Plain answers to the foundation repair and basement waterproofing questions Syracuse homeowners ask most. Do not see yours? Call (315) 623-3956 for a free inspection.
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Syracuse averages about 127.8 inches of snow a year and has averaged about 134 days a year below freezing. Snowmelt soaks slow draining glacial till and lake clay soils, then the soil freezes and pushes on basement walls. About 43 percent of the city's homes were built in 1939 or earlier, many on stone or early block walls.
Every house is different. If your question is not answered here, the fastest way to an answer is a free inspection. A local crew looks at your basement, tells you what they see and gives you a written price.
You can also read more on our cost guide, signs of foundation problems and basement waterproofing pages.
Call (315) 623-3956 or send the short form, and a local foundation crew will call you back, usually the same day.
Syracuse Foundation is a lead referral service, not a contractor. We connect you with one independent local foundation and waterproofing contractor who works in Syracuse. That contractor does the inspection, writes the estimate and does the work if you hire them. Your agreement is with them.
Yes. There is no charge for the inspection or the written estimate, and you do not have to sign anything or hire anyone.
One local cost guide puts it at $2,400 to $25,200, depending on the problem. Basement waterproofing runs about $2,000 to $8,100 on the same guide. Your inspection gives you the exact price in writing. See our cost guide for more.
Syracuse averages about 127.8 inches of snow a year and has averaged about 134 days below freezing. Snowmelt soaks the soil around the house, the ground drains slowly, and many basements are old stone or block. Water finds its way in through cracks and the seam where the wall meets the floor.
Usually not for settling, wear or soil pressure. Many policies also leave out water that backs up through drains or a sump unless you add a water backup endorsement. The City of Syracuse notes that homeowners insurance does not usually cover flooding. Ask your agent what yours covers.
Often, for structural work. The City of Syracuse Central Permit Office handles permits for home improvement work on one and two family homes, and towns like Clay, Cicero and Manlius have their own building departments. Homes in a flood zone may need a floodplain permit for some work. The contractor should pull any permit the job needs.
Most inside work can, like crack injection, wall straps, braces, inside drains and sump pumps. Digging outside in frozen ground is harder, so some outside work waits for spring.
Crack injection often takes a few hours. Wall anchors, straps or an inside drain usually take one to three days. Bigger jobs take longer. The estimate lists the schedule.
Many foundation and waterproofing contractors offer a warranty, and some transfer to the next owner. Get it in writing with your estimate and read what it covers.
In New York, a home improvement contract must be in writing and must tell you that you can cancel until midnight of the third business day after you sign.
Many people do. Get an inspection and a written repair price before you close, so you know the cost and can factor it into your offer. A repair with paperwork and a warranty is easier to sell later than a problem nobody fixed.
Yes. We connect homeowners across Syracuse and nearby towns including Liverpool, Cicero, Clay, Camillus, Fayetteville, Manlius, DeWitt, Baldwinsville and Skaneateles. See our service areas page.