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9-12-18, How Many Ways can a Basement Leak? 

Let me count the ways. 

Having listed, sold, shown and attended inspections on many, many homes over 28 years of selling them, I have experienced 18 ways for water to find its way into a basement. This problem is one of the most difficult to correct, due mainly to 4 factors: (1) you can't make it rain on demand for the contractor; (2) you can't see behind walls; (3) there are so many potential sources; and (4) water runs downhill. 

When you are under no pressure to find and remedy the leak, you are free to experiment with diagnostics and less expensive repairs. However, when you have your home under contract, you are under the microscope to get it done fast, right the first time, and by a professional. Basement contractors have figured out the best repair for most basement leaks - that is the one you will have proposed almost all the time unless there is an obvious leak that does not require it. That common repair is the drain tile and sump pump system. Now certainly that is the repair necessary for some types of leaks, but most basement problems do not fall into this category. However, this repair will catch almost all of the various leaks, regardless of what causes them. Most homes under 20 years old have this system built into the basement slab. Unfortunately, even these drain tile systems can clog up or break down after awhile, and may need repair themselves. 

Here are the sources I have seen cause water to enter a basement, and sometimes fixing one does not cure the problem, it may take several: 
1. Gutters off, not pointed away, or underground tubes clogged or off - by far #1 cause 
2. Basement wall crack 
3. High water table, comes in at basement floor 
4. Sewer backup 
5. Flood waters 
6. Outside drain backup at window well or walkout basement door 
7. Window not sealed properly, runs down inside wall 
8. Roof leak runs down inside wall 
9. Hose bib freezes and cracks, runs inside when turned on 
10. Sump pump failure 
11. Refrigerator water line seeps down inside wall 
12. Plumbing supply line leaks 
13. Adjacent ground or concrete tilts toward home 
14. Roof vent, chimney vent or vent flashing, runs down inside or along outside of pipe 
15. Sprinkler head mis-adjusted toward house 
16. Gas or other line thru exterior wall not sealed properly. 
17. Drain tile system clogged, not directing water to sump pit 
18. Drought conditions that caused a large gap between shrinking soil and basement wall, and funneling water in 

As the building inspectors say on their report - any basement can leak given the right conditions. A dry basement today can be a wet one next year. My advice is to monitor all areas of your basement periodically to catch any issues early on. Then either competently repair yourself if able, or get 2-3 estimates from reputable contractors. If you are concerned that they are bidding for more work than necessary, then hire a building inspector or other professional who will not be doing the repair. Expect to pay that person, whereas most companies giving bids do so at no charge. You can also offer to pay a company who can do the work, but tell them upfront they will not get the job.