Foundation Repair & Basement Waterproofing in Overland Park, KS
A basement wall that leaks in one corner every spring. A crack over the bedroom door that is wider than it was last fall. A wall downstairs with a line running sideways across it. Olson has handled foundation repair & basement waterproofing in Overland Park since 1986, and every job starts by sorting out which problem you actually have. Is part of the house sinking, is soil pushing a wall in, or is water just finding a way through? Each has a different fix, and we price only the fix your house needs.
Foundation Repair & Basement Waterproofing in Overland Park Starts With an Inspection
Your bid is put together by John Murphy, who spent 21 years installing piers, beams and drain systems before moving into sales. He looks at your house the way an installer would.
Outside, we check:
- All four corners of the house and garage
- How the soil slopes away from the walls
- Where each downspout empties, and whether the gutters overflow
- Window wells, patios and stoops that may be sending water toward the house
- Where your sump pump discharges
Inside, we check:
- Each crack: which way it runs, how wide it is, and whether it goes through the wall
- Whether any wall has moved in at the middle or the top
- Floors that slope and doors that no longer latch
- Exactly where water shows up: the wall, the floor joint, a window, or the middle of the floor
By the end of the visit, you will know which of three problems you are dealing with: settling, a wall being pushed in, or water entry. Plenty of Overland Park homes have two at once. You will also hear it when nothing needs to be done yet. See what a foundation inspection involves.
Not sure whether a crack is growing? Pencil-mark both ends and check it again in 30 days. Our guide on how to monitor your foundation walks you through it.
What We Find in Overland Park Homes, by Age
The year your house was built tells us a lot before we walk downstairs. The median home here dates to the mid to late 1980s, and the 1990s added more houses than any other decade.
- 1950s and 1960s ranches in the older northern neighborhoods: often concrete block basement walls. Block shows soil pressure as stair-step cracks along the mortar or one long horizontal crack. Downspouts that empty right at the corner are common.
- 1970s and 1980s homes: block or poured walls, now 40 to 50 years into wet springs and dry summers. A wall bowing in at mid-height is a common call.
- 1990s and 2000s homes, the biggest share of the city: mostly poured walls, many with walkouts on sloped lots. Vertical cracks that weep after rain and one settled corner are typical. Builder warranties ran out long ago.
- Newer homes in the southern part of the city: thin vertical cracks are often normal concrete shrinkage. We will tell you if yours is, and if it is not.
Sunken driveway or garage apron? That is a slab problem, not a foundation problem. See polyjacking in Overland Park.
Settling: House Foundation Repair With Concentric Steel Piers
When part of a house drops, the soil under that footing can no longer carry the load. You might see diagonal cracks running off the corners of doors and windows, floors that slope toward one wall, or a gap opening between the wall and ceiling.
How we decide where piers go
- We pier the part of the house that settled, not automatically the whole perimeter.
- If one side dropped, it can make sense to pier that side and see how the house performs before doing more. That is not right for every house, and we will tell you when it is not.
- Spacing depends on the wall: about 5 to 7 feet apart on poured concrete and 4 to 5 feet on block or stone.
How concentric push piers go in
- We dig a small hole beside the footing at each pier location.
- A steel bracket goes under the footing, with the pier centered under the wall.
- A hydraulic ram uses the weight of your house to drive steel tube sections down until they stop on bedrock or weathered shale, typically 22 to 70 feet.
- Each pier is load-tested as it goes in.
- That section of the house is lifted in sequence, locked in place, and the soil is backfilled and compacted.
For porches, slabs, and additions without a deep footing, we may use helical piers instead. More detail is on our foundation piering page.
Bowing Basement Wall Repair: Beams, Anchors or a Wall Push
A horizontal crack, a block wall leaning in at the top, or a wall that bows at mid-height usually means wet clay outside is pushing harder than the wall can resist. The fix depends on how far the wall has moved and what is on the other side of it.
| What we find | Usual fix | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wall has started to move in | Steel I-beams, installed from inside | Holds the wall where it is. No digging in your yard. |
| Walkout, exposed wall, or home at the bottom of a slope | Deadman anchors buried in the yard | Ties the wall back to soil that is not pushing on it |
| Wall has moved several inches (in our experience, roughly 3 to 4 or more) | Excavate and push the wall back, then restrain it | Beams alone would hold a wall that is too far out |
| Wall can no longer be repaired | Rebuild with reinforced block | Cells filled with rebar and concrete |
I-beams sit on the footing and fasten to the floor framing, about every 4 feet on block walls and up to 6 feet on poured walls. In a finished basement, we open about a 1-foot strip of ceiling drywall at each beam. We brace the wall that moved, not every wall in the basement. See wall bracing for the full method.
