How a Basement Waterproofing Request Works in Royal Oak, MI
Here is the path a basement request from Royal Oak, MI follows. It travels to one independent local contractor, and from that contractor's first message on, every step is between you and that business.
The Short Version
Basement Waterproofing Royal Oak MI has one role, as a free referral and advertising service. It isn't a contractor, builder, plumber or salesperson, works as no contractor's agent, and holds no Michigan residential builder or maintenance and alteration contractor license. It simply passes your request to be contacted to one contractor. It never offers, prices or performs work.
Contractors may pay a flat fee to advertise here, not charged during a trial. Asking is free and brings you no gift, discount or payment.
Four Simple Steps
- You ask to be contacted. The form takes your address and a short note about the water.
- One contractor gets the request. A single independent business serving the Royal Oak area receives it, and nobody else.
- The contractor takes over. From its first call or email on, it sets up any visit, writes any estimate and handles the paperwork.
- You make every decision. Nothing goes ahead without your agreement.
What to Check on a Contractor
This site checks no one, so these checks are yours.
- The state license. LARA issues Michigan's residential builder and maintenance and alteration contractor licenses, and waterproofing a basement falls under them. Ask for the number (builder numbers run 10 digits, the Attorney General notes) and confirm it at lara.michigan.gov/colaLicVerify. LARA calls a missing number a red flag.
- Ads that add up. A licensee's ads and paperwork should carry the name and number on its license plus a real business address; a post office box or bare number won't do.
- Proof and references. Ask for liability insurance and workers' compensation certificates, and talk to past customers.
- Signed paper. Michigan's rule calls for a written agreement signed by both sides, stating the cost, the type and amount of work (drain length, pump, discharge point) and the materials. Changes are signed too; get warranty terms in writing.
- Staged payments. Never hand over the full amount up front. Collect written lien waivers, and have the contractor name and pull each permit before the final payment.
- Plumbing kept separate. Sump tie-ins, backwater valves and laterals are for a licensed plumbing contractor with a plumbing permit. Sump water goes outdoors, away from the foundation, never into a floor drain or sewer line.
- No pressure. Sign at home and you may get three business days, ending at midnight, to change your mind. Be wary of anyone who knocks uninvited.
What We Don't Do
Once your request is passed along, this site has no further part. It does no basement work, gives no bids or prices, inspects nothing, solicits nothing for anyone, signs no contracts, takes no deposits and neither schedules nor arranges anything. It names no contractor and stays out of insurance matters. DPS and the Building Department belong to the City of Royal Oak, the George W. Kuhn basin to Oakland County, and each nearby city runs its own offices; none is tied to this site. Problems with a contractor can be reported to the Michigan Attorney General's Consumer Protection team at 517-335-7599 or 877-765-8388.
Talk to a Local Contractor
Send the form whenever you like. One independent contractor gets in touch, looks at the basement if you agree, gives its own estimate and does any work you choose. Nobody can promise a dry basement, and nothing moves without your yes.