A referral service, not a contractor. One independent Dearborn waterproofing pro gives you a free estimate.

Basement waterproofing in Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn has some of the oldest housing of any big Detroit suburb and a sewer system the city says was built for three inches of rain in a day. In June 2021 about seven and a half fell. If your basement took water then, or seeps every spring, we'll introduce you to one independent waterproofing contractor who works in Dearborn for a free estimate.

1950median build year of Dearborn homes (ACS 2024)
80%built before 1970
3 in / 24 hwhat the city says its sewers were designed for
~7.5 inrain in the June 2021 storm, per the city

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Two different Dearborn basement problems

Sewer backups and groundwater seepage look alike on the floor and need different fixes. A storm backup comes up the floor drain, fast, often with the street flooded; the fix is a backwater valve, a sump that discharges outside, and disconnecting footing drains from the sanitary line. Seepage comes in slowly at the wall-floor seam or through the brick; the fix is drain tile, crack and mortar repair, or exterior work. Tell the contractor which one you have and the estimate will be for the right thing.

Why both are common here: the brick bungalows and colonials of east Dearborn, Springwells Park and the Ford Homes district were built in the 1920s–50s on Kibbie and Blount soils the USDA rates hydrologic group D (very slow infiltration), with clay drain tile tied straight into the combined sewer. When the sewer surcharges, the tile becomes a pipe into your basement. When it rains for days, the clay holds water against the wall. The city's own flood page says the northeast and southeast sections were the hardest hit in 2021, and that's where the oldest houses are.

The Dearborn page lays out the housing, soil, flood and permit facts with their sources.

Ask for a free estimate

Tell us what happened in the basement. One independent contractor who works in Dearborn calls you to arrange a free visit and a written estimate. The referral is free; you never pay us.

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What the contractor can do

Waterproofing

Interior drain tile and sump for brick and block foundations, wall membranes, exterior excavation where a wall is failing, grading and downspout fixes.

Brick, block and crack repair

Repointing eroded mortar, parging, injection for poured sections, and stabilizing bowed block walls.

Sump pumps and backwater valves

The 2021-storm package: a backwater valve on the sewer lateral, a sump that discharges outside, battery backup.

Crawl spaces

Under rear additions and enclosed porches on the older houses: vapor barriers, drainage, encapsulation.

What it costs

HomeGuide's national averages: $2,300–$7,300 for a typical waterproofing job, $5,000–$15,000 for full-perimeter interior drain tile, $250–$800 per injected crack, $650–$2,000 for a sump pump install or replacement. Backwater valves are usually quoted by plumbers in the low thousands depending on access. Dearborn's small pre-war footprints keep perimeter jobs toward the lower end; brick repointing adds to it. The contractor's written estimate is the real number.

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Sources