Basement waterproofing in Green Bay, WI

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your community and where you are seeing water, cracks or movement.

2. We connect you

   Your request goes to an independent waterproofing company that serves Brown County.

3. They call you back

   The company inspects and gives you a written proposal directly.

Who is this site for?

Homeowners, landlords and buyers in Green Bay and the communities around it: De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Howard, Allouez, Bellevue, Suamico and the rest of Brown County. The county had 268,740 residents at the 2020 census, and its housing runs from century-old homes on both sides of the Fox River to postwar ranches and newer subdivisions on the edges of the metro. If you have a crack you keep watching, a block wall that seems to lean in a little more each spring, or a sump pump that never seems to shut off, you're in the right place.

Why do Green Bay basements leak?

Clay, a high water table and snowmelt. A 1929 USDA soil survey of Brown County describes heavy clay soils on both sides of the Fox River southwest of Green Bay that "puddle easily," and a flat bench about two miles wide along the west side of the bay lying only 1 to 5 feet above the water level, with poorly drained flats along the shore. The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey adds that much of the county's famous red clay is actually glacial till, with some units averaging about 38 percent clay. Clay drains slowly, holds water against a foundation, and swells when wet. Add Green Bay's normal 55.6 inches of snow a year, and spring melt arrives on ground that can't take it in fast. Other common causes:

• Frozen ground in early spring. When the top of the soil is still frozen, meltwater runs along the surface and down the outside of the basement wall.
• Hollow block walls. Many older basements are concrete block, which fills with water and weeps at the bottom course.
• Settled backfill. The soil right around a foundation often settles into a moat that collects water.
• Window wells. Shallow or undrained wells fill with snowmelt and leak through the window frame.

Why do walls bow here?

Wet clay pushes. A saturated clay backfill is heavy and expands as it takes on water, and in winter frost adds its own pressure near the top of the wall. Block walls are especially prone to a horizontal crack partway up and an inward bow over time. Bowing doesn't fix itself, and a wall that has moved needs to be stabilized, not just sealed. See bowing wall stabilization for the options.

Signs your basement needs a look

• A horizontal crack in a block or poured wall
• Stair-step cracking in block mortar joints
• Water at the floor edge after snowmelt or rain
• A sump pump that runs constantly in spring
• Window wells holding water or ice
• White, chalky efflorescence on walls
• Musty smell, damp carpet or stained drywall

Which fix fits the problem?

Seepage at the floor edge along several walls usually calls for interior drain tile and a sump pump with a backup. A single leaking crack in a poured wall can often be handled with crack injection. Horizontal cracks or a measurable bow need wall stabilization, and leaks around basement windows often trace back to the window wells. Many basements need a combination, and a good inspection explains which problem each piece is solving.

What can I check myself?

Before the spring thaw, shovel snow piles away from the foundation and clear window wells. When it rains, walk the house and look for overflowing gutters, downspouts ending at the wall and soil sloping toward the house. Extend downspouts so water lands several feet out on ground that slopes away. Lay a straightedge or level against a block wall: if it rocks on a bulge, mention it when you call.

Where should sump water go?

Outside, not into the sanitary sewer. NEW Water, the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District, says that during wet weather its system can receive three to five times its normal flow, and it names prohibited sump pump connections to the sanitary sewer as one source of that clear water. Ask any company where your discharge line will go, and see our Brown County basement water guide for more.

Are you a waterproofing contractor?

No. Green Bay Basement Waterproofers is a referral service. We connect you with an independent waterproofing company that serves your part of Brown County, and that company inspects, prices and does the work on its own terms. Read how it works and Wisconsin's home improvement rules in our guide before you sign.

Communities we cover

• Green Bay
• De Pere
• Ashwaubenon
• Howard

Researching first? Read the Brown County basement water guide.