Serving Rochester and nearby areas
Basement waterproofing in Rochester that keeps the water out for good, with a free inspection and a written price.
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We connect property owners in Rochester and nearby areas, including Corn Hill, South Wedge, Park Avenue, 19th Ward, Greece and Irondequoit, with one independent local foundation repair specialist.
A big spring melt
The National Weather Service puts Rochester at about 90 inches of snow a season, and says soils are wet in spring. That melt water soaks the ground right next to your basement walls.
Ground that holds water
North of Ridge Road, much of the land is the bottom of old glacial Lake Iroquois. USDA lists lake plain soils formed in silt and clay, like the Canandaigua series, as poorly drained, with water that can pond.
Combined sewers in the city
Monroe County says the City of Rochester has combined storm and sanitary sewers. It tells owners to keep floor drains capped, and says a licensed plumber can add devices that help stop backups.
High water on the lake and bay
In the 2017 Lake Ontario flood, the Greece town supervisor said the sanitary sewers were beyond capacity. In 2019, the National Guard placed sandbags along Irondequoit Bay.
Typical published ranges for Rochester. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
| Work | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Inspection and written estimate | Free |
| Basement waterproofing, most jobs | $3,000 to $10,000 |
| Interior perimeter drain | $40 to $120per linear foot |
| Sump pump, installed | $600 to $2,500 |
| Seal one leaking crack | $250 to $1,000 |
| Outside French drain | $10 to $100per linear foot |
| Regrade the yard | $500 to $3,000 |
| Waterproof wall coating | $1 to $8per square foot |
Maybe it shows up every spring when the snow melts. Maybe it comes after every hard rain. Maybe it is just a damp smell and a white crust on the walls. Either way, water in the basement does not fix itself.
Basement waterproofing in Rochester is about one thing. Give the water somewhere to go besides your basement. The free inspection finds where it is getting in and why.
You do not need to know the right words. These are the problems Rochester homeowners call about most:
"Water comes in where the wall meets the floor."
"There is a puddle every spring when the snow melts."
"Water drips through a crack in the wall."
"The walls are damp, and there is a white, chalky crust on them."
"The basement smells musty."
"Water comes up through the floor drain in big storms."
"My sump pump runs all the time, or it quit."
"My old stone walls weep water."
Water comes in at the weak spots. A good inspector checks each one.
The cove joint. This is where the wall meets the floor. The two were poured at different times, so there is a seam. Water under pressure finds it first.
Wall cracks. A crack in a poured wall can let water straight through. A crack along a mortar joint in a block wall can too.
Block cores. Concrete blocks are hollow. Water can fill the cores and seep out at the bottom of the wall.
Old mortar. In stone walls, the mortar wears away. Water then comes through the gaps between stones.
Window wells. A well with no drain fills like a bucket. Then it leaks through the window.
The floor drain. In the city, water can back up from the sewer in a big storm.
The fix depends on where the water comes from. Most jobs use one or more of these.
This is the most common fix for Rochester basements. The crew opens a strip of floor along the walls. They lay a drain pipe in stone, then patch the floor. The drain carries water to a sump pump, and the pump sends it outside. Water that gets to the wall has a path out before it reaches the floor.
The crew digs down along the outside of the wall. They clean it, seal it with a waterproof coating, and add a drain at the footing. This costs more and tears up the yard. It can make sense for a finished basement or a wall that needs work outside anyway.
Single leaking cracks in poured walls can often be sealed with foam or epoxy. This is a small job. It is a good fit when one crack is the only problem. See foundation crack repair.
Sometimes the fix starts outside. Downspouts that dump next to the house can soak one corner all spring. Extending them and sloping the yard away from the house can cut the water a lot. A good inspector will say so when that is enough.
In the city, backups through floor drains are a sewer problem, not a wall problem. A licensed plumber can cap the drain or add a valve that helps. If you have both problems, the waterproofing crew and the plumber can work together.
Water does more than make a mess. When wet soil freezes against a wall, it swells and pushes. Over time that can crack and bow a block wall. If the inspector sees a wall that has started to move, the plan may include bracing too. See wall anchors. Fixing the water first often keeps the next wall from moving.
The price table on this page shows typical ranges from Fixr. These are typical ranges, not a quote. What moves the price most:
How many feet of drain
A drain along one wall costs less than one around the whole basement.
Inside or outside
Digging outside costs more than an inside drain.
Finished walls
Drywall and paneling may have to come down and go back up.
Pump choice
A battery backup pump adds cost but helps in a storm.
Access
Tight basements and stone walls can take more time.
See the full cost guide for more detail.
In Rochester, spring is when a winter of snow melts and the ground is at its wettest. Water builds up in the soil around the wall and pushes in through cracks and the joint at the floor. The fix is to give that water a path out.
Both can work. An inside drain with a sump pump costs less and does not tear up the yard. Digging outside lets the crew seal the outer face of the wall. The right answer depends on your walls, your yard and your budget.
Usually not by itself. Coatings can help with light dampness. They do not stop water that is pushing through under pressure. Water tends to push the paint off the wall.
If water collects under your floor or near the walls, a sump pump is the usual way to move it out. A battery backup helps if the power goes out in a storm. The inspector will tell you if you need one.
In the City of Rochester, storm water and sewage share the same pipes. In a big storm, those pipes can fill up and push water back into basements. Monroe County says to keep floor drains capped. A licensed plumber can add a valve that helps.
Yes. Most old stone basements are handled from the inside. Loose mortar is redone, an inside drain goes in along the walls, and a sump pump moves the water out.
An inside drain and sump pump for a typical basement often takes one to three days. Digging outside takes longer. Your estimate should list the schedule.
Usually not for slow seepage. Flood is a separate policy. Water that backs up from a drain or sewer is often left out unless you add a backup add-on. Ask your agent what your policy covers.
Call (585) 449-9661 or send the short form. A local crew will call you back, usually the same day. The inspection is free, and you get the plan and price in writing before any work starts.