Digging along the outside of a Summit foundation to seal the wall and add a footing drain, usually on the side that takes runoff from uphill.
Exterior waterproofing makes sense in Summit when one wall takes the brunt of the hillside's runoff, when an old stone or block foundation is letting water through its joints, or when a finished basement makes tearing up the inside unappealing. The crew digs down to the footing, cleans and repairs the wall, applies a membrane, adds drainage board, and lays a footing drain that carries water to a sump or out to daylight. On a sloped lot, getting water to daylight downhill is sometimes possible, which can mean no pump at all.
Summit properties can make excavation complicated. Rock near the surface on parts of the ridge may require slow digging or breaking. Many homes have stone patios, terraces, retaining walls, and mature plantings tight against the foundation, and older houses often have walkways and steps built right up to the wall. Before any digging, the contractor has to request a utility markout through New Jersey One Call. Ask what will be removed, what is included in restoration, and who handles hardscape repair once the trench is backfilled. Get those answers in the quote, not after the dig starts.
A full dig around the house is rarely the first step here. Because so many Summit leaks start with surface water, a contractor may suggest pairing a short exterior repair on the problem wall with regrading, a swale to steer water from uphill around the house, and downspouts piped well away. If a downhill outlet is planned, it should not dump water onto a neighbor or across a sidewalk where it can freeze. Exterior work involving drainage changes, structural repairs, or large excavation may need approvals, so confirm with the Summit building department.
Sometimes. If the lot falls away enough, the drain can exit downhill by gravity. The outlet has to stay on your property and away from neighbors, and the contractor should confirm there is enough fall to make it work.
Usually not impossible, but it can raise the cost and time involved. A contractor may open a test hole first to see how deep the soil goes before giving a firm price.
Anything along the wall being excavated will likely need to come out. Ask in advance what the quote includes for replacing stone, pavers, and shrubs, since restoration on Summit properties can be a big part of the bill.
About a third of Summit's homes were built in 1939 or earlier (median year built 1953), so many basements have older foundations.
api.censusreporter.orgDuring Ida on Sept 1, 2021, the city warned that flash flooding conditions were present throughout Summit, and schools closed the next day.
patch.comErosion and flooding along Salt Brook near Springfield Avenue was before Common Council in July 2026, with streambank work tied to a DEP permit.
nj21st.comA perimeter drain under the slab that catches the water your Summit hillside pushes against the walls and sends it to a sump pump.
Injection repairs for leaking cracks in poured walls, and a closer look at cracks in older Summit foundations that may point to movement.
Sealing the damp crawl spaces under Summit additions, sunrooms, and older wings to stop musty air and protect the framing.
Pumping out, drying, and clearing out a Summit basement after a storm, a failed pump, or a backup, then finding out why it happened.