Excavating to the footing and sealing the outside face of the wall. The most involved fix, and sometimes the only one that works.

This comes up often enough around here that most local contractors have a settled way of handling it.

What usually prompts the call

• Interior fixes that have already been tried and have not held
• Water entering along a specific stretch of wall rather than everywhere
• Visible damage to the outside face of the foundation
• A finished space you would rather not tear out from the inside

What a contractor will do

This means excavating down to the footing and sealing the outside of the wall, usually with drainage board and a new drain line. It is the most disruptive option and sometimes the only one that works.

$12,000 – $20,000 — typical range, not a quote. What your home needs can only be settled by a registered contractor who comes out and looks at it.