Basement Waterproofing Specialists

Mark (the certified inspector) came by to originally give us an estimate on getting our basement floor epoxy painted for aesthetic reasons. After inspecting our basement, indicated to us that he would suggest we not get the basement floor done but concentrate on fixing the pressure issue that was causing the cracking of our floor and walls by installing a pressure relief system. He took a lot of time with us explaining what was happening in our basement due to the underground springs in our area pushing on our walls. He also explained how the builder should have built our basement and home to prevent such cracking as was happening. He detailed what needed to be done and how it would be done if we decided to go forward. (This was the second person who mentioned the problem and being that he also does home inspections we knew what he was telling us needed to be taken care of.) He worked with us on the pricing and completed all of the paperwork with us present (no fine lines or writing needed to worry about). The team of guys came to work on our home promptly the following Monday and worked for two days straight (it seemed like) to complete the job. They were professional and even though they had to jack hammer around the entire basement floor and then put in stones and then cement, the result was cleaner than I expected. Very little dirt left over when they were done. BWS was easy to work with and we are glad we had the work done! Our basement can now be finished for additional home enjoyment in the future which was not a possibility previously.

The install went well. The company did exactly what they said they would do. My expectations were met and I was satisfied with the work performed. I would definitely hire them again.

Basement Waterproofing Specialists (BWS) dug around the interior perimeter of two walls in our basement family room, installed drainage pipes, covered them over with stone and cement, and installed a sump pump which drains in to the front yard. They completed the work within the two-day estimated time. The drain has solved our chronically wet basement problem. The salesman said there would be a "slight? incline around the perimeter of the room when they were finished. However, the actual difference between the original floor and the new uneven concrete along the wall varied between 1/4" to 1-3/4" inch! With that amount of slope any furniture placed along that wall would sit unevenly, and it would be nearly impossible to replace the flooring and have it lay flat. When I called to complain about this, it was suggested that I put blocks under our furniture so it would sit level! After many phone calls, however, BSW sent someone to look at the problem, but we were told there was nothing they could do to fix it because the house is built on a monolithic foundation. Although we understood the monolithic foundation problem, it did not explain the uneven finish work. After our son (experienced in home repairs) posted a factual video in which he used a carpenter?s level to demonstrate the problem described above, BWS contacted us again and offered to build (at no additional expense to us) an enclosed bench along the wall to cover the problem area. That job was done to our satisfaction. When our son didn?t promptly remove the video, BWS?s lawyer sent a letter to him threatening legal action and suggesting that his assets would be at risk if he did not remove the video and all negative reviews, including Angie?s List (which, incidentally, was not written by our son but by me). We discussed this with two lawyers in our family who watched the video and read the reviews. They concluded that the content of neither the video nor the reviews would be valid grounds for legal action against us. However, since even a frivolous lawsuit could devastate a family?s financial resources, they advised that the video be made unavailable and all reviews of the BWS work be removed or modified. This has been done. It is reasonable for a company to ask a customer to change their rating when a resolution has been reached, but unacceptable to threaten legal action if they don?t. The contractors always have the opportunity to rebut. The ratings are to provide information that might be useful to others who want to have this type of work done, and to require that the details be suppressed damages the integrity of the whole system. Therefore my rating has been changed from B to D. Since we submitted the review above, BWS submitted a response that is filled with misrepresentations of fact and accusations that come very close to libelous. After reading that, we sent them a letter containing the following. 1. You mention the difficulty of helping us understand the complications that the monolithic foundation caused. Although the foundation type has been brought up repeatedly, it has nothing whatsoever to do with our single complaint ? which was the irregular finish work with the concrete. 2. My original rating was in fact a B. I no longer have a copy of this. I don?t know if Angie?s List archives them. 3. Our son Ben does not need his name on the contract to be a party to any work we contract. He is skilled in home repairs and renovations, has done major work on our home over the years, is a consultant on all home projects, and personally did a lot of the finish work following your recent installation of the drain. 4. You investigated Ben?s background, and made unsupported allegations and meritless claims regarding his motives, his right to have a voice in this matter, and his personal dealings with other service providers. When you stoop to making personal attacks you have gone too far. Stick to the facts of the contract: what was done, what was the complaint, what efforts were made to resolve it. 5. In your need to protect the reputation of BWS, you state you had no other recourse than to seek legal action to counter threats and slanderous statements that were made. However, you received no threats, and no slanderous statements were made ? None. Ben?s video accurately demonstrated with the use of a carpenter?s level the obvious uneven finish work, varying from ¼ inch to 1-3/4 inches. BWS, on the other hand, did threaten Ben and us with legal action if unfavorable reviews were not removed, for which you were formally reprimanded by Angie?s List. 6. It is disingenuous to make claims on Angie?s List of Ben?s ?slanderous? video, after it was removed due to threats of legal action. Since potential customers do not have access to it to form their own judgments, the honorable thing to do would be to remove your accusations. 7. The bench-like ledge you built was solidly made, and your care in making it sturdy is appreciated. However 1) it was not made of solid oak, but oak veneer plywood on a structure of 2 x 4 lumber. 2) It was not an ?elaborate structure?, but a simple wooden ledge 8 ft x 10? high along a single wall. 3) You had not been asked to make a structure capable of holding ?thousands of pounds? but rather 1500 lbs. (to accommodate a 5-shelf unit with each shelf supporting 300 lbs.). The claim of that shelf costing ?several thousand dollars? for labor and materials is highly inflated. I have no doubt that you and Basement Waterproofing Specialists want to be done with this exchange, as is the case with us. But I cannot let your inaccurate statements as posted on Angie?s list stand. I am especially troubled by your personal and slanderous statements about Ben. Three options have come to mind: 1) You remove from your ?Company Response? all false and exaggerated statements including all personal attacks, and that will be the end of the matter. 2) If you choose not to do that, I reserve the option of posting this letter on Angie?s List detailing your unsubstantiated claims. You have a right to question a review, but when you impugn the personal character of those whose reviews have not been favorable, you have gone too far. Doing so fits the true meaning of ?slanderous?. Stick to the true facts of the work involved 3) You formally withdraw your threat of legal action. BWS responded to this with a letter from their lawyer that closes with another threat.