Basement Waterproofing: Finding Where the Water Gets In
In our experience, 90 to 95 percent of basement water problems start outside, with gutters, downspouts, or grading. So the first question is not “which system?” It is “where is the water coming from?”
| Where you see water | What it usually points to | Where we start |
|---|---|---|
| Along one wall after heavy rain | Downspout or grading on that side | Gutters and downspouts , regrading |
| Through a single crack | A crack that goes through the wall | Foundation crack repair by epoxy injection, after we check the wall is not moving |
| Where the wall meets the floor, all around | Water building up at the footing | Interior drain tile and a sump |
| Under a basement window | A window well filling up | Clear, drain or cover the well |
| Up through the middle of the floor | Water under the slab | Drain tile and sump, sometimes drainage solutions outside |
Musty smell, but no puddles? That is usually humidity, not a leak. Keep basement relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent. Above 50 percent, mold has an easier time.
Interior Drain Tile and Sump Pump Installation
When outside fixes are not enough, we cut a trench 12 to 16 inches from the wall and lay perforated pipe in filter fabric and gravel. Water that reaches the footing runs to a sump pit instead of across your floor. A battery backup keeps the pump running when a storm knocks out the power. Most sump pumps last 10 to 15 years, so an older pump is worth checking before spring storms. Most drain tile jobs take 1 to 3 days. Comparing options? Read sump pump vs French drain.
Where Your Sump Pump Can Drain
Overland Park code requires sump discharge to end at least 5 feet from any adjoining property line, including the front right-of-way. If constant discharge ices the sidewalk or street, the city can require a fix. We route every discharge line to meet the setback. Our usual setup runs 1½-inch PVC from the pump into 4-inch solid pipe that ends at a catch basin set flush with the ground, which helps keep water moving in winter. A direct tie-in to the city storm sewer needs a separate right-of-way permit.
What a Flooded Basement Tells Us
A wet basement and a flooded basement are different problems. Seepage through walls and floors is what foundation waterproofing and drain tile are built for. Water pouring in over a window or doorway during a creek overflow, like the record Indian Creek crests in 2017, is surface flooding. No waterproofing system stops that, and we will say so. A floor drain backing up is a plumbing issue.
As a basement waterproofing company, we would rather extend a downspout than sell you a system you do not need. Good waterproofing for basement walls starts outside, and plenty of basement leak repair ends there too. See basement waterproofing for more.
Access, Finished Basements and Permits
What is around the problem changes the job as much as the problem itself.
- Finished basements: we tell you before work starts what has to be opened, such as a strip of ceiling at each beam or the base of a wall for drain tile.
- Clear space: we ask you to move belongings 6 to 10 feet back from the walls we are working on. In about 95 percent of our jobs, the family stays in the house the whole time. Here is what to expect.
- Outside obstacles: decks, patios, AC units, and landscaping near a pier location can change where we dig. We call Kansas One-Call to mark buried utilities first.
- Working around what is already there: on one Olson job, the repair looked like it would mean relocating the water heater. John knew from his years of installing that the work could be done with it left in place, which saved the homeowner that cost and disruption.
- Permits: Overland Park requires a building permit for foundation repairs, except minor maintenance such as epoxy injection. We handle the permit for work that needs one.
- Drywall cracks upstairs: after a lift, wait a month or two before you patch drywall or repaint.
What's in Your Written Bid
You get a written, itemized bid, usually within 24 to 48 hours of the inspection.
- Each repair listed separately, in order of importance
- How many piers, beams, or feet of drain tile, and the price for each
- The warranty for each item, in years
- What we will dig, cut, or open, and what gets put back
- Whether the job needs a city permit
Because it is itemized, you can phase the work. If one side of the house is flooding and the other has minor settling, we will usually recommend stopping the water first.
Foundation Repair Cost in Overland Park
Most foundation repair jobs across the metro land between $4,000 and $15,000. A single crack injection can come in under $500, and a full-perimeter pier job can pass $25,000. A typical 2,000-square-foot house that needs piers takes 4 to 10 piers, depending on how much it has settled. Here is how individual repairs are priced:
| Repair | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Concentric steel piers | $1,600 to $1,800 per pier |
| Helical piers | $1,950 to $2,450 per pier |
| Steel I-beam wall bracing | $500 to $700 per beam |
| Deadman anchors | $1,100 to $1,300 per anchor |
| Wall push | $325 to $375 per foot |
| Epoxy crack injection | $40 to $50 per foot |
| Interior drain tile | $75 to $90 per foot |
| Sump pump (pit, pump, lid, discharge line) | $1,800 to $2,000 |
| Sump pump with battery backup | $2,400 to $2,600 |
| Burying downspouts | $30 to $40 per foot |
Waterproofing basement cost depends on the method, so we do not quote a flat price per square foot. Access, finished space, and how far the problem has gone move the total too. Standard homeowners policies usually do not cover settling (here is why). See full pricing and financing.
