Foundation repair and basement waterproofing in Madison, WI, with a free inspection and a written price from a local crew, usually with a call back the same day.
✓A city built on old marshThe City of Madison says a large part of the city was built on filled-in wetlands, and that wet soils show up along the isthmus. The city also says these areas are very hard to drain. That is why so many basements near the lakes get water.cityofmadison.com
✓Water from belowCity staff say ground water flooding happens in filled wetlands, mostly on the isthmus, after many wet seasons in a row, and that it hits older homes hardest. A UW-Madison geology professor put it simply: the water table is not very deep to begin with, so it does not have to rise much before basements have trouble.govtech.com
✓The 2018 floodOn August 20, 2018, 11 to 15 inches of rain fell on parts of Dane County. Lake Monona reached 100-year flood levels, Tenney Park went under water, and water came up through storm sewers. The National Weather Service says 2018 was Madison's second-wettest year in 149 years of records.wpr.org
✓Deep frostWisconsin's home building code asks for footings at least 48 inches below the ground to get under the frost. In the cold winter of 2014, Madison Water Utility reported the frost line 4 to 5 feet down. Frozen, wet soil swells and pushes on the top of basement walls.cityofmadison.com
✓Glacier soilMadison's lakes were carved by glaciers. A common local soil, the Dodge series, was first described in Dane County. It has 2 to 3 feet of fine wind-blown silt over glacial till, with a subsoil that is 25 to 32 percent clay. Silt and clay hold water against a wall.soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov
✓Old basementsAbout 1 in 8 homes in Madison was built in 1939 or earlier, and about 1 in 4 before 1960, according to Census data. Many of these have stone or block basement walls. The Wisconsin Historical Society notes that old stone walls can bow inward from water and tree roots, and lose mortar over time.censusreporter.org
What it costs
Typical published ranges for Madison. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
Water in the basement? A wall that leans in? You are not alone in Madison
If you are reading this, you probably saw something that worried you. Maybe there is water on the basement floor after a storm. Maybe a crack runs sideways across the block wall, or the wall looks like it is pushing in. These are the most common things Madison homeowners call about.
The good news: most of these problems can be fixed without digging out the whole house. The first step is finding out what is really going on. That is what the free inspection is for.
Here is how it works. You call (608) 719-3321 or send the short form. We connect you with one local foundation and basement contractor who works in Madison. They come out, check the walls and floor, look for where the water gets in, and give you a written price. There is no charge for the visit and no pressure to say yes.
What a local crew can fix
You do not need to know the right words. Tell us what you see, and the contractor we connect you with will match it to the right fix:
Foundation repair for a house that has settled, cracked or gone out of level
Basement waterproofing for water that comes in through the walls, the floor or the joint between them
Wall anchors for a basement wall that bows in or has a long sideways crack
Crawl space repair for damp, sagging floors over a crawl space or an old addition
Not sure if what you see is serious? Our signs of foundation problems page shows which ones need a look soon and which ones are usually cosmetic.
Why Madison basements take a beating
Madison sits on a narrow strip of land between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Much of that land was marsh. It was filled in and built on, but the water never went far. The water table stays close to the surface, and it rises with the lakes after a wet year.
Then there is winter. Wet soil freezes, swells and pushes on the top of the basement wall. In spring it thaws, and snowmelt soaks the ground again. Year after year, that push and soak cracks walls, opens joints and lets water in.
Older homes feel it most. Many houses near the Capitol, campus and the isthmus have stone or block basements that are close to 100 years old. Newer homes in the suburbs have poured walls, but they still crack and leak when the yard drains toward the house.
What moves your price
Three things move the price on most basement and foundation jobs:
How long the problem wall is. Waterproofing and wall bracing are priced by the foot or by the number of anchors.
What the wall is made of. Poured concrete, concrete block and old stone each need a different fix.
Inside or outside. Inside drain systems cost less than digging up the yard. Digging is sometimes the right call, but not usually the first one.
Your written estimate shows what is wrong, how they would fix it, and what is included, before any work starts. See the full Madison foundation repair cost guide for more detail.
How it works
Call (608) 719-3321 or send the form. Tell us what you are seeing. A photo of the crack or the wet spot helps, but it is not required.
Free inspection. A local crew checks your walls for bowing and cracks, looks at the floor joint, the sump pit, the gutters and the grade of your yard.
Written estimate. You get a plan and a price in writing. It shows what is wrong, how they would fix it, and what it costs.
You decide. No pressure. If you go ahead, the contractor schedules the work and handles any permit the job needs.
A note on radon
Public Health Madison and Dane County reports that about half of the homes tested in the county had high radon levels. Radon is a gas that comes up from the ground and can get in through small cracks in floors and walls. If you are sealing cracks or adding a drain system, ask the crew how the work fits with a radon test or a radon system.
Frequently asked questions
Is the foundation inspection really free?
Yes. The inspection and the written estimate cost you nothing, and you do not sign anything to get them. You decide later if you want the work done.
Who comes out to my house?
Madison Foundation Repairs is a referral service. We connect you with one independent local foundation and basement contractor who works in Madison. That crew does the inspection, writes the estimate and does the work if you hire them.
How fast can someone look at my basement?
Most people who call get a call back the same day. The inspection is set for a time that works for you, often within a few days. If water is coming in right now or a wall is moving fast, say so on the call.
Why do so many basements in Madison leak?
Much of Madison was built on filled wetlands, and the water table sits close to the surface, especially on the isthmus. After a wet season, ground water rises and pushes in through cracks and the joint where the wall meets the floor.
Is a crack in my basement wall a big deal?
Not always. Thin, straight cracks in poured walls are common and are often just a leak risk. Cracks that run sideways along a block wall, cracks that grow, and walls that lean in are the ones to have checked soon.
Do I need to replace my whole basement wall?
Usually not. Most bowing walls can be held or pulled back with wall anchors, steel braces or straps. A wall is rebuilt only when it has moved too far to save.
Can I wait until spring?
You can, but frost and snowmelt are hard on a weak wall. A free inspection tells you if the wall is still moving and how urgent it is, so you are not guessing through the winter.
Get your free inspection today
A wall that bows a little this year can bow a lot after one more winter. Call (608) 719-3321 or send the short form, and a local crew will call you back, usually the same day. The inspection is free, the price comes in writing, and the choice is yours.