The project started on time, but due to extreme cold, took longer than projected. The finished project looks good. There was some miscommunication on when they would return to finish but it was resolved. The dehumidifier install went quickly and smoothly.

Our basement waterproofing was completed in May, 2014 and I've waited far too long to write this review, waiting for a "monsoon" rain to truly test out the waterproofing. That finally happened, and after years of living with minor seepage which ultimately became standing water, there was not one drop of water anywhere in the living area of the basement. The installation works exactly as it is designed. On the 1st day of the installation, the crew of 3 or 4 men worked quickly and professionally. Everything was done by hand, from jackhammering a trench around the entire interior perimeter of the basement, to hauling every bit of debris out and every bit of concrete in by hand in buckets. The entire job was completed in approximately 11 hours over 2 days. We were very impressed with their work ethic and the thorough way the job was completed. If there was anything that was not completely satisfactory, it's that the drain pipe to the outside was not laid closer to the wall as my husband expected. However, because that wall was being studded out and drywalled, we didn't report it to the company as it did not pose a problem as we remodeled the basement. In addition, their price was half of one of their competitor's price, but the primary reason we chose them was they way their salesman negotiated the job. He spent quite a while explaining the job and describing what he thought was the best way the job should be handled at the lowest cost. Finally, this company provides a lifetime, transferable warranty. So far, we are completely satisfied and would recommend this company to anyone looking to have their basement waterproofed.

I have been lucky. They were really great. I had other things in my basement and they put up all these plastic. They walled out of plastic so all my things wouldn’t be dusty. They were no problem to have. They were downstairs and I was up. They came in with a whole large crew. They did everything in one day. One of the managers in the company comes by at the end of the day and checks the job to make sure I am happy with it. I thought they were highly professional and they did a great job. Their price was in-line with everyone else’s. I had a couple of people come in and they were all around the same price. I changed the date and there was no problem. They were here right on time. I would be using them again in the future if necessary.

The salesman was very informative in addition I was able to negotiate into the price ripping out an out cement sink and replacing it with a pvc sink. The whole process took 2 days, but by the end of the 1st day they had it almost all done! They started in the morning and they worked till almost 9pm! I was truly impressed. I think they had about 8 guys on this job. They installed 2 sump pumps as well. The system has been in place for 10 months and I haven't had a drop of water in my basement! One side note that is worth mentioning. I have an old cast iron sewer line that comes into my basement. This pipe was along the wall and was held up by cement pillars. I was very concerned with a sewer pipe being 70 years old breaking when they jack hammered around the perimeter. Some of the pillars did break (not the pipe), but they fixed it with hydraulic cement (included with price). I also wanted to point out that they helped out with financing. Installing a interior french drain is a lot of money and the salesman understood that. I am very pleased with this company!

They came on Monday and ripped out all of the basement walls and carpet throughout house. Loaded a dumpster and sprayed mold killer and returned Tuesday with the air system for 5 hours. Did not wire brush walls like i was told they would do!

