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Syracuse Foundation

Serving Syracuse and nearby areas

Water in Your Basement in Syracuse, NY

Water in the basement means snowmelt or rain is finding a way through the walls, floor or drains, so get a free inspection in Syracuse and a written price to keep it out.

Call now: (315) 623-3956 or book your free inspection online

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Why basements crack and leak in Syracuse

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.

What it costs

Typical published ranges for Syracuse. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.

WorkTypical range
Inspection and written estimate Free
Basement waterproofing in Syracuse, by type of jobtypical range, local cost guide $2,000 to $8,100
Crack injection $200 to $1,000per crack
Sump pump installed $800 to $2,000
Battery backup for a sump pump $150 to $250
Inside drain and sump system $2,000 to $6,000
Digging and sealing the outside $7,000 to $15,000

See typical foundation repair prices in Syracuse

Where is the water coming in?

Where the water shows up tells you a lot about why. Before you call anyone, look at where the wet starts.

Along the edge of the floor

The most common leak in Syracuse. Water collects under the floor against the footing, then squeezes up through the joint where the wall meets the floor.

Through a crack in the wall

A line of water or a damp streak from one crack. Common in poured walls and in mortar joints of block.

Up through the floor

A puddle in the middle of the room, often at a floor crack or an old drain. That points to water under the slab.

Low on a block wall

Block walls are hollow. Water fills the cores and leaks out near the bottom, sometimes from small holes.

Through the stone

In stone basements, water seeps between the stones where old mortar has washed out.

From the floor drain

Water coming up a floor drain during a storm is a sewer or drain backup, not a wall leak.

High on the wall

Water near the top may be a gutter overflowing, a window well filling, or soil sloping toward the house.

Damp all over, no puddle

A wall that sweats in summer is often humid air hitting a cool wall, not a leak.

Why Syracuse basements take on water

Syracuse is one of the hardest places in the country to keep a basement dry.

Snow. The city averages about 127.8 inches of snow a year, the most on one ranking of the snowiest U.S. cities. The airport also averaged about 38 inches of rain and melted snow a year from 1979 to 2008. A whole winter of snow melts in a few weeks, often onto ground that is still frozen near the top. The water cannot soak down, so it runs to your foundation.

Soil that holds water. Some lake soils in the region, like the Schoharie series, have subsoils over 35 percent clay. Till soils on local drumlins, like the Honeoye series, can have a dense layer 20 to 38 inches down. Water sits in both instead of draining away from the wall.

A busy sewer. Syracuse has a combined sewer that carries storm water and sewage in the same pipes. In heavy rain or fast melt, it can fill past capacity. That is one reason floor drains back up here.

Creeks. FEMA added 876 properties along Onondaga Creek on the south side to the flood zone in 2016. The City Engineering Department keeps the floodplain maps.

When it is a nuisance and when it is urgent

Usually a nuisance, but worth fixing:

  • A damp corner after a big storm that dries in a day
  • White powder on a wall that only gets wet once or twice a year
  • Sweating walls in July

Get it looked at soon:

  • Water every thaw or every heavy rain
  • Water coming through a crack that is getting wider
  • A wet wall that also bows, leans or has a sideways crack
  • A sump pump that cannot keep up
  • Mold on wood, drywall or stored things

What the fix usually is

The fix depends on the path the water takes, which is why the inspection matters more than any one product.

Outside fixes first

Gutters, downspout extensions and soil that slopes away from the house. Cheap, and they cut the water at the source.

Crack injection

For a single leaking crack in a poured wall.

An inside drain and sump

For water at the floor edge or under the slab. A channel is cut along the floor, a drain pipe carries water to a sump pit, and a pump sends it out.

Outside waterproofing

Where the soil is dug down to the footing and the wall is sealed and drained from the outside.

A backwater valve

For floor drains that back up from the sewer.

What it typically costs

One local cost guide puts basement waterproofing in Syracuse at $2,000 to $8,100 depending on the type of job. National guides put a sump pump at about $800 to $2,000 installed, a full inside drain and sump system at $2,000 to $6,000, and outside waterproofing at $7,000 to $15,000. These are typical ranges. The free inspection gives you your price in writing.

What to do before the inspection

  • Take photos and video of the water while it is there, with the date.
  • Mark on a sketch where it starts.
  • Point downspouts away from the house and clear the gutters.
  • Make sure the sump pump is plugged in and the line outside is not frozen or buried.
  • Lift boxes off the floor and run a dehumidifier.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my basement only leak in March and April?

That is when a winter of snow melts, often while the ground a few inches down is still frozen. The water cannot soak down, so it runs sideways to your foundation and finds the weak spots. Heavy spring rain on top of it makes it worse.

Is a little water in an old Syracuse basement normal?

Many older basements were never built to be dry, so a damp spot is common. But water that comes back every thaw keeps washing out mortar and feeding mold. It also tells you where the wall or floor is weakest.

Can I just paint the walls with waterproof paint?

Paint can slow damp on a wall that only sweats a little. It does not stop water pushing through a crack or coming in at the floor edge, and on block and stone it often peels. Fix the water path first.

Does homeowners insurance pay for a wet basement?

Seepage through walls is usually not covered. Water backing up through a floor drain or a failed sump is often covered only with a water backup endorsement. Creek flooding needs a separate flood policy. Ask your agent what you have.

My sump pump runs all the time in spring. Is that bad?

It means a lot of water is reaching the pit, which is what the pump is for. Check that the discharge line runs well away from the house and is not frozen. A pump that cannot keep up, or a pit that overflows, needs a look.

How do I know if my house is in a flood zone?

The City of Syracuse Engineering Department keeps the floodplain maps and can tell you. Homes along Onondaga Creek on the south side were added to the flood zone in 2016.

Get the water stopped

Another thaw is always coming in Syracuse. Call (315) 623-3956 or send the short form, and a local foundation crew will call you back, usually the same day. The inspection is free and the price comes in writing.

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Common foundation repair problems in Syracuse

Areas we serve around Syracuse

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