✓Lake-effect snowThe National Weather Service puts Rochester at about 90 inches of snow a season. About half of it comes from lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario. In spring, all of that melts into the ground around your basement.weather.gov
✓Deep frostThe Town of Chili asks for deck posts at least 42 inches below grade to get under the frost. Wet soil that freezes beside a basement wall swells and pushes on it, winter after winter.chiliny.gov
✓Glacier groundThe glacier left long, low hills called drumlins near Rochester. USDA first named the Ontario soil in Monroe County in 1910. It formed in packed glacial till on drumlins and till plains.soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov
✓Old lake bottomRidge Road follows the old shore of glacial Lake Iroquois. North of it, much of the land is old lake bottom. Lake plain soils formed in silt and clay, like the Canandaigua series, are poorly drained, and water can pond on them.en.wikipedia.org
✓Very old housesMore than half of the homes in the City of Rochester were built in 1939 or earlier. The median home was built in 1938. Many have stone or early block basements with no working drain.point2homes.com
✓River floodsBefore Mount Morris Dam was built, the Genesee River flooded badly about every seven years from 1865 to 1950, says the Army Corps of Engineers. The dam now helps protect more than 200,000 people in Rochester.army.mil
What it costs
Typical published ranges for Rochester. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
Maybe you found water on the basement floor after the snow melted. Maybe a crack in the block wall is longer than it was last year. Maybe a wall looks like it is leaning in at the middle. These are the things Rochester homeowners call about most.
Most of these problems can be fixed without tearing the house apart. The first step is to find out what is really going on. That is what the free inspection is for.
Here is how it works. You call (585) 449-9661 or send the short form. We connect you with one local foundation contractor who works in Rochester. They come out, check your walls, floor and drainage, and give you a written price. The visit is free and there is no pressure to say yes.
What Rochester homeowners call about
You do not need to know the right words. If any of these sound like your house, a free inspection is the right next step:
Water in the basement after a hard rain or every spring.
A crack in a basement wall that leaks or keeps getting wider.
A block wall that bows in, or a long crack running sideways across it.
Stair-step cracks in block or brick.
Crumbling mortar in an old stone wall.
A musty smell, damp walls, or a white, chalky crust on the concrete.
A sump pump that runs all the time, or no sump pump at all.
Doors that stick and floors that slope.
A soft or sagging floor over a crawl space.
The repairs a local crew handles
The local crew we connect you with handles all the common fixes:
Not sure if what you see is serious? The signs of foundation problems page shows which ones need a look soon. It also shows which ones are usually just cosmetic.
How it works
Call (585) 449-9661 or send the short form. Tell us what you see. A photo helps, but you do not need one.
Free inspection. A local crew walks every basement wall. They check the cracks and measure any wall that leans in. Outside, they look at gutters, downspouts and how the yard slopes.
Written estimate. You get the plan and the price in writing. It shows what is wrong, how they would fix it, and what it costs.
You decide. There is no pressure. If you go ahead, the contractor sets the date and handles any permit the job needs.
Two kinds of Rochester basements
Most homes here fall into one of two groups. Each one tends to have its own problems.
Old city homes. Neighborhoods like Corn Hill, the South Wedge, Park Avenue and the 19th Ward are full of homes from the 1800s and early 1900s. Many sit on walls of stone laid in mortar, or early block or brick. These walls were built before modern drains. Over time, the mortar wears out and water finds the gaps. The fix is often new mortar, an inside drain and a sump pump.
Post-war suburbs. Towns like Greece, Irondequoit, Gates and Henrietta grew fast after World War II. Many homes from that era have concrete block basement walls. Block is strong when it is straight. But frost and wet soil push on it from outside. That can open a long crack along a mortar joint, and the wall starts to bow in. The fix is often wall anchors, steel beams or straps, plus a way to get the water out.
Newer homes with poured concrete walls are not immune. A poured wall can crack as the concrete cures, or as the soil packed around it settles. Most of those cracks can be sealed in a few hours.
Why water finds your basement
Water causes most of the basement problems in Rochester. Here is how it gets in.
Snow melts all at once. A winter's worth of snow sits against the house. When it melts, the ground next to the wall soaks it up. A gutter that dumps at the corner makes it worse.
The ground does not drain well. Much of the soil here is packed glacial till or old lake silt and clay. Water moves through it slowly. So it sits against the wall and pushes in.
Frost pushes on the wall. Wet soil that freezes swells. It pushes hardest on the top part of the wall, where the frost reaches. After many winters, a block wall can crack and bow.
The sewer can back up. The City of Rochester has combined storm and sanitary sewers. In a big storm, water can come up through an open floor drain. Monroe County says it is up to the owner to protect the building, and a licensed plumber can add devices that help.
What it costs
The price table on this page shows typical ranges from national cost guides like Fixr. These are typical ranges, not a quote. Your written estimate after the free inspection gives the real number for your house.
What moves the price most is the kind of fix. Sealing one crack is a small job. Bracing a whole wall or adding a drain around the whole basement is a bigger one. See the full Rochester foundation repair cost guide for more detail.
What a good inspection covers
A real inspection is more than a look at one crack. Expect the crew to:
Walk every basement wall, not just the one you are worried about.
Measure any wall that bows or leans, and note how far it has moved.
Check the joint where the wall meets the floor.
Look for water stains, white crust and loose mortar.
Check your sump pump and floor drains, if you have them.
Look at gutters, downspouts, window wells and the slope of the yard.
Give you a written plan that shows what goes where and what it costs.
If the fix is as simple as moving a downspout, a good inspector should say so. If a wall needs bracing or the basement needs a drain, you get the plan in writing. Take your time and ask questions.
Permits in the city and the towns
The City of Rochester says permits are usually needed for structural repairs. Some homes sit in a preservation district, like Corn Hill. Work on those homes may also need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Each town in Monroe County, like Greece or Brighton, runs its own building department. The contractor should know the rules where you live and pull any permit the job needs.
Frequently asked questions
Is the foundation inspection really free?
Yes. The inspection and the written estimate cost you nothing. You do not have to sign anything to get them. You decide later if you want the work done.
Who comes out to my house?
Rochester Foundation Repair Co is a referral service. We connect you with one independent local foundation contractor who works in Rochester. That crew does the inspection and writes the estimate. If you hire them, they do the work.
My basement only leaks in spring. Is that worth a call?
Yes. In Rochester, spring is when a winter of snow melts and the ground gets soaked. A leak that comes back every March or April tends to keep coming back. It stops when the water has somewhere else to go.
Can an old stone foundation be fixed?
Often, yes. Many older Rochester homes sit on stone walls laid with mortar. Loose mortar can be redone. Leaks can be handled with an inside drain and a sump pump. The inspector will tell you if any part needs more.
Do I have to replace my whole foundation?
Almost never. Most homes need a smaller fix. That can mean sealing cracks, adding a drain and sump pump, or bracing a wall. A full rebuild is for a wall that has moved too far to brace.
How fast can someone come out?
Most people who call get a call back the same day. The inspection is set for a time that works for you. Tell us on the call if water is coming in now or a wall is moving fast.
Can I wait and see if it gets worse?
You can, but small problems cost less to fix than big ones. Each winter, frost pushes on the same weak spots. A free inspection tells you how urgent it is, so you are not guessing.
Get your free inspection today
A crack that leaks this spring will still be there next spring, and it may be bigger. Call (585) 449-9661 or send the short form. A local foundation crew will call you back, usually the same day. The inspection is free, the price comes in writing, and the choice is yours.