What a Cincinnati waterproofing quote and warranty should say

Two waterproofing proposals can both read "interior drainage system with sump, lifetime warranty" and describe completely different jobs. One protects the full perimeter with rigid pipe in clean stone, a cast-iron pump, and a discharge that ends well out in the yard. The other covers one wall with corrugated tubing and a plastic pump that empties beside the foundation. The price gap looks like a bargain until the second system fails.

A good proposal removes that ambiguity. Here is what yours should say in writing before you sign, section by section.

The scope: where, and how much

• Which walls, in linear feet. "Full perimeter, 148 linear feet," or "north and east walls, 64 linear feet." If only part of the basement is protected, the warranty should cover only that part, and you should know it going in.
• Pipe type and diameter. Rigid perforated pipe or corrugated tubing, and its size.
• Stone and filter. The Residential Code of Ohio describes foundation drains set on at least 2 inches of washed gravel, covered by at least 6 inches of it, with a filter membrane so fine soil does not clog the pipe. A basement retrofit is not new construction, but that description is a fair benchmark. Ask how the pipe is bedded and what keeps clay out of it.
• Wall treatment. On block or stone, a dimpled drainage membrane or similar channel that carries wall seepage down into the drain. The product should be named.
• Slab restoration. New concrete poured back flush, and how the edge at the wall is finished.

The sump: every part named

• Basin size and lid. InterNACHI's guidance is that a pit should be no less than 24 inches deep and 18 inches wide, and covered. A sealed lid keeps humidity and debris out.
• Pump make, model, and horsepower. Not just "1/3 hp pump." The model number lets you look up its flow chart and its warranty.
• A check valve on the discharge.
• A high-water alarm.
• The backup, if included: battery or water-powered, the model, and the battery type.
• Electrical. Whether a dedicated circuit is needed and who is paying for it.

The discharge: where the water ends up

This single line causes more repeat problems than any other. The proposal should say where the pipe leaves the house, how it runs, and where it ends. InterNACHI's general advice is to discharge at least 20 feet from the building and never onto a neighbor's property without their approval. In Greater Cincinnati the allowed outlet depends on your sewer district, which our discharge rules by jurisdiction summarizes. Ask how the line is protected from freezing where it exits the wall.

The job itself

• Demolition and restoration of finished walls, flooring, or trim, with a clear line between what comes out and what goes back.
• Permits and utility locates wherever the work calls for them.
• Debris removal and daily cleanup.
• Start date and duration, and what happens if weather delays any outside work.
• Price and payment schedule. A fixed price, a deposit you could afford to lose if something went wrong, and the balance due at completion rather than before it.

The warranty: five things to pin down

What is covered, precisely. "Dry basement" is not a definition. The usual promise covers water coming through the protected walls and floor. Water from a sewer backup, a window well, plumbing, surface flooding through a door, or an unprotected wall is commonly excluded. Read the exclusions before the promises.

How long, and whose promise. The workmanship warranty is separate from the pump maker's warranty, which is typically far shorter. Get both terms in writing.

Transfer terms. Does it pass to the next owner automatically, or only with a fee, a notice deadline, or an inspection at the time of sale? If there is a condition, you want to know it now, not during your own closing.

The remedy. If water returns, is the fix to extend the drain, repair it, or refund? Who pays to restore finishes disturbed by warranty work?

Your obligations. Annual service visits, pump testing, or keeping a backup battery current are common conditions, and missing them can void coverage.

A "lifetime" warranty with vague coverage and a long list of conditions is worth less than a shorter, specific one.

Red flags in the fine print

• A price given before anyone looked at the basement. Nobody can scope linear feet, wall type, and discharge from a phone call.
• A warranty that covers the product but not the work. A pump warranty is not a waterproofing warranty.
• Most of the money due before the job starts. A reasonable deposit is normal; paying in full up front removes your leverage if the work falls short.
• No mention of where the water goes. A system is only as good as its discharge.

Your right to change your mind

If you sign at your own kitchen table, federal and Ohio law give you a short window. The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives three days to cancel many sales made in your home. Ohio's home solicitation sales law gives buyers until midnight of the third business day after signing to cancel in writing, and it applies even when you invited the salesperson over. Use that time to reread the scope against this list.

Put two bids side by side

Lay the proposals next to each other and fill in every line above. The gaps jump out: one names the pump and one does not, one protects 140 feet and the other 70. Our pages on interior drainage and the waterproofing warranty describe what a complete system and a real warranty include. If you want a second read on a proposal you already have, call or text us, and we will go through it with you line by line.