Waterproofing comparisons

Interior drainage vs exterior excavation. Fixr's position is straightforward: exterior methods are more effective than reactive interior methods, but carry higher excavation costs. Interior systems are cheaper and less disruptive, but less permanent, because the wall itself stays wet. The honest trade-off is money and disruption against how completely the problem is solved.

Sump pump vs French drain. These are not alternatives — they are usually parts of one system. The drain collects water and moves it to a low point; the pump lifts it out and discharges it away from the house. A drain with nowhere to discharge by gravity needs a pump. A pump with no collection drain only handles water that happens to reach the pit.

Crack injection vs a whole system. If you have one clear, traceable leak in a poured concrete wall, injection at $250-$1,000 per crack (Fixr) is the proportionate fix. If you have water along the floor-wall joint in multiple places, injection is patching symptoms. Be suspicious in both directions: a system quoted for one crack, and injection quoted for a basement with pressure all around the perimeter.

Site work vs any waterproofing. Regrading at $500-$3,000 and gutter and downspout work at $3-$30 per linear foot (Fixr) is the cheapest intervention available and sometimes the only one needed. The residential code target is 6 inches of fall in the first 10 feet away from the wall (2021 IRC R401.3). It is genuinely a bad idea to spend $8,000 on a drainage system while a downspout is still discharging against the foundation.

How to choose

Choose interior if the wall is sound

Solid masonry, water only at the joint, unfinished or modestly finished basement — interior drainage does the job for less money and less mess.

Choose exterior if you are protecting the structure or a finished space

Deteriorating block, saturated walls, or a basement you are about to spend real money finishing. It costs more up front and disturbs less over time.

Choose crack injection only for isolated cracks

Poured walls with one traceable leak. Not appropriate for block walls with mortar-joint seepage.

Always do site work, whichever you choose

It is cheap, it is reversible, and it reduces the load on whatever system you install.

Don't let one company grade the comparison

Ask an interior specialist why you shouldn't excavate, and an excavation specialist why you shouldn't use interior drainage. The disagreement is the useful part.