How much to waterproof and finish a basement (basic finish, not luxury...)

[Anonymous]

We want to waterproof and finish our basement. How much should we expect to spend for about a 500-square-foot space? We have significant water issues so will probably need a french drain/sump pump system (it's an old house and there's no waterproofing at all right now). But for the finish we just want the basics -- drywall and durable carpet, nothing fancy.

Also, do you think this is a good investment, resale-wise? We're pretty sure we want to do it because we think we'll enjoy the space, and plan to be in the house at least 5, probably 10 more years. But we don't have the money to do a really fancy remodel job. I do wonder about whether it will improve the resale value much, though.

[Anonymous]

We were quoted 12k for an interior waterproofing job of the entire basement with a sump pump. I'm not sure how that compares to other companies as the rest of the quotes we got were exterior and only for part of the house.

[Anonymous]

Research the heck out of the waterproofing companies. There are a lot of shady ones out there. We had quotes ranging from 5K to 30K! We actually went with the 5K company and they did a great job.

My advice is to NOT get carpet. You never know when the sump pump will break, power back-up doesn't work, etc. then you end up with another flood. I speak from experience! Get tile that can just be mopped up if that happens. We then put area rugs down and it's very cozy. I picked them all up when Hurricane Sandy was coming, just in case, but we didn't have any water issues luckily.

[Anonymous]

I would waterproof, wait and evaluate if it worked - let it get through a significant time period before you put drywall up...

[OBnurse]

What is the grade like around your houses perimeter? You can really save your self some money by re-grading around your foundation. Water finds the path of least resistance. A little encouragement can redirect a river.

Lemme know if you think grading the terrain could work!

[Anonymous]

Our french drains cost about $11k. Drylock was also applied to the masonry basement walls. It is mostly dry down there but if it rains a lot and the ground is saturated we do get a little water in one spot. We run a dehumidifier 24/7 and have a sump pump.

We have carpet tiles down so we can take them out to dry them or replace as needed. We thought about drywall but decided it was not worth the risk as our neighbors' has been destroyed a few times.

[Anonymous]

This is from 2010 ...

We did the waterproofing (interior drains, wall liner, sump, and battery backup system) for about $9.5K. We got a 10% discount by being flexible on the timing and letting them schedule the job on a "will call" basis. They did a fantastic job - very professional, diligent, hardworking and clean crew, and we haven't had a single problem since thru many major storms. That was money very well spent!

We finished the basement in 2010 also - spent approx $30K - very basic job. We left 1/2 the basement unfinished, and finished a playroom/rec room and a laundry room. Nothing fancy ... drywall, 3 doors, some electrical work, and berber carpet (which we paid for separately so that is not included in the $30K) in the playroom and tile flooring, some very basic cabinetry, some plumbing & electrical in the laundry room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is from 2010 ...

We did the waterproofing (interior drains, wall liner, sump, and battery backup system) for about $9.5K. We got a 10% discount by being flexible on the timing and letting them schedule the job on a "will call" basis. They did a fantastic job - very professional, diligent, hardworking and clean crew, and we haven't had a single problem since thru many major storms. That was money very well spent!

We finished the basement in 2010 also - spent approx $30K - very basic job. We left 1/2 the basement unfinished, and finished a playroom/rec room and a laundry room. Nothing fancy ... drywall, 3 doors, some electrical work, and berber carpet (which we paid for separately so that is not included in the $30K) in the playroom and tile flooring, some very basic cabinetry, some plumbing & electrical in the laundry room.

wow, that is SO expensive! A home inspector just told me that finishing a basement is around 10K.

[Anonymous]

Obviously it depends on how much it costs, but I do think a finished basement -- even a basic one -- adds good value to a house, especially if the alternative is a dank space with obvious water issues.

[Anonymous]

We're getting quotes on this now. Not sure how much it was, but the previous owners regraded which helped a TON. We don't need a sump pump now because of that, but was quoted $8,000 for a full french drain/sump pump job. I'd start with a contractor that recommends alternatives to the sump pump first.

We are doing something similar - finishing the family room area, carpet, creating two closets in the space. Getting significantly higher quotes ($30k-ish) from design firms. $15-20k from contractors that do the work themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is from 2010 ...

We did the waterproofing (interior drains, wall liner, sump, and battery backup system) for about $9.5K. We got a 10% discount by being flexible on the timing and letting them schedule the job on a "will call" basis. They did a fantastic job - very professional, diligent, hardworking and clean crew, and we haven't had a single problem since thru many major storms. That was money very well spent!

We finished the basement in 2010 also - spent approx $30K - very basic job. We left 1/2 the basement unfinished, and finished a playroom/rec room and a laundry room. Nothing fancy ... drywall, 3 doors, some electrical work, and berber carpet (which we paid for separately so that is not included in the $30K) in the playroom and tile flooring, some very basic cabinetry, some plumbing & electrical in the laundry room.

wow, that is SO expensive! A home inspector just told me that finishing a basement is around 10K.

We had several quotes and none of them were anywhere near 10K .... would have been nice, though! If you can find someone who will do it for 10K, by all means go for it!

