How a job runs, start to finish
You should know what you are buying, what it costs and when it happens before anyone lifts a shovel. This is the order we do things in, and what you can hold us to at each step.
Six steps
From the first call to the walk-through
The first call
Where the house is, how old it is, where the water shows up and when. If it is an emergency, we talk you through the first hour on the phone: power off near the water, what to move, why not to pump the slab dry while the ground is saturated.
The assessment, on site
We walk the lot first: downspouts, grade, window wells, where the sump discharges. Then the basement: staining, cracks, the cove joint, the floor, the sump. On well-and-septic lots we locate both. It takes about an hour and it is free.
The written scope
What we will do, wall by wall; the materials; the price; the days it takes; what you need to move or clear; what is not included. If two methods would work, both are priced so you choose with numbers.
The work
One crew, the dates agreed. Protection down inside; spoil on tarps outside. A wall we open is closed before the next rain. Utilities are located before any excavation, every time.
The test
Interior drains are flood-tested through the cleanout. Pumps are run under load, including the backup with the mains switched off. Exterior work is hosed at the grade before backfill is finished.
The walk-through
Photos of everything that is now buried or behind a wall, so you and the next owner can see what is there. The warranty terms from the scope, restated. Then we leave the site as we found it.
Ask anyone
Eight questions for any waterproofing contractor
- Where exactly is the water getting in, and how do you know?
- What is the cheapest fix that could work, and why is it not enough here?
- Is the price for the wall length in the scope, or per foot with extras?
- What do I need to move, and who puts it back?
- How will you locate the well line and septic before digging?
- What is the pump rated for, and what happens when the power goes out?
- How do you test the system before you leave?
- What does the warranty cover, in writing, and what voids it?
We answer all eight in the written scope, so you do not have to remember to ask.