10 easy tips to help you choose the perfect waterproofing contractor
for your growing family
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PRICE
A good waterproofing company will offer you a good price from the door. They won’t be desperate and offer you $9000 on Thursday, and lower their price to $6000 on Monday morning out of desperation. There are two things that are wrong with this situation. First it’s an insult to you the homeowner try to price gouge you an extra $3000. It highly suggest the use of subcontractors. Waterproofing prices are generally decided on the linear footage of the property area being serviced. If the contractor is realistic and ethical he will give you a realistic price the day of estimate.
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SERVICE AREA
Service coverage area. If a company offers a coverage area of multiple states there’s a good chance that you will not be a high priority if you do have a service related call. Equating into hours of wait time possibly days or weeks to use your service man from this company.
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SUB CONTRACTORS
Does this company use subcontractors? The use of subcontractors means that the only way for the contractor to make money is to rush through your job in order to get to the next job. Subcontractors generally make their money by volume and have little or no interest in the fine details that your salesman had promised you when you signed your contract. The easiest way to spot a subcontractor is a vehicle with the use of magnetic signage. If the vehicle has a full wrap on it advertising the company or vinyl letters on the vehicle this vehicle is not a subcontractor. Generally speaking a vehicle that is employed by the company you are signing with will provide a higher quality of work because it’s their reputation on the line. Will the company that you agreed to use for their service promise you that no vehicle will be on your property that has magnetic signs?
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PUMP TYPE/WARRANTY
Service related calls to pump replacement. With the increase in technology and pump design there are many options that offer long-lasting and very high efficiency sump pumps today. Most companies use subpar pumps in an endeavor to make recurring service calls for replacement year after year. Service call revenue through companies like this equates into a lot more annual income than that of the actual waterproofing system. Does your company offer a long replacement guarantee or warranty on the pump you are having installed? Currently the absolute longest warranty on sump pumps is through Cottrell basement waterproofing LLC.
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SKILL LEVEL
In this economy most waterproofing companies are not owned by a tradesman. They are more likely to be owned by a high-pressure salesman with a business degree. A better option for service provider would be to find a contractor that has a masonry background as a tradesman. Who is more likely to find a permanent solution for your foundation water issues? A tradesman that can actually build a new foundation and repair the same foundation, or a salesman that shows up with impressive pictures and awards of glitz and glamour?
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COMMON SENSE
Does the man standing in front of you offering his services make any common sense? Waterproofing techniques are truly common sense. If you don’t understand what he is saying how do you trust that his service is going to rectify your issue?
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DESIGN
Ever wonder why there are so many designs in the waterproofing? Does your contractor offer multiple pumps in the sump basin? Are there fail safes put in place to protect you if the pump would happen to stop working? With climate change being a fact of life now is the pump you are choosing to use able to offer you full protection (GPH) in a strong storm? Pumps or mechanical and they will fail. What gallon per hour flow rate as well as horsepower or the pumps you were going to purchase? We commonly make the mistake of wanting more horsepower for pumps when it’s actually longevity and continuous duty that effectively protect our basement year after year from water intrusion. Higher horsepower pumps generally wont last nearly as long as a high efficiency pump. Is this pump a continuous duty pump and how much electricity will it use?
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BATTERY BACK UP
. Battery backups often are sold to uneducated homeowners. If when the pump runs on electrical power it is needed 2000+ gallons per hour pump to effectively keep your basement dry, why would you purchase a sump pump battery back up that only offers 1000 gallon per our capability? It’s underrated and will not work for a waterproofing system. Unfortunately you heard the word back up and thought that it was enough power to protect you in case of power outage in the event of a strong rainstorm. Cottrell Basement Waterproofing offers a 2700 gallon per hour battery back up with a three-year manufactures warranty.
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PIT LID
. Does your sump basin have a black cover or a cover that is not sealed from the odors and mold that will grow inside of your basin? It is extremely important to be able to see the effective operation of your sump pump having a black lid on your sump pit does not allow this to happen. Choose a contractor that offers a clear lid on your pit so that taking the lid off to see if the pump is working is not necessary. After all if the pump stops working in a storm and you can’t see it stopped working you will have a flood causing damage even after the waterproofing system is installed.
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HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN SUCCESSFUL?
Don’t miss read the company’s success rating by the amount of years they been in business. The company might have been in business for 30+ years. But if for 30 years they’ve made many unhappy customers what value of it really is it to you? A better choice for service provider would be a company that will treat you like you are their very first customer. Generally a company that treats you like this offers a higher service quality.
The biggest cause for property loss in value is water damage to American homes statistically stated by insurance companies. And the biggest cause for mistakenly using the wrong contractor is being on uneducated homeowner when you need a waterproofing contractor.
