Frequently Asked Questions

Mark Rhoades, the owner and operator. He has more than 40 years of hands-on waterproofing experience, runs every job and is on site at the key stages of every job. More about Clark.

Clark was founded in 1956. It’s a family-owned company, and it has waterproofed thousands of homes since then. More about Clark.

In Mount Clemens, in Macomb County. Clark serves St. Clair Shores, the Grosse Pointes, Warren and Macomb County, and all of the work, including the estimate, happens at your house.

Yes. Clark Basement Waterproofing is licensed and insured. Michigan licenses basement waterproofing as a residential maintenance and alteration trade, so it’s fair to ask any contractor about their license.

No. Clark doesn’t use subcontracted crews. Our own crew digs, waterproofs and backfills, and when concrete has to be cut to reach the wall, our own crew pours the new concrete.

No. Clark waterproofs from the outside only and does not install interior drainage systems. We work on the outside of the wall, where the water gets in. For a fair side-by-side look, see interior vs. exterior waterproofing.

From the outside, in the same order every time: we dig by hand to the footing, seal cracks with hydraulic cement, coat the wall with tar, add a waterproof membrane, lay new drain tile in pea stone, then backfill and restore the yard. See the process step by step.

It keeps heavy machinery off your lawn and lets us dig in tight spots, like a narrow side yard between two houses, where a machine can’t work. Every Clark job is dug by hand, with no backhoes. Hand-dug vs. machine excavation covers the tradeoffs.

Usually 3 to 7 days. The time depends on how much wall is dug, how deep the footing is, whether a walk, drive or patio has to be cut and replaced, and the weather.

Only along the wall. The digging stays in a hand-dug trench next to the foundation, with no machine crossing the lawn. Bushes are usually worked around, and when the waterproofing is done the trench is backfilled and the yard is restored.

Yes. We cut the concrete, dig and waterproof the wall underneath by hand, and replace the concrete when we’re finished. Our own crew pours it. See waterproofing under porches, decks and concrete.

Yes. New drain tile in pea stone is part of every Clark exterior waterproofing job, including our drain tile replacement service. See drain tile replacement and our drain tile guide.

No. Water that comes up through a floor drain, especially in a big storm, is usually a sewer backup. Exterior waterproofing deals with water coming in through the walls. It doesn’t fix sewer backups, plumbing leaks or condensation. See sewer backup vs. seepage.

Yes. Estimates are free, done at your house and given to you in writing. Call us or request one online, and we’ll call back within a day to set a time.

It depends on the house, so every job is priced at the free estimate. The main factors are how much wall is dug, how deep the footing is, any concrete that has to be cut and replaced, the condition of the wall and access around the house.

Yes. Clark gives a 10% senior discount. Mention it when you call to set up your free estimate.

We do. We pull the permits the job needs ourselves. Permit rules differ from city to city, so what’s needed depends on where you live and the work being done.

Yes, before every job. Utilities mark their buried lines, but not private ones, such as sprinkler lines, invisible dog fences or a line to a detached garage. Tell us where yours run before we start.

It depends on your house and your city’s rules. St. Clair Shores and Grosse Pointe Park, for example, don’t allow footing drains to connect to the sanitary sewer. Mark will show you where the water will go during the estimate.

Yes. Clark gives a written 10–15 year warranty on its exterior waterproofing, and the length depends on the job. Ask Mark about it at your free estimate. More on our warranty.

There’s no reliable single number. It depends a lot on the surface: gutters, downspouts and ground that slopes away from the house. The number Clark puts in writing is the warranty, 10 to 15 years depending on the job. What affects how long it lasts.

Ask what it covers, not just how long it runs: which water and which walls, labor as well as materials, whether it transfers when you sell, what upkeep it requires, what voids it and how to make a claim. Get the answers in writing. The full list.

Usually not. Standard homeowners policies typically exclude groundwater seeping through a foundation, and sewer or drain backup coverage has to be added as an endorsement. Check your own policy. See does insurance cover basement leaks?

St. Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Shores, Warren, Harrison Township and Clinton Township, plus other parts of Macomb, Wayne and Oakland counties. See our service areas.

Call and ask. Clark also works in other parts of Macomb, Wayne and Oakland counties, so call us to confirm your street.

Not when the ground is frozen. We don’t dig in frozen ground, so winter digging depends on the weather. A leak doesn’t have to wait for spring, though: you can call and set up a free estimate in any season.

Within a day. Leave a message or send the estimate form, and we’ll call back within a day to talk about the problem and set a time for your free estimate.