What You Should Know About Free Estimates

In the basement waterproofing business, many homeowners are attracted by offers of a free estimate allowing them to shop around for the best price without having any obligation to the contractor; in fact, some homeowners obtain multiple estimates to find the lowest price.

Waterproofing contractors are forced to offer free estimates because most of their competitors offer free estimates. When a waterproofing contractor provides an estimate they will obviously try to obtain your business; however, if they do not get your business they have incurred a cost for which there is no financial return. Given this reality, other contractors will endeavour to spend the least amount of time possible in your home; this has major implications of which you must be aware:

1. An estimate, written or otherwise, is only of value if the proposed waterproofing solution will actually resolve the problem.
2. Approximately 5-10% of the time, a wet basement is the result of water infiltration above the foundation, or the result of a plumbing leak.
3. When the interior foundation walls are bare it is easy to establish the cause of a leaky basement because staining on the walls is visible.
4. When dealing with a finished basement, it is currently virtually impossible to establish the precise leak source(s) without visually inspecting the bare wall; consequently, the finished wall must be cut open to permit inspection. Positively identifying the leak source will therefore take time, which the contractor is reluctant to spend without a guarantee that they will get the work.
5. Since 90-95% of wet basements are the result of leaking cracks, concrete or cinder blocks, or other typical basement leaks, in the absence of a thorough investigation, you will most likely obtain a quote for external waterproofing work or the installation of an internal perimeter drain system. These "broad brush" methods will work most of the time. They also happen to be the most expensive ways to repair a leaky basement. If the water in your basement is not the result of a foundation leak you will have thrown away your money and you can be sure that you will not be reimbursed by the waterproofing contractor for work that should not have been done in the first place.
6. Most external waterproofing work and perimeter drain systems are "localized" in that only 1 or 2 walls are typically waterproofed; quite often, only a portion of a wall is waterproofed.
7. As water travels along the slope of the floor and is effectively trapped by the sole plate of a framed basement wall, or by the border of a ceramic tile floor, without visual confirmation of the leak, it is possible that the waterproofing will be done where it is not actually needed. We have encountered many instances where external waterproofing was done in the wrong location!

Based on the realities mentioned above, one can only conclude that a proper inspection of your foundation is an absolute must before you enter into a contract with anyone to do basement waterproofing work. The requirement for proper diagnosis is common in many other service sectors; for example, an inspection is always carried out by an automotive repair shop before an estimate is provided, plumbers charge for a service call, and the list goes on. The bottom line is that an estimate is not worth the paper it is written on unless a proper investigation has been carried out. Given the financial risks you incur by having work done in the wrong location or by doing unnecessary work, paying for an estimate where a proper inspection is carried out is similar to buying insurance.

It is for all these reasons that AquaGuard Injection & Waterproofing™ only sends qualified technicians, not salespeople, to your home to provide estimates.

Note: If you are able to positively identify the leak source on your own you should be able to get a quote over the phone since any reputable waterproofing contractor would have pricing guidelines; and, you avoid situations in which you are being pressured to sign a contract. An estimate over the phone also gives you an opportunity to be green and reduce your carbon footprint on our planet.

If you are sure as to what the problem is, call us at 1.888.284.2384; we will likely be able to give you a quote over the phone. If you can't figure out why you have a wet basement, call us at 1.888.284.2384; we are in business to help you. Remember, as in everything in life, you get what you pay for. A low quote should give you cause for reflection as the quote will most certainly involve shortcuts and/or trade-offs to which you would not normally agree.