Basement Waterproofing & Foundation Repair in Southfield, MI
Ranches and split-levels from the 1950s to the 1970s, now old enough to need their drainage looked at. Free inspection, written quote.
- 4.9 on Google (46 reviews)
- Licensed MI builder #262400278
- Free inspection, written price first
- Free 6-month check-up after every job
- Based in Farmington Hills
Southfield is about 7 miles east of our base in Farmington Hills. We do basement waterproofing, foundation repair and sump pump work across the city, starting with a free inspection and a written quote.
A city built in about twenty years
Southfield became a city in 1958. In the early 1950s the township had about 19,000 residents; by the end of the 1970s the city had more than 75,000. The city's master plan says the largest share of its housing was built between 1960 and 1979, and only about 14 percent after 1990. The city's own history of its mid-century homes calls Southfield the fastest growing city in Michigan in the 1960s.
That means a large share of Southfield houses are now 45 to 70 years old. Original drain tile around the footing can silt up over that time, and the grade that sloped away from the house when it was new has often settled back toward it.
A basement that was finished years ago can hide an old crack or a failed seal behind the newer walls. We look at the outside of the wall and the ground against it as well as the inside.
Ranches, split-levels and their basements
One-level ranch homes were the style of that boom, along with split-levels; the city's mid-century guide shows a 1961 split-level in Washington Heights as a typical example. Each has its own weak spots, and both are now old enough for them to show. A ranch has a long run of foundation wall for its size, so there is more wall for water to find. A split-level has a lower level set partly below grade, often finished as a family room, where water at the base of the wall reaches carpet and drywall first.
We check the walls, the wall-floor joint, the sump and the ground outside, then tell you which of those is letting the water in.
The Rouge River through the north and south ends
The Rouge River runs through Southfield, with protected river corridor and floodplain at the north and south ends of the city. Houses near the river and on lower ground usually see more groundwater than houses on higher ground nearby.
If water comes over the ground from the river in a flood, that is a flood, not seepage, and no basement system stops it. Seepage through the walls, cracks and floor joint is what we fix, and we will tell you honestly which one you had.
Services that fit here most often
Basement Waterproofing
Seepage at the base of walls in 1950s to 1970s basements.
Foundation Repair
Cracks and settling in foundations now 45 to 70 years old.
Sump Pump Installation
Old or missing sumps, and discharge lines that empty by the house.
Exterior Waterproofing
Sealing a wall from outside so a finished lower level stays intact.
What Southfield homeowners say
A review from customers in Southfield. All reviews.
Book a free inspection in Southfield
We come to you from Farmington Hills, about 7 miles away. Call 248-635-3767 or request a visit online.
- 4.9 on Google (46 reviews)
- Licensed MI builder #262400278
- Free inspection, written price first
- Free 6-month check-up after every job
- Based in Farmington Hills
What you get with every job
Before you let anyone into your basement, you should know what you are signing up for. Here is what every Swift Dry customer gets.
Warranty terms are set job by job; when one applies, it is written into your quote.
- A free inspection, inside and out
- We look at the basement and the ground around the house to find where the water or movement starts. No charge and no obligation.
- A written scope and price first
- You get the work, the walls involved and the price in writing before anything starts. If a smaller fix will do, we say so and quote that.
- A licensed, insured Michigan builder
- Swift Dry is a licensed and insured Michigan Residential Builder Company, license 262400278. You can look it up on the state's LARA search.
- A free check-up about six months later
- After the work is done, we come back for a free visit to check it. Every job gets one.
- Financing if you want it
- Three financing options on your quote, with pre-approval on request.
Questions from Southfield homeowners
Do you work in Southfield, and how far is it from your base?
Yes. Swift Dry works in Southfield, which is in Oakland County and about 7 miles from our base in Farmington Hills. Every job starts with a free inspection and a written quote. The distance is approximate and is not a promise of arrival time.
Is a damp lower level in a split-level normal?
It is common, but it is not something to live with. The lower level of a split-level sits partly below grade, so wet soil pushes water toward that wall first. A free inspection finds whether it is the grade, the downspouts, a crack or the joint at the base of the wall.
My house was built in the 1960s. Does the old drain tile need replacing?
Not always. Drain tile from that era can silt up or break, but sometimes it still works and the water comes from somewhere else, such as a downspout or a crack. We find where the water is getting in first, then quote only the work that fixes it.
Do you fix river flooding?
No. Water that comes over the ground from the Rouge in a flood is not something a basement system can stop. Seepage through walls, cracks and the floor joint is what Swift Dry fixes, and we will tell you which one you had.