West Bloomfield Foundation Leak: Old Drain Plugged With Mud, Fixed From Outside

The finished West Bloomfield job. Job at a glance The problem: a leak on the side and back of the house Water was coming in […]

The finished West Bloomfield job.

Job at a glance

Town: West Bloomfield, MI (Oakland County)
Property: home
Service: exterior waterproofing and exterior drainage
What we did: excavated, found the old drain plugged with mud, and installed exterior waterproofing and a new drainage system
Date: May 2026
Videos: part 1, the dig (59 seconds), and the finished job (1 minute)

The problem: a leak on the side and back of the house

Water was coming in through the foundation on the side and the back of this West Bloomfield home.

What caused it: a drain plugged with mud

When our crew excavated along the wall, we found the original drainage system completely plugged with mud. A footing drain full of mud can’t carry water away, so the water had nowhere to go but against the wall and into the basement.

How we fixed it

We did exterior waterproofing and installed a new exterior drainage system:

Excavated along the leaking walls, down to the footing
Put waterproofing membrane on the wall
Installed a new footing drain in place of the plugged one
Backfilled with clean fill

The result

The side and back walls now have exterior waterproofing, and a new drain replaces the one that was plugged.

Our workmanship on the waterproofing membrane is backed by our 25-year transferable limited warranty. The new footing drain is drainage, so the warranty doesn’t cover it.

Why fix it from the outside

Exterior waterproofing stops water on the outside of the wall: excavation, membrane and a footing drain. When the old drain has failed, digging also lets us see it and replace it. See exterior waterproofing, exterior drainage and excavation.

More exterior jobs: Birmingham and Davisburg, fixed without tearing up the basement. We do basement waterproofing in West Bloomfield and work across the rest of Oakland County, including exterior waterproofing in Oakland County.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drain can fail. On this West Bloomfield house the original drainage system was completely plugged with mud, so it couldn’t carry water away from the foundation.

We call MISS DIG, excavate along the wall down to the footing, put a waterproofing membrane on the wall, set new drain tile at the footing and backfill. On this job that meant a new drainage system in place of the plugged one.

Exterior waterproofing runs about $3,000 to $60,000. The biggest factor is how much wall needs it and what’s in the way. Estimates are free. See our cost guide.

Yes, for our workmanship on the waterproofing membrane, which carries our 25-year transferable limited warranty. The warranty doesn’t cover footing drains or exterior drain tile, French drains, dry wells, excavation, the sump pit or the pump.

Yes. West Bloomfield is part of our Oakland County service area. We’re based in Shelby Township. See our West Bloomfield basement waterproofing page.

Water coming in along a wall? Call or text (586) 345-7292 for a free estimate. We typically reply within 2 hours.

Mansour’s Innovations LLC: owner-operated since 2014 by Matt (Imad) Mansour, 20+ years in the trade. 4.9 stars from 110+ Google reviews. See all projects.

Call (586) 345-7292 Get a Free Estimate