Two Virginia rules to read before any quote
Virginia law requires a Board for Contractors license for contracting work. A Class C license covers a single contract or project over $1,000 but less than $30,000 (or under $250,000 of work in any 12 months); Class B covers $30,000 or more but less than $150,000 (or $250,000 to under $1 million a year); Class A covers $150,000 or more (or $1 million or more a year).
DPOR says a Virginia contractor license has two parts: the class (A, B or C), which sets the monetary value of contracts or projects that may be performed, and the classification or specialty, which sets what type of work is allowed.
Put this question to every company that bids: Does this job's value call for a Virginia Board for Contractors license, and if so, which class and classification do you hold, and what is the number?
What Richmond's permit office says
The City of Richmond's Bureau of Permits and Inspections says a building permit is required for new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, removal, demolition and occupancy under Section 108.1 of the 2021 Virginia Residential Building Code, with exceptions including ordinary repairs, replacement of windows and doors, and cabinetry. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas work each need a separate permit application.
Ask each company whether the work it proposes needs a building permit, whether any separate mechanical, electrical, plumbing or gas application applies, and who files each one. Ask the Bureau of Permits and Inspections the same question if the answers differ.
Trace the water before you price a fix
Knowing why a basement gets wet helps you judge which proposal fits. Give yourself a few weeks of observation before the first company visits. Each time you find moisture, jot down:
- the day, and whether rain, a thaw or a stretch of damp air came before it;
- the exact spot: the seam where wall meets floor, a single crack, one corner, below a window, around a pipe that passes through the wall, or the whole face of a wall;
- the form it takes: a damp patch, a bead line, a trickle, standing water;
- any white, chalky residue left on the masonry.
Bring those notes to each appointment. Notice which salesperson reads them and asks questions, and which one opens a brochure.
Plumbing comes off the suspect list first
Not every wet basement floor starts outside. A weeping supply line, a sweating cold-water pipe, a water heater or washer hose that drips, or a condensate line from heating and cooling equipment can wet a floor and look like seepage. Check those first, or ask a plumber to, before anyone proposes cutting concrete.
Condensation is a separate case. Moist air meeting a cool wall or pipe can leave an even film of droplets that has little to do with groundwater. Ask each contractor how it tells condensation from water moving through the wall, and what it would recommend if condensation turns out to be part of the picture.
The roofline and the ground at the walls
Steering roof and yard water away from the foundation can spare the basement a lot of trouble. During a steady rain, walk the outside of the house and look for:
- gutters that spill over, sag between hangers or leak at joints;
- downspouts that dump right beside the wall instead of well out into the yard;
- a trough of settled soil or mulch along the foundation;
- planting beds banked up against siding or brick;
- window wells holding debris or water;
- a patio, stoop or walk that pitches toward the house.
Clearing gutters, adding extensions and rebuilding the slope with compacted soil are outside jobs to ask about early. Ask every waterproofing company whether it inspected the outside, and whether it would try those fixes before interior work.
What a crack is saying
A thin, straight vertical crack in a poured wall may be nothing more than curing shrinkage, and an injected sealant from inside may handle it. Other patterns point to movement: a crack that widens toward one end, a stair-step line through block mortar, one face pushed out past the other, or a wall bowing inward. Ask for a structural engineer's opinion on those before a membrane or panel covers them. Photograph each crack beside a tape measure now, and again a few months on, to see whether it is changing.
Inside or outside: the main approaches
When the outside work is done and water still arrives, the choices narrow to a handful:
- Interior perimeter drain. A channel cut along the floor edge, perforated pipe set in stone, fresh concrete over it, all leading to a sump.
- Wall drainage sheet. A dimpled membrane that steers water down into that drain rather than trying to stop it at the wall surface.
- Exterior excavation. Digging to the footing to apply a membrane, drain board and footing drain from outside. A big job, and in some basements the one that fits.
- Dehumidification and air sealing. For moisture that comes from the air rather than through the wall.
Ask each company to explain why it picked its approach for your basement and what evidence pointed there.
The pump and its outlet
A sump system typically includes a basin, a pump, a check valve, a lid and a discharge line. Ask the pump's model and capacity, whether a backup is part of the price, and where the discharge line ends. Ask how far from the house it lets out, whether it stays clear of a neighbor's lot, and how the outlet is kept from clogging or freezing.
Coverage and your insurer
Ask for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation in writing before anyone starts. Your insurer can tell you how your homeowner's policy treats water in a basement; get that answer before you sign, and file it with the contract.
Weighing the written proposals
Read every proposal with the same short set of questions in hand:
- Did the company say why the water gets in, and show you how it knows?
- Did it look at gutters, downspouts and grade, and price any of that?
- How many feet of drain, which basin, which pump, and is there a backup?
- Where will pumped water leave the property?
- Is each crack its own line, and did anyone suggest an engineer?
- If the air is the problem, is a dehumidifier named by model?
- What does the warranty leave out, and can a future owner use it?