An interior drainage system from iFixBasements catches water at the footing, under the edge of your basement floor, and carries it to a sump pump before it reaches your living space.
I personally inspect and design the fix; a licensed & insured certified dealer crew installs it. The estimate is free, you get a written proposal the same day, and no-money-down financing is available through the installing dealer’s lenders.
What an interior drainage system is
Think of it as a channel built into the edge of your floor. The installer opens a strip of slab at footing level, sets a drain channel below it, and connects it to a sump pit. Water that comes up at the floor-wall joint or runs down the wall drops into the channel and flows to the pump, which sends it out of the house.
After heavy rain, soil pushes water toward the lowest point. The system gives that water somewhere to go that isn’t your basement floor.
French drain basement — is it the same thing?
When people search for a french drain basement fix, this is usually what they mean. An interior french drain is a drain along the inside of the footing, as opposed to one buried outside in the yard. I call the system I design an interior perimeter drain; the details matter more than the name.
Why interior beats exterior excavation for most homes in Rockland, Orange, Bergen and Essex
Exterior waterproofing means digging out the soil around your foundation. That tears up landscaping and walkways, and isn’t always practical where a driveway or deck sits against the house. An interior system works from inside, with less disruption. In most homes I inspect it’s the more practical answer — but it depends on what I find, and I’ll tell you if yours is the exception.
What the installation involves
- I inspect the basement and work out where the water is entering and why.
- I design the layout — how much of the perimeter needs drainage and where the sump pit goes.
- A licensed & insured certified dealer crew installs it: opening the slab edge, setting the channel, connecting the sump pump system, and closing the floor back up.
- Battery backup and a wall vapor barrier are added when the design calls for them.
My name is on the job.
How I work
I explain why the water is there, ask what you want fixed, and price everything together. Anything you’ll do yourself comes out. No hard sell.
I’m a Certified Basement & Crawlspace Inspector (Basement Systems, Inc.) and a Certified Structural Inspector (Supportworks, Inc.), so when I tell you what’s happening under your house, it’s backed by training, not a guess. I have 100+ five-star Google reviews. I serve New City, Nanuet, Spring Valley, Suffern, Pearl River, Nyack, Haverstraw, Stony Point, Monsey, Pomona, Congers, Valley Cottage, Orangeburg, Tappan and West Nyack.
Interior drainage system questions
Does an interior drainage system need a sump pump?
Yes — the drain collects the water, and the pump moves it out. I usually design the sump pump with a battery backup.
Will an interior drainage system stop all moisture?
It handles liquid water at the footing. If the walls are passing moisture as vapor, I add a wall vapor barrier and dehumidification. I’ll tell you which your basement needs.
Do you have to break up my basement floor?
Yes, a strip along the wall where the channel goes. It’s patched afterward. I’ll walk you through exactly where before anything starts.
How much does an interior drainage system cost?
Honestly, I can’t give you a number without seeing the basement. It depends on how much perimeter needs drainage and what else the water is doing. The estimate is free.