Sump Pump Installation
When water has nowhere to drain by gravity, it has to be lifted out. That means a pit in the right place, a pump sized to the job, and a discharge line that actually takes the water away from the house.
When a pump is the answer
A sump pump is not a first move. It is what you install when gravity cannot solve the problem, usually because there is no grade to daylight or the water table sits high enough that a passive drain will not keep up.
The mistake we see most is a pump discharging four feet from the foundation. The water leaves the basement, runs straight back down along the wall, and arrives at the pit again. The pump is doing its job and the house is still wet.
How we do it
Every job runs the same sequence. If something changes it, you hear about it the day we find it.
Work out whether you need one
If the site can drain by gravity, a passive drain is cheaper to run and there is nothing to fail. We check that first.
Cut and dig the pit
Through the slab if it is interior, in the right low point if it is exterior. Depth is set by where the water actually sits.
Set the basin and pump
Basin bedded in stone so water can enter, pump sized to the volume, check valve so lifted water does not fall back.
Run the discharge properly
Far enough from the house that the water cannot come straight back. Buried, with fall, to a real outlet.
Patch and test
Slab patched, area restored, then we run water into it to confirm it cycles and the discharge moves.
What it costs
What moves the number
Sump work is priced by pit depth, whether we are cutting slab, and how far the discharge has to run.
| Work | What changes the price |
|---|---|
| Interior pit, pump and short discharge | Slab cutting, pit depth, and pump selection |
| Exterior pit and buried discharge | Excavation, run length, and outlet |
| Discharge line extension only | Run length and whether it is buried |
| Battery backup pump | Unit and integration |
Electrical work for a dedicated circuit is not something we do. If a circuit is needed we will tell you at the walkthrough so you can have an electrician handle it.
We price off a site visit, not off a photograph, so you will not find a number on this page. You will get a written scope with a fixed price in it, and it will say what is included and what is not before you are asked for anything.
The work
Photographs from our own jobs.
Questions
Before you call anyone
Worth reading first
Do I need a backup pump?
If a failure means a finished basement floods, yes. A pump is a mechanical device on a circuit, and both can fail in the storm when you need it most.
Where should the discharge go?
As far from the foundation as the grade allows, to somewhere the water can actually leave. Not into a sanitary sewer, and not two steps from the wall.
Can you replace a pump that already exists?
Yes. Often we find the pit and pump are fine and the discharge is the problem.
Do you do the electrical?
No. We do not do electrical work. We will tell you what the pump needs and you bring in an electrician, or we coordinate one.
Need sump pumps in the North Hills?
Send a few photos and what you have in mind. You get a straight answer about scope and what the job involves before anyone asks you for money.