Interior Drain Tile in Dubuque, IA

Interior drain tile is a perforated pipe buried in gravel just inside the foundation walls, below the basement floor. The crew saws out a strip of concrete along the walls, digs a shallow trench, sets the pipe so it slopes toward a sump pit, and pours new concrete over it. Water that pushes through the wall or wells up at the joint between wall and floor drops into the pipe and runs to the pit, where a pump sends it outside.

When is interior drain tile the right call?

It's the usual fix when water appears along the floor edge on more than one wall, when the walls are hollow block that fills with water, or when the outside of the house is hard to reach. On Dubuque's older blocks, where homes sit close together or right against a hillside, there often isn't room to dig on every side. Interior tile handles the water after it reaches the wall instead of keeping it off the wall, but it doesn't require tearing up porches, steps or the neighbor's side yard.

How does the job go?

Inspection. The company traces where water enters and checks the walls for cracks, bowing or crumbling mortar.
Clearing space. Shelving, storage and any finished walls along the perimeter have to be moved or opened up.
Trench and pipe. The floor is cut, the trench dug, and pipe set in clean stone. Block walls may get small weep holes at the bottom course so the cores can drain.
Wall membrane. Many systems add a plastic sheet or dimpled board on the wall so seepage runs down into the drain instead of across the floor.
Pit, pump and concrete. A lined sump pit goes in at a low spot, the pump is connected to a discharge line, and the trench is patched.

Questions worth asking

Which walls get drain tile, and why those?
How is the pipe kept from filling with silt over the years, and can it be cleaned out?
Where will the sump discharge outside? In Dubuque, foundation drainage can't go into the sanitary sewer.
Does any part of the job need a plumbing or electrical permit, and who pulls it?
What does the warranty cover, and does it transfer if you sell?

What affects the price?

How many feet of wall need drain tile
Floor thickness, access and how much has to be moved
Finished walls, flooring or built-ins that come out and go back
The pump, any battery backup and how far the discharge line runs

We don't quote prices. The waterproofing company sets its price after someone has been in the basement, looked at the walls, floor joint and sump pit, and walked the outside to check gutters, downspouts and grading. Any figure offered before that visit is a guess.

Where we connect you with help

Common questions

Will interior drain tile keep my walls dry?

Not entirely. It catches water after it comes through or under the wall. A wall membrane steers that water into the drain so it doesn't reach the floor, but the wall itself can still be damp behind it.

Can drain tile go in under a finished basement?

Yes, but the bottom of the finished walls along the perimeter usually has to come out and be replaced. Make sure the quote spells out who does that and what it costs.

Related services

More background: Dubuque basement water guide.