Foundation repair and waterproofing

Most foundation calls are water calls

People call about a foundation for two reasons: a crack they have noticed, or water in the basement. Very often those are the same problem. A fine crack in a poured wall is usually a path for water rather than a sign the house is moving, and a basement that takes water in heavy rain is usually telling you about the drainage outside rather than the concrete.

So the first job is working out which problem you actually have. Selling an interior system to somebody whose real problem is a downspout is how this part of the trade earned its reputation, and it is the thing we are most careful not to do.

What we look at first

• Where the water appears inside, and when: only in heavy rain, only in spring, or constantly
• Gutters and downspouts, and where they actually discharge
• The grade around the house, and whether it falls away from the wall or back toward it
• Driveways, patios and walks next to the foundation, and which way they are pitched
• The wall itself: cracks, their shape and direction, and whether they are moving
• Any existing drainage or sump, and whether it is working

Foundation crack repair

Not all cracks mean the same thing. Fine vertical cracks in poured concrete are common, because concrete shrinks as it cures, and they are usually a water problem rather than a structural one. A crack like that which leaks is typically sealed from inside by injection, which fills it through the full thickness of the wall rather than skimming over the face.

Horizontal cracks, stair stepping through block, a crack that is wider at one end than the other, or a wall that is bowing inward are a different matter. Those point to pressure from the soil outside, and they need looking at properly rather than filling. Where a crack is beyond what we should be handling, we will say so and tell you it needs a structural engineer. That is a better outcome for you than a contractor injecting a crack that was telling you something.

Waterproofing, service by service

Basement waterproofing starts outside, with grading, downspouts and the hard surfaces against the house, and moves to exterior membranes or interior drainage only where the source cannot be fixed more simply.

French drains intercept ground water and carry it away before it reaches the wall, in the yard or along the footing.

Sump pumps collect the water an interior drain gathers and push it out and away from the house, with a discharge line that cannot freeze and, ideally, a battery backup.

Crawl spaces and egress windows

Crawl space drainage and moisture control, and egress window installation where a basement is being made habitable. Egress work is often driven by code rather than by water, so tell us which you are dealing with when you call.

What New Jersey ground does

Clay through much of the north holds water against a foundation instead of letting it drain, and it swells when it is wet. The freeze and thaw cycling here works on that saturated soil all winter. Closer to the shore the water table itself sits high enough that drainage stops being about surface water at all. The right answer genuinely differs by where you are, which is why we look before quoting.

Common questions

This page was last updated in September 2026.