The workers showed up on time, and within one minute my ear was ringing due to jack hammering the ground. They wasted no time! They were easy to manage and did a great job. They finished by the end of the day and showed us what was done and what the next steps are. They took all the garbage, swept and then were paid. The work was swife in 1 day but did not lose quality. After 3-4 months and we have some heavy rains, our basement is dry. Great to have that peace of mind anytime it rains. Excellent job!

Very well, smoothly they policed the area before and after repair. Protected my home floors and basement windows.

My neighborhood was built in the late 1950's on what was known as "Spring Lake Farms", the name coming from the fact that the area sits atop a concentration of underground streams, with a high water table exacerbated during the rainy months. My crawlspace had flooded many times over the years. Previous owners had dug a rough pit and dropped a sump pump into it, which seemed to run constantly. Over the years, my house had suffered significant water damage and was pretty much a nightmare. I'd had several basement waterproofing companies come and provide estimates, so I became very familiar with the various methods that might be tried to solve the problem, along with the big expenses that I'd encounter if I signed a contract. I finally reached a point where I could afford the expense and gave Basement Waterproofing Specialists an opportunity to bid for my business. BWS sent out two gentlemen to evaluate and estimate the job. Keeping in mind that I'd done quite a bit of homework on the various methods that might be used and had previous estimates from other companies for this job, I recognized that the approach BWS recommended would result in the highest quality, most efficient method of curing the problems faced, at an extremely reasonable price. Contract signed and deposit made, their work crew arrived on schedule and completed the job in less than three days. I truly appreciate how hard these gentlemen worked, how courteous and considerate they were, and how professionally the job was completed. They, as a team, went over and beyond my expectations. They did an outstanding job installing the system, and an outstanding job cleaning up during and after installation was completed. They made my worst nightmare as a homeowner go away. To date, the system has worked beautifully.

This company installed a "commercial grade system" in my residential home. Due to a Monolithic foundation and VERY thick pad, this job was more difficult than most and required additional equipment and considerably more labor. BWS did not attempt to increase their contracted price even though they encountered these issues. The management and crew communicated clearly and professionally during the entire process and seemed to keep my best interest at heart! The crew worked efficiently and professionally during the entire ordeal in spite of the obstacles they encountered. I am impressed with the quality of the materials BWS used and how effective the system is in keeping my basement dry. I am THRILLED to have my basement back!!!

The salesmen that came to estimate the job showed up on time. They were clean, professional, and did not try to talk down to me. They gave me a fair price after some negotiating. I am a professional civil engineer licensed in 5 states including Pennsylvania, and I know a lot about water drainage. This company's system, in my opinion, was the best of the 5 companies that I interviewed. Their price was in the middle, so I felt that they did give me a fair estimate. I checked their references which they happily agreed to give me - the ONLY company that did this. I also checked their reviews on Angie's list and was satisfied. After the salesmen left and BEFORE I agreed to hire them, I had some changes to the design. I called them and they agreed to the changes without changing the agreed upon price. Once I hired this company and we picked a day to start (within 10 days - other companies said within 40-60 days), I was told that the crew would arrive between 8 and 9 AM. The crew showed up at 7:55 AM. Because of a cancelation at another job, I had 12 men working my large basement project. It was expected to take three days but they completed the project in less than two. The kept everything clean while working and cleaned up all their mess upon finishing the job. As they promised me, they delivered the dehumidifier a few days later and installed it. The payment terms were great - 10% up front, the rest upon completion AND my satisfaction. The communication with the office was excellent for scheduling the work and the delivery of the dehumidifier. 5 days after installation, we hand an all-day rain event and the basement was bone dry. I highly recommend this company to anyone considering basement waterproofing.

I was impressed with the professionalism of Basement Waterproofing Specialists. The estimators, crew, and the foreman were punctual, friendly, and thorough. I am so happy tat after a year of living with a severe water problem in my basement, the issue is finally resolved. I highly recommend this company.

The crew of five arrived on time. They were polite, communicated well, and had time for all my questions. They worked efficiently and neatly, taking care to cover the contents of my basement so they did not get dusty. The crew was finished by the end of the day. The job looks great, and it was tested on Saturday with lots of rain all day. There was no water at all in the basement, not even a damp wall, for the first time in many years. With a rain like that, I would had seen water dripping in through the block wall, and it would have made a little creek and pond in the middle of the basement.

