Basement Waterproofing Questions From Rochester, NY Homeowners
Homeowners in Rochester, NY keep raising the same few questions: why an old cellar wall seeps, what a backed-up floor drain means, how New York treats contracts and permits, and what this free referral site actually does. The answers are general and name their sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Confirm any detail with the office named before acting on it.
Is this site a waterproofing company?
No. Basement Waterproofing Rochester NY is a referral and advertising service that holds no contractor or trade license, quotes no prices and does no basement work. Sending the form puts your request in front of one independent local contractor, who reaches out directly. Contractors may pay the site a flat advertising fee; asking costs you nothing, and no gift comes with it.
Why do so many older homes in Rochester take on water?
Age explains a good deal. Census survey data places more than half of the City's homes at 1939 or earlier, the typical one dating to about 1938, and older stone, brick and block walls often let water through worn joints. The NWS counts about 90 inches of snow in a normal season; spring melt can push water against a wall, as can clay-heavy soil.
Water rose out of my floor drain. Is that seepage?
Probably not. It usually signals a sewer backup, which waterproofing won't cure. At a City of Rochester or Chili address, Monroe County Pure Waters takes reports at 585-753-7600, option 1, and sends a crew; plumbing inside the house stays the owner's. In Irondequoit (585-336-6090), Henrietta (585-359-7005) or Penfield (585-340-8710), contact the town's sewer office; in Greece, Greece's Department of Public Works.
Can a sump pump empty into the sewer?
Not into a sanitary sewer. Monroe County's Sewer Use Law counts sump pumps and foundation drains as inflow and keeps that clear water out of sanitary lines without the Director's permission, and the County urges residents to unhook sumps and downspouts from them. Any connection or disconnection at a drain or sewer is plumbing for a licensed master plumber holding a plumbing permit.
What does basement waterproofing cost?
Fixr's national 2026 table puts a typical job in a $3,000-to-$10,000 band, with its average near $5,000. Per linear foot, interior perimeter drain runs $40 to $120; a new sump pump, installed, $600 to $2,500; each crack sealed with epoxy, $250 to $1,000. No New York source exists here, so treat these as national; the cost guide has more.
Does a waterproofer need a New York license?
Not for waterproofing. The state has no home improvement license of its own, and the places that do license these contractors, per the Attorney General, are New York City and five counties near it, not Monroe County. The City of Rochester licenses plumbers and electricians. So the checking is yours: ask for the insurance certificate, talk to references, confirm a local address and read the contract.
What should the written contract include?
New York's home improvement law wants any job over $500 in writing, signed by you and the contractor, changes included. Look for the contractor's name and address, rough start and finish dates, the work, materials and price, payments tied to stages, the required notices and any insurance covering the job. Early payments belong in escrow or under a bond; consider holding back most of the price.
Can I back out after signing?
Generally, yes. A home improvement contract can usually be canceled until midnight of the third business day after signing, unless you began the contact over a genuine emergency and wrote out a separate dated waiver. The door-to-door sales law gives a similar window for many at-home sales over $25, even after an invited visit. Questions: the Attorney General's Rochester office, (585) 546-3240.
Who takes out the permits?
Normally the contractor, not you. Digging, foundation and structural work generally needs a building permit from whoever governs the address: inside the City, its Bureau of Zoning & Permitting at 585-428-6526; in the five towns, each town's building department. Sewer or plumbing changes take a separate plumbing permit, pulled by a licensed master plumber. Ask the permit office about interior drain tile.
Will homeowners insurance pay for a sewer backup?
Read your own policy's wording. Monroe County points out that standard homeowner coverage usually leaves sewer-backup damage out, and suggests asking your insurance agent whether a backup rider can be added. This site has no role in insurance of any kind.
Didn't See Your Question?
Your own walls are best judged by someone standing in the basement. Send the short form, and one independent local contractor will get in touch; what follows is up to you. Questions about the site itself go through the contact page.