Most of what we do at Mansour’s Innovations is houses: basements, foundations, sewer lines and yards. We also take on commercial drainage and waterproofing work, like French drains around commercial buildings. The water and the clay are the same on both. Almost everything else about the job is different, and if you’re a property manager or a business owner, it helps to know how.
Who decides what gets built
On a house, the homeowner and the contractor decide together after looking at the problem. On a commercial building there’s usually a spec: drawings from an engineer or architect, a property manager’s requirements, sometimes a landlord and a tenant who both have a say. The work has to match the spec, and changes go through whoever wrote it.
Scale and access
A residential exterior dig might be one wall of a house. A commercial drainage job can run along a whole building, through parking lots and loading areas, around utilities that serve more than one tenant. More of the work happens around traffic, deliveries and customers, so access gets planned like part of the job.
Schedules
Homeowners can usually live with a loud day or two. A business often can’t close, so commercial work gets scheduled around hours, sometimes in phases, and the site has to be safe and passable at the end of every day.
Paperwork
- Insurance. Commercial clients often require a certificate of insurance naming them, with specific limits, before anyone shows up.
- Permits and inspections. Commercial permits tend to involve more review, and drainage that ties into storm systems gets a closer look.
- Documentation. Photos, as-built drawings and warranty terms in writing for the owner’s records.
What stays the same
Water still has to be caught, carried and gotten rid of. A French drain around a commercial building works the same way as one in a backyard: fabric, washed stone, a perforated pipe with a steady fall, and an outlet that doesn’t back up. Clay still holds water against the foundation. And the first job is still figuring out where the water is actually coming from.
Talk to us about your building
We’re a licensed and insured waterproofing, excavation and plumbing contractor in Shelby Township, in business since 2014, working across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. For a house or a commercial building, call (586) 345-7292 and we’ll come look at it. See also exterior drainage and excavation.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between residential and commercial waterproofing?
The principles are the same, but commercial jobs are usually larger scale, involve different access and equipment, often have longer drainage runs and may need to work around a building that stays in use. We handle both, from homes to commercial foundations and French drains.
2. Do you do commercial waterproofing and drainage?
Yes. We do commercial French drains, foundation waterproofing and excavation in addition to residential work across Southeast Michigan. Commercial pricing is by the job after we see the site, and financing is available.
3. How is commercial waterproofing priced?
Every commercial job is quoted after we see it, because footage, depth, access and what is in the way all change the number. The estimate is free, and we give you one firm price for the job rather than charging by the hour.