Warranties Matched to Each Repair
Coverage depends on what we install, and every bid lists the term for each item.
| Repair | Warranty |
|---|---|
| Piers driven to bedrock | Lifetime, transferable |
| Wall anchors and I-beams | 15 years |
| Drain tile | 15 years |
| Sump pumps | 5 years |
| Waterproofing membrane | 5 years |
| Adjustable posts | 3 years |
Why Overland Park Homeowners Choose Olson
There are a lot of foundation repair contractors working in Johnson County. Here is what is different about how we work.
- Your estimator has done the work. John has 26 years in foundation repair: 21 doing the installation and labor, then 5 in sales. He knows how much room a crew needs at each pier, what a finished basement will have to give up, and what each fix takes to install, so the bid matches the job.
- We fix the part that failed. One bowed wall gets one wall braced. One settled corner gets piers on that corner.
- Honest answers on small stuff. If a crack is from the original pour, or the fix is a downspout extension, you will hear that.
- Here since 1986. A lifetime pier warranty only matters if the company is still around to honor it.
- Rated by your neighbors. 4.7 stars from 90+ Google reviews and BBB A+ accredited. Read reviews.
How It Works, From First Call to Final Walkthrough
Working with a foundation repair company should not feel like guesswork. Here is every step.
Contact Us Now
Call (913) 592-3300 or request your free in-home inspection. There is no charge and no deposit. Tell us what you are seeing, roughly when the house was built, and whether the basement is finished, so we arrive ready for your house.
Get an Assessment
Complete Work
Get Peace of Mind
You see the warranty for your specific repair before any work starts: what it covers, for how long, and what transfers if you sell. When we finish, we walk you through what was installed and hand over the permit and warranty paperwork a future buyer’s inspector will ask for.
More detail: what to expect during foundation repair and how to prepare your home.
Foundation Repair Near You in Overland Park and Nearby Cities
We work across Overland Park, from the older streets near downtown and Indian Creek to the newer neighborhoods in the south. If you are looking for foundation repair near you or basement waterproofing near you in a neighboring city, see:
See all of our foundation repair services.
Overland Park Foundation Repair FAQs
Most jobs fall between $4,000 and $15,000. Piers run $1,600 to $1,800 each, and a single crack injection can be under $500. Your inspection gives you an exact, itemized number.
For structural work, yes. The city requires a permit for foundation repairs except minor maintenance such as epoxy injection. We handle the permit when your job needs one.
Most often, roof water is landing too close to the house, and the clay along the wall gets saturated. Extending downspouts and fixing grading solves many leaks. When it does not, interior drain tile and a sump carry the water out.
City code says the discharge has to end at least 5 feet from any adjoining property line, including the front right-of-way. It also cannot create ice or standing water on sidewalks or streets.
It usually means soil is pushing the wall inward, so it deserves a look soon. Caught early, steel beams can hold the wall before it needs to be pushed back or rebuilt.
Not always. We pier the section that settled, and sometimes it makes sense to repair one side and watch how the house performs. Some houses do need more, and we will explain why.
No. Drain tile and sump pumps handle water seeping through walls and floors. Floodwater coming in over windows or doors is surface flooding that no basement system can stop.
Most jobs take 1 to 5 days. Injecting one 25-foot wall takes 2 to 3 hours, and most homeowners stay in the house during the work.
Usually not. Standard policies typically exclude settling and soil movement, though damage from a covered event like a burst pipe may be different. Check your policy.
Pier warranties transfer to the next owner. Coverage varies by repair, and your bid lists each term.
In most cases, yes, while you plan the repair. Get it inspected soon if cracks keep growing, doors stop latching, or a basement wall is visibly moving in. More on living with foundation problems.
Most last 10 to 15 years. A battery backup and a test before spring storms are cheap insurance on an older pump.
Get an itemized bid before your inspection deadline so you can negotiate with real numbers. Ask the seller for any repair paperwork and whether the warranty transfers. Read our buyer’s guide.
Get a Straight Answer Before the Next Big Rain
Most foundation and water problems here start small and get pricier with every wet spring. One free visit tells you what is moving and what the fix costs. When you are ready for a straight answer on what is moving and what it will take, call Olson for foundation repair & basement waterproofing in Overland Park.
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