When homeowners search for a basement waterproofing company in the Chicago area, one of the most popular places to start is the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This post looks at the BBB, their grading system and how to interpret the information you find and put it into context.

Believe it or not, there are basement waterproofing companies that won’t fix a foundation crack (as shown below).  That’s right!  It may be hard to believe, but they are out there. 

I’m often asked what really makes one basement waterproofing company different from the other.  Sure, there are nuances on how we fix a crack versus another company.  We all offer different lines of back-up sump pumps.  And every company will try telling you why their proprietary drain tile system is so much better than the rest.  That’s what they must do in order to sell a job.

Bill Cosby once said, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try and please everybody”.

Not all basement waterproofing repairs are created equal.  There is a big difference between a basement waterproofing professional and a general handyman who is a novice.  We are not saying that someone who is mechanically inclined and has a little know-how is not capable of attempting a repair.  We have just learned over the last 50 years that amateur and do-it-yourself repairs will generally fail over time.

As basement waterproofing contractors, we are all salespeople at heart.  That’s okay when you sell with passion because you truly believe you are doing the right thing for the customer.  But when you try to deceive people just to make a quick buck, that’s where the line needs to be drawn.