As with most home repairs, costs associated with waterproofing a basement or foundation can vary greatly depending on several factors.

Some questions to ask as you start to price your project include:

1. What are the factors on my property that will affect the amount of water that presses against my foundation?
2. How much am I willing to spend to guarantee results?
3. Do I want to do internal, external, or a mixed approach to waterproofing?

Several important aspects of your property directly impact how hard it is to waterproof your foundation. Thus they directly impact how much it costs.

Is your property on high ground?

Properties near the tops of hills or on high plateaus generally face lower waterproofing costs. Because water flows downhill and away from these properties, their foundations are naturally exposed to less water.

However, in some cases, these higher areas can face unique issues. Springs and other natural phenomena can keep water present even on top of hills, putting unexpected pressure on foundations. These are rare, and generally present themselves pretty readily during an inspection.

Is your property on low ground?

Homeowners find locations near lakes to be attractive. However the presence of a natural lake or pond indicates an abundance of water in the ground. A foundation that goes to or below the common pond level will face a great deal of water pressure over its lifetime.

Waterproofing companies have ways to deal with this amount of water and it does not mean you cannot build there. It just means that you should anticipate that the cost will be higher as the waterproofing interventions will be greater.

Additionally, properties on low ground and newly urbanized areas find that water runoff from streets and newly developed properties is a problem. In many places the rainwater trains are not sufficient to deal with the runoff from the largest storms. Homeowners in these situations find themselves subject to periodic flooding.

If you are building in a newer large subdivision, consider investing in stronger measures to protect your biggest investment.

Is your property on a hill?

Gravity works everywhere. So if you’re planning to build a house on earth, examining the flow of water on your property is an important step. Consider the topography of the larger area, three to five houses away from your building. Does it direct water toward your home, or away?

Even a slight slope towards your house will necessarily mean increased water pressure on that part of your foundation wall. Your water management plan and waterproofing planned should factor that in. As always, this is not a deal breaker. It just means that you will need to invest properly in waterproofing measures to keep your home safe and dry.

There are dozens of factors that influence the cost of your waterproofing project. At Mar-Flex we have trained and experienced experts willing to guarantee that your project will stay dry.

Looking for a cost estimate to plan your budget? Visit homeadvisor.com and use their handy assessment tool to get estimates for this work in your ZIP from nearly 4,000 HomeAdvisor members. https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/basements/seal-a-basement-or-foundation/