
Water at the joint where the floor meets the wall behaves differently from water through a crack, and both behave differently from condensation. The cheapest useful thing you can do is tape a square of foil to the wall and leave it a day: wet on the room side is humidity, wet behind it is water coming through.
The soil around Pontiac is classed as Very poorly drained and holds roughly 40% clay, so water that lands near the house leaves slowly. Slow-draining ground is what keeps pressure against a basement wall long after the rain has stopped.
The order that saves money
- Clear and extend the downspouts - the cheapest fix and often the whole fix
- Correct the grade so the ground falls away from the wall
- Deal with window wells and any hard surface draining toward the house
- Only then consider interior drainage, and exterior work only after that
The scale of the problem is easy to underestimate: Pontiac takes roughly 883 mm of rain a year, and 1 inch of rain on a 1,500 square foot roof is about 930 gallons. Every one of those gallons lands within a few feet of your wall unless a downspout takes it somewhere else.
The soil around Pontiac measures about 40% clay and is classed as Very poorly drained, which is the single biggest factor in how long that water stays against the wall after the rain stops.
Common questions
It only happens in heavy rain. Is that still a problem?
It is the easiest kind to fix, because it points at surface water rather than the water table. Surface water is a drainage job, not a waterproofing job.
Will a sump pump solve it?
A pump moves water that has already arrived. If the water is arriving because a downspout empties next to the wall, the pump runs forever and the cause is untouched.
Is a lifetime warranty worth anything?
Only as far as the company outlives it. Ask how long they have traded here and what the warranty actually covers - most cover the system, not the wall.
Get written quotes in Pontiac
Tell us where the water appears, whether it follows heavy rain, and what the downspouts currently do with the roof water.
Or call (877) 701-2518
Prices in nearby cities
Ann Arbor · Battle Creek · Dearborn · Dearborn Heights · Flint · Grand Rapids · Kalamazoo · Lansing · Oak Park · Roseville · Royal Oak · Saginaw