Not long enough to be absolutely sure no more water in basement but can say the four Guys they sent over were on time, courteous Professional and worked very hard to get the job done

A quick backstory : The house we recently purchased had a very expensive waterproofing system ( french drains, sump, etc ) installed in it in 2011 by Basement Waterproofing Specialists. It was a selling point of the house since it was old and prone to water in the basement. 2 weeks ago I woke up and came downstairs to find the basement flooded. The sump had failed and the backup was not working. It had power. We called BWS and explained the situation, we were assured the work was 100% transferable to us, which I was relieved to find out. After a few phone calls they said that they probably could get someone out to replace the sump pump that day, but there was a 250 dollar fee to do this. I balked, since we have a home warranty but I was told all other work would be voided under the contract if we had anyone other than them work on the sump. Seeing that this was a very expensive job from the settlement paperwork, I agreed to the terms. The technician came out, he was very helpful and stated that my primary pump was dead and it needed to be replaced. I asked why the secondary pump had failed, and he stated that it was because the check valve above both pumps had failed, so no water would get out. In replacing the check valve he also moved it below the secondary pump, stating this would solve the issue in the future. A few days later I called back to ask a few general questions. I commended the technician, but wanted to know why this was installed incorrectly the first time, or at least why would there be a need to move this check valve if it was installed per-specification the first time. I also wanted a copy of the contract that stated that if any work on the sump was done by anyone other than BWS it would be voided. My point was that if they installed it in a fashion that caused a sump pump (that they stated was state of the art ) to fail prematurely, how do I trust them to do it right this time? I would have went with someone else, but I was told that the masonry work would have been voided. I am not sure what could happen worse that the entire basement flooding, which is what happened with the work they performed the first time. I kept an even voice and tone throughout this conversation, I just wanted answers and to be honest an apology. I now needed to replace a finished basement floor and more in addition to the 250 dollar service fee they charged me. This did not go over well and I got an earful about how ungrateful I was and that the technician missed dinner and was there until 8pm ( he was not, he left at 5:30pm ). Later my wife called and got the same basic answer from a different gentleman. My recommendation is to double check the sump configuration if you have this work done in the future, after consulting with a plumber I hope to have a real backup in place soon. *** Update *** After posting this review BWS contacted me to go over how my problem was handled initially. This gentleman was very nice and offered to refund my 250 dollars since it appeared the initial installation had something to do with the pump failure. I appreciated them doing the right thing in my opinion.

The salesman was extremely nice, stayed at our house for three hours, explaining everything in full detail. The work was scheduled to start on 5/17 and completed on 5/19 (Saturday-Monday). We were told the crew would come between 8-10. Saturday came and I hear banging on our front door at 7am. I guess early is better than late. The crew covered everything in the basement with plastic and the entrance to the basement as well. The supervisor stayed for maybe two hours and left. The crew stayed until around 2:30 or so, and when I asked them are they coming back tomorrow to finish they said no we will be back on Monday. If they came on Sunday as stated in the contract they would have more than likely finished and not have to come back on Monday so we would not have had to miss a day of work. So anyway let me get to the negatives of this experience. When they opened the window to the basement to pass the gravel and concrete thru, they pulled a piece of siding off, I needed to say something to them to put it back, they put one of the discharge pipes on the wrong side of the house, then they realized after I said something to them about this that it was on the wrong side, so then they had to relocate it. The bigger issue was and this was the main reason I called this company, we had an area in one of our crawlspaces that would leak like a waterfall when it rained, we were told these holes would be patched, there was also two holes in the mortar in the other crawlspace that you could see daylight through, when the job was complete, the first heavy rain came and the wall was still leaking, and the other two spots you could still see light thru. When I called to let them know I wanted this fixed, they asked if we could send photos, my husband then called to resolve this and to setup the "free" ozone treatment that was promised to us and was never setup by the company. Long story short, they finally sent a repair man out on July 19th, to repair the holes they missed, and to run the ozone treatment. When the $16,000 job needed to be started they were ready to start that weekend, and it was no problem to get a crew to come out on a Saturday and Sunday, but when we needed things repaired (that were supposed to be fixed in the first place) it was a issue to get someone to come out on the weekend. All in all this entire ordeal has taken 2 months total for something that was only supposed to take 2-3 days to complete. The icing on the cake is when they jackhammered the floor they removed a board from the front of the bottom step, never put it back, and never put the support for our stairs back, so when ascending/descending the steps wobble. My husband is so fed up with this company he didn't even say anything about this, he will fix it himself. This company sends out a really nice salesman, to make you feel comfortable to drop this much money, but save it, there are better companies out there.

