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Madison Foundation Repairs

Foundation Repair Service Areas Around Madison, WI

We connect homeowners across Madison and nearby Dane County towns with a local foundation and basement crew for a free inspection and a written price.

Call now: (608) 719-3321
  • Licensed and insured local pros
  • Free inspection
  • Written price before any work starts
  • No cost to use this service

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Why Madison basements leak and walls move

Much of Madison sits between two lakes on filled marsh, with a water table close to the surface. Wet, silty glacier soil freezes several feet deep each winter and pushes on basement walls, and many homes near the isthmus and campus have stone or block basements close to 100 years old.

Marquette and Williamson Street, WI

The Third Lake Ridge historic district covers the oldest part of the Marquette neighborhood, from Blair Street to the Yahara River and from Williamson Street to Lake Monona, with buildings from 1850 to 1929. Homes this old and this close to the lake often have stone or block basements with no drain tile, so water at the floor joint and loose mortar are common calls.

Tenney-Lapham, WI

Tenney Park sits between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, and in August 2018 the park flooded and the lagoon spilled onto East Johnson Street. Older homes in this low isthmus neighborhood are where the city says ground water flooding hits hardest after wet seasons.

Mansion Hill, WI

Mansion Hill was Madison's first local historic district, named in 1976, with buildings from 1850 to 1930 in brick, stone and stucco. Large old houses here often have tall stone foundations that need careful repair, like soft mortar that matches the original wall.

University Heights, WI

University Heights was platted in 1893 next to the UW campus, and its historic district covers homes built from 1893 to 1928. Basements in houses well over 100 years old were built without drain tile or outside waterproofing, so leaks, loose mortar and wall cracks are common calls.

East Side near Starkweather Creek, WI

After the August 2018 storms, the city added about 1,200 homes in the Starkweather Creek area to its flash flood risk areas because they sit near storm drains that empty into the lakes. Basements here are worth a check for the floor joint, the sump and cracks.

Middleton, WI

Middleton got 11 to 13 inches of rain in about 12 hours on August 20 and 21, 2018, flooding the Pheasant Branch Creek corridor. About 27 percent of Middleton homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s, an age when many poured and block basements start to crack and leak.

Fitchburg, WI

About 44 percent of Fitchburg homes were built in 2000 or later, per Census data. Newer poured basements can still crack as the concrete cures and as fill soil around the house settles in the first years.

Sun Prairie, WI

About half of Sun Prairie homes were built in 2000 or later, per Census data. In newer subdivisions, yards that drain toward the house and short downspouts are a common cause of basement leaks.

Verona, WI

Verona sits right where the last glacier stopped. The Johnstown moraine runs through it and marks the edge of the Driftless Area, so soil can change from glacial till to bedrock-based ground across town. About 57 percent of homes here were built in 2000 or later.

Waunakee, WI

About 44 percent of Waunakee homes were built in 2000 or later, per Census data. Newer homes here often have finished basements, so a small leak or crack is worth fixing before it damages walls and flooring.

Monona, WI

When Lake Monona reached 100-year flood levels in August 2018, officials warned the city of Monona could flood too. About 45 percent of Monona homes were built before 1960, per Census data, so many basements are older and close to the lake's water table.

McFarland, WI

McFarland sits on Lake Waubesa, which rose after the 2018 storms as water moved down the Yahara chain. About a quarter of homes here were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and lakeside lots see the same ground water rise as Madison's isthmus.

Oregon, WI

In August 2019, a year after the record storms, an Oregon neighborhood was still dealing with flooding because ground water stayed high. Basements here can take water from below even after the rain stops, which is why inside drain tile and a good sump matter.

Cottage Grove, WI

About 63 percent of Cottage Grove homes were built in 2000 or later, and only about 6 percent before 1960, per Census data. Most calls here are about newer poured walls with leaking cracks or water at the floor joint.

DeForest, WI

DeForest sits along the Yahara River north of Madison, and about 37 percent of its homes were built in 2000 or later, per Census data. Homes near the river and in low spots should keep gutters and grading sending water away from the foundation.

Do not see your neighborhood? We likely still cover it. The contractors we work with serve all of Madison and most of Dane County. Call (608) 719-3321 or send the short form, tell us your address, and a local crew will call you back about a free inspection.

Areas we serve around Madison

Other services

Sources

  1. cityofmadison.com/dpced/planning
  2. cityofmadison.com/dpced/planning
  3. cityofmadison.com/dpced/planning
  4. cityofmadison.com/flooding/understanding-flooding
  5. wpr.org/lake-levels-rise-madison-prepares-more-road-closures
  6. wpr.org/history/conflicts-disasters
  7. pheasantbranch.org/wp-content/uploads
  8. npshistory.com/series/science
  9. wkow.com/news/2019
  10. censusreporter.org/data/table
  11. censusreporter.org/data/table
  12. censusreporter.org/data/table
  13. censusreporter.org/data/table
  14. censusreporter.org/data/table
  15. censusreporter.org/data/table
  16. censusreporter.org/data/table
  17. censusreporter.org/data/table
  18. censusreporter.org/data/table
  19. censusreporter.org/data/table
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