Warning sign
Water pooling next to the house
Water beside a foundation is a cause more than a symptom. Dealing with it early is the least disruptive foundation work there is.
Walk around the house in the rain
What to look for outside
- Downspouts that stop at the wall or empty into a broken underground pipe
- Gutters that overflow at the same corner in every storm
- Soil, mulch or paving that tilts toward the house
- A trench worn in the ground under the roof edge
- Puddles that are still there the day after rain
- Window wells that fill with water or leaves
- Soil that has sunk into a hollow along the wall
- White, powdery deposits on the basement wall inside
Why it matters
What standing water does to a foundation
Saturated soil carries less weight, so the footing above it can settle. Wet soil is also heavier against a basement wall than dry soil, and in winter the water in it freezes and pushes harder still. Over years, water moving through a stone or brick wall washes the mortar out of the joints.
Parts of Boston have the opposite problem. Where older buildings stand on wood piles in filled land, the piles need groundwater to stay above their tops, and pumping water away can do harm. If you live in one of those districts, read the page on Back Bay, the South End and Fenway before you install a sump pump.
Before you call anyone
Things an owner can do
Clear and repair the gutters
Most water at a foundation started on the roof. Clean gutters in late fall after the leaves are down, and fix joints that drip.
Carry downspouts away from the wall
Add an extension that releases the water several feet from the house onto ground that slopes away, without sending it onto a neighbor's lot or across a sidewalk where it will freeze.
Rebuild the slope
Add soil along the wall so the ground falls away from the house, keeping it below the siding and the wooden sill.
Watch what happens next
Check the same spots in the next heavy rain. If the puddles are gone and nothing inside changes, you may be finished.
Who does what
Drainage, waterproofing and foundation repair are different trades
Call this number
The house has moved
Cracks that are growing, a wall that leans, floors that have dropped near the wet side, a porch or chimney that has shifted. That is foundation repair, and an inspection is the next step.
Another trade
The basement is wet but nothing has moved
Interior drains, sump pumps and wall sealing are basement waterproofing. A foundation repair company may not do that work, so look for a firm in that trade instead.
Another trade
The water comes from a pipe
A leaking supply line, a failed drain or a sewer backup needs a licensed plumber first. Soil washed out by a leak can be assessed afterward.
Questions about water beside the house
Will fixing the drainage stop my house from settling?
It removes one cause and often slows or ends the movement, but nobody can promise that without knowing what the soil is and how far it has already compressed. If cracks or slopes keep changing after the water is under control, have the foundation inspected.
Can I pave the strip beside the house so the rain runs off?
Paving sheds water, but it must slope away and needs somewhere to send the runoff. In Boston's Groundwater Conservation Overlay District, paving a lot is one of the things that triggers a groundwater review, so ask Inspectional Services before you start.
How do I tell rain water from a rising water table?
Rain shows up within hours of a storm, near downspouts and low spots. Groundwater appears at the joint between wall and floor, often in spring, and lingers for days. Note when and where the water appears before you call any trade.
Foundation repair in Boston
Have a Boston foundation company take a look
Give the street, the kind of building and what has changed. The company settles a day to visit, and afterwards you receive its written account of the cause and what it would charge.
Ready to have it looked at?
Phone and say what you have seen. The firm on the other end is a Boston-area foundation repair company, independent of this website, and it can book a visit to your home.
Call (617) 555-0111You speak with an independent company, not with this website. See the referral disclosure.