[Anonymous]

Our house sits down gradient from the road, so we could not change that and we get water spots on the walls with moderate to heavy rain. We waterproofed with B-dry in 2007. We got lots of estimates, and they were on the lower end at $8k for about 500 feet and two sumps. However - we cannot evaluate whether or not the system actually works to stop water from seeping through the walls. Why, because B-Dry puts a hard plastic liner over all your walls so if water does get through it will go directly into the drain. If you take it down they will void the warranty. Nice for a finished basement, but no protection for the integrity of the walls and structure. So, b-dry will probably make sure that absent a catastrophic flood that comes up through the sumps, your finished basement still stay dry. But, your walls may eventually cave in from the hydrostatic pressure.......

A true building inspector/engineer type will tell you first defense is to waterproof from the outside, chances are the barrier from the home's construction is gone.

And, we had quotes (before we foudn out our newly purchased home had a wet basement) from 15k for basic finish from a contractor no longer in business, to 30k for a nice job from Case. I know others who have used case for basements and they did a great job, but you pay for it.

[Anonymous]

11k for corrugated piping? These blue collar dirt bags are ripping people off. I had mine done for 3k by spanish speaking workers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our house sits down gradient from the road, so we could not change that and we get water spots on the walls with moderate to heavy rain. We waterproofed with B-dry in 2007. We got lots of estimates, and they were on the lower end at $8k for about 500 feet and two sumps. However - we cannot evaluate whether or not the system actually works to stop water from seeping through the walls. Why, because B-Dry puts a hard plastic liner over all your walls so if water does get through it will go directly into the drain. If you take it down they will void the warranty. Nice for a finished basement, but no protection for the integrity of the walls and structure. So, b-dry will probably make sure that absent a catastrophic flood that comes up through the sumps, your finished basement still stay dry. But, your walls may eventually cave in from the hydrostatic pressure.......

A true building inspector/engineer type will tell you first defense is to waterproof from the outside, chances are the barrier from the home's construction is gone.

And, we had quotes (before we foudn out our newly purchased home had a wet basement) from 15k for basic finish from a contractor no longer in business, to 30k for a nice job from Case. I know others who have used case for basements and they did a great job, but you pay for it.

Let's talk more about this. We've gotten quotes from two companies to put in interior drains and a sump pump. But one company doesn't do a liner -- the guy says the same thing you do here, that it's not good for the structural integrity of the home. The guy from the other company does want to do a liner, he says it's the only way to really keep water out and he dismisses the concern about structural integrity. Both of these guys are from reputable companies that get good angieslist reviews, and I can't figure out who is right.

Can you point me to any information from an unbiased, reliable source on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our house sits down gradient from the road, so we could not change that and we get water spots on the walls with moderate to heavy rain. We waterproofed with B-dry in 2007. We got lots of estimates, and they were on the lower end at $8k for about 500 feet and two sumps. However - we cannot evaluate whether or not the system actually works to stop water from seeping through the walls. Why, because B-Dry puts a hard plastic liner over all your walls so if water does get through it will go directly into the drain. If you take it down they will void the warranty. Nice for a finished basement, but no protection for the integrity of the walls and structure. So, b-dry will probably make sure that absent a catastrophic flood that comes up through the sumps, your finished basement still stay dry. But, your walls may eventually cave in from the hydrostatic pressure.......

A true building inspector/engineer type will tell you first defense is to waterproof from the outside, chances are the barrier from the home's construction is gone.

And, we had quotes (before we foudn out our newly purchased home had a wet basement) from 15k for basic finish from a contractor no longer in business, to 30k for a nice job from Case. I know others who have used case for basements and they did a great job, but you pay for it.

Let's talk more about this. We've gotten quotes from two companies to put in interior drains and a sump pump. But one company doesn't do a liner -- the guy says the same thing you do here, that it's not good for the structural integrity of the home. The guy from the other company does want to do a liner, he says it's the only way to really keep water out and he dismisses the concern about structural integrity. Both of these guys are from reputable companies that get good angieslist reviews, and I can't figure out who is right.

Can you point me to any information from an unbiased, reliable source on this?

I'm not the PP but I have done some waterproofing work on a previous house and interviewed A LOT of companies before picking one. I understood PP to be saying that it is not the liner that is a concern, but the fact that interior waterproofing lets the water into the walls and that can raise structural concerns. I agree with this. I can't point you to an unbiased source but after interviewing many waterproofing companies I came to that conclusion myself. If water is getting in, you have two possible solutions - find a way to keep it out, or let it in and then manage it to prevent damage to furnishings. I went with an exterior solution because I felt that letting the water in seemed to raise a lot of possible issues (structural damage, mold - although BDry does say they have something to prevent mold). By the way, we had a structural engineer look at our basement to make sure there was no damage from years of water intrusion and I know he was not impressed with BDry's system but I don't remember why. Talking to a structural engineer might be one route for you to go to get a better answer. But personally if I were you I would interview some companies that do exterior waterproofing and see what they have to say. Remember that some companies only do interior work so of course that will be the solution they present to you.