Guide
What affects the price
There are no figures on this page, because any figure given without seeing the house would be a guess. What can be said is which things move the number, so you can read a proposal and see where the money goes.
The cause sets the method, and the method sets the price
Moving a downspout, sealing one crack, draining a whole basement and digging up a wall are four different orders of work. Which one you need depends on where the water comes from. That is why the diagnosis is worth more than the quote: a low price for the wrong repair is money spent twice.
What moves the number
How much
- Length of wall that gets a drain or a membrane.
- Floor area of a crawl space, and the number of piers to wrap.
- How deep the footing is, for outside work.
How hard to reach
- Finished walls and floors that must come out and go back.
- A crawl space too low to kneel in.
- Porches, decks, paving and planting along the wall.
- A furnace, water heater or stairs on the drain line.
What goes in
- Pump quality, and whether there is a battery backup.
- Liner thickness and whether it is reinforced.
- A dehumidifier, and the electrical work for it.
- How far the outlet pipe has to run to reach a safe place to empty.
Comparing two proposals
Line them up by quantity before price. Does each cover the same walls? The same number of feet? Is a pump in one and not the other? Does one include putting the drywall or the flower bed back?
Then compare the warranties, because a longer or broader one is part of what you are buying. A proposal that is much lower than the rest has usually left something out. Ask what.
Lower-cost steps that sometimes end the problem
- Clean the gutters and fix any that overflow.
- Carry every downspout well out into the yard.
- Rebuild the slope of the soil along the walls.
- Clear window well drains and add covers.
- Run a dehumidifier through the summer with the windows shut.
If the water stops, you are done. If it does not, you have narrowed the cause, and the company will not have to price those items in. The wet basement page puts these in order.
Paying for it
Ask for a payment schedule that follows the work: something at the start for materials, the balance when the job is finished and you have seen it. If financing is offered, get the rate, the term and the total repaid in writing, and compare it with your own bank.
Do not count on insurance. The City of Prattville's floodplain page puts it plainly: homeowner's policies do not cover losses due to flooding. Flood cover is a separate policy, and slow seepage is rarely covered by either. Read your own policy or ask your agent before assuming.
Montgomery and nearby towns
Ready to have someone look at it?
Call and describe what you are seeing and when it happens. You will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company, and they arrange the visit with you.
Phone calls may be recorded. See the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.