Basement waterproofing in Dubuque, Iowa

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your town and where the water or dampness shows up.

2. We connect you

   Your call goes to an independent waterproofing company that serves Dubuque and the surrounding county.

3. They call you back

   They inspect the basement and give you a written quote directly.

Who is this site for?

Homeowners, landlords and home buyers in Dubuque, Asbury, Peosta, Dyersville and the smaller towns around them. Dubuque is often called the oldest city in Iowa; it was chartered in 1833 and had 59,667 residents at the 2020 census. That means a wide spread of basements: stone and brick foundations under older houses near downtown, block walls from the middle of the last century, and poured concrete under the subdivisions that keep filling in west of the city. Each one leaks in its own way, and each calls for a different fix.

Why do Dubuque basements get wet?

Start with the ground. Dubuque sits in the Driftless Area, the corner of the Upper Midwest that the last glaciers skipped. The Iowa Geological Survey describes this part of the state as a region of limestone, dolomite, sandstone and shale bedrock with almost no glacial deposits left on it, where loess often lies right on the rock and springs are common along steep valley sides. In practice that means:

• Bluffs and ravines. Houses built into hillsides take runoff and groundwater on the uphill wall, while the downhill side may stay dry.
• Shallow rock. Where bedrock is close to the surface, water moving through the soil hits the rock and travels sideways, sometimes straight to a foundation.
• Low ground in the valleys. The Bee Branch watershed on the city's north side saw six presidential disaster declarations for flooding between 1999 and 2011, according to the City of Dubuque.
• Plenty of water from above. The Dubuque Regional Airport averages about 38 inches of precipitation and around 42 inches of snow a year under the 1991 to 2020 normals, so spring melt and summer storms both test a basement.

What are the warning signs?

• A wet stripe where the wall meets the floor after rain or snowmelt
• White, chalky deposits (efflorescence) or rust-colored stains on block, stone or concrete
• A crack that drips, darkens or gets wider from one season to the next
• Loose, sandy mortar in a stone or brick foundation
• A sump pump that runs nonstop, hums without moving water, or is older than you can remember
• A musty smell, sweating cold water pipes or mold on stored boxes

Which fix fits my basement?

It depends on where the water is getting in. Seepage at the floor edge on several walls usually calls for interior drain tile feeding a sump pump. One leaking crack in a poured wall, or a stretch of worn mortar in a stone wall, points to crack and wall repair. When you want water stopped before it ever reaches the wall, or you're about to finish the basement, exterior waterproofing is the most complete option. And sometimes the real problem is outside: a short downspout, a sunken window well or a yard that slopes toward the house, which is where yard drainage work comes in. A good company tells you which problem it's fixing and why it chose that method.

Where does the water have to go in Dubuque?

Outside, not into the sewer. The City of Dubuque's inflow and infiltration program points to City Code 13-2A-1, which prohibits sending stormwater, groundwater and foundation drainage into the sanitary sewer. The city's brochure treats a sump pump that discharges outdoors through rigid pipe as proper, and a foundation drain or pump emptying into a floor drain as improper. Any new drain or pump should be set up to discharge outdoors from day one, and an old setup that drains to the floor drain is worth fixing even if you're not changing anything else.

What can I check before calling?

Go outside during or right after the next heavy rain. Look for gutters spilling over, downspouts that end at the foundation, window wells holding water, and soil, patios or driveways that tip toward the house. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends grading soil away from the foundation and keeping gutters clean and repaired. Those fixes cost little and sometimes solve the problem. If water still comes in once the roof water is carried away, it's time for an inspection.

Buying a house in the Dubuque area?

Look for fresh paint or new drywall on the lower basement walls, a dehumidifier humming in July, a sump pit with standing water, water lines on stored boxes and patched cracks. Ask the sellers whether water has ever come in and what was done about it. A waterproofing inspection before your inspection period ends tells you what you're taking on.

Are you a waterproofing company?

No. Dubuque Basement Waterproofing is a referral service. We connect you with an independent waterproofing company that serves your address, and that company inspects, quotes, does and warrants the work. Before hiring anyone, read our hiring tips and the Dubuque basement water guide.

Areas we cover

• Dubuque
• Asbury
• Peosta
• Dyersville

Planning ahead? Read our Dubuque basement water guide.