Overall experience was good. There were however a couple of issues. BWS originally scheduled the job for June 6, but on the night of the 5th, they called to reschedule to the 12th. The called again to rescheulde to the 13th. Part of the job required removal and reinstallation of a toilet and a laundry sink, which were both removed, but not replaced due to the wet cement and the age and condition of the connecting plumbing (1938 cast iron pipes - required me to hire a plumber to reinstall after the cement had dried). They finished the job on the following Monday, as opposed to that Friday. The sales pitch was good and very detailed and I was comfortable making the choices I did. However, the over promising of the reinstallation of the plumbing fixtures was unfortunate. The quality if the work and materials was very good and the guys on the job were professional and polite, and did a great job doing what they do. I would not let them deal with older plumbing again, but that's not their job. To be fair on the plumbing thing, BWS did pay for the majority of the plumbing bill.

The ground is now firm immediately behind the house. It had been very soggy. We have had several rains since the drain was installed and I am very pleased with how quickly the area dries up. The men were very polite, I was kept informed of all the steps, and they cleaned up after finishing (it was very muddy).

The Basement Waterproofing Specialist's came to my rescue. After years of getting water in the basement I wasn't sure where to get help or a solution to my problem. At the Warminster home show I met Ken and he told me not to worry, and that they could take care of my water problem. Mark arrived on time to assess the basement and I signed up for installation of their waterproofing system with back- up battery. The basement was dry until another unrelated issue popped up causing water to seep in the basement and I called The Basement Waterproofing specialists for help. Mark was out within 24 hours and the team fixed my new problem within the week. I cannot say enough abpit the professionalism, timeliness and neatness of the job they performed. I have waited a year to give my review to be sure that the water coming into the basement was a non-issue. I am thrilled to say that my basement has been dry during these past few months of torrential downpours and rain spells. I cannot thank The Basement Waterproofing Specialist team enough and would recommend them for a referral in a heart beat.

The entire process, from the estimate through completion, was handled in a courteous and professional manner. Our's is a difficult space with many steps and challenging access. The crew was cheerful and diligent regardless of the difficulties. Charley the foreman ran a very tight crew and his love of material and quality workmanship was evident. He managed to get into spots I never thought he would be able to get into and his thoroughness and attention to detail were so appreciated. We are having other exterior work beginning next week done by Basement Waterproofing. We look forward to a similar experience....Stay tuned!

A crew of 4 was sent with Sebastian as the foreman and they arrived at the time that was specified. They worked 11 hours the first day and through the weekend, finishing on 4/8/2014. I had a lot of storage and the crew moved it all as they worked. I can say that some items seemed to be just piled up on each other. Fortunately, I haven't found anything broken. We had abundant scaling on the walls, floors and some mold. We now have a French Drain and a sump pump (that can barely be heard when running). We never had water, just moisture primarily on the south side of the home. This home was built in 1922 and has stone/concrete walls, rather than today's cinder block, so they did a different procedure for the walls. The floors were painted with two coats of flooring paint. We asked if we could have what was left of the paint for any scratches we might make and they left a partial can, which is a Behr product and we can pick up more if necessary. The only complaints I had was the crew sometimes forgot to close the door leading to the basement. This was important to me as I have two indoor cats that are curious and I did not want them down there while the work was going on. They had the Bilco Door opened while they worked, so I didn't want the risk of the cats getting out, either. I specifically asked the foreman to speak to the crew abut this. The other complaint, which I hate to admit, was that when the men used the bathroom, they did not put the lid down, and they dripped on the rim of the bowl and did not seem to even notice, nor did they wash their hands afterwards. I think management should point these nuisance things out that when they are in someone's home, they should be conscious of these matters.. I did not tell the foreman about these complaints.

I met these guys at the Home Show in Philadelphia amongst about 10 other basement waterproofing companies. They came out within a week to provide a proposal for water a problem I had in a small portion of my basement. They had an opportunity to sell me a much larger system based on previous problems I had but instead they gave me good tips and only sold me what was needed for my problem. They also tried to sell me a large dehumidifier system but there was no pressure to purchase it and I opted only to move forward with the waterproofing that was needed. I got a great deal on price because they had a job cancellation and they needed to fill their work schedule so the work was done within a few days of the initial visit. They came during a snow storm and completed the job as specified with only one problem that required a second pit due to unforeseen issues with my foundation but they were very reasonable on the pricing for the added work. The foreman was the most professional contractor I have ever worked with and clearly communicated with me throughout the entire job (2-days). The whole crew was extremely professional and took great care in protecting my basement (partially finished) from dust and debris and did a phonominal clean up. Overall extremely satisfied with ever aspect of my dealings with this company and would highly recommend them to anyway.

Everything turned out ok. When it rains heavy I am getting a little bit of a backup and trying to get that fixed. I would recommend them to others and would use them again.