PaveKing is a licensed NYC contractor specializing in exterior foundation water control: drainage correction, grading, French drains, exterior waterproofing membranes, crack repair, hardscape-to-foundation transitions, and basement leak prevention from the outside. Serving all five boroughs since 2005.
PaveKing focuses on the outside causes of basement leaks and foundation moisture: grading, surface pitch, French drains, downspouts, catch basins, membrane prep, non-structural crack repair, sidewalk and apron pitch correction, areaway repairs, and hardscape transitions that move water away from the building.
Common causes include high water table conditions in Brooklyn, Queens, and Bronx low-lying areas, sidewalks pitched toward buildings, failed downspouts, cracked driveway aprons, settled areaways, tree roots, freeze-thaw cycles, and party-wall water migration in attached brownstones and row homes.
Hairline vertical cracks are often shrinkage and should be monitored. Wider vertical cracks may indicate settlement. Horizontal cracks, bowing walls, stair-step cracks in block or brick, and diagonal corner cracks need careful evaluation and may require a licensed structural engineer.
We diagnose the water source, document and photograph conditions, prepare a written scope and budget, excavate when membrane work is needed, repair cracks or drainage paths, install membrane or drainage components, backfill, restore grading or hardscape, then test with hose or next-rain follow-up.
Hairline crack injection can run about $400–$1,200 per crack. Downspout drainage extensions often range $600–$2,500. Exterior French drains can run $80–$200 per linear foot. Grading and sidewalk pitch correction can range $15–$30 per sq ft. Exterior membrane work with excavation can run $8K–$30K+ per wall section, while major exterior waterproofing systems can reach $20K–$60K+.
Horizontal cracks, bowing or leaning walls, visible settlement, fast-growing cracks, sale-closing letters, insurance documentation, underpinning, piering, or DOB filing needs are structural warning signs. For those scopes, PaveKing coordinates with PE-licensed firms and performs contractor work after engineer sign-off.
Foundation drainage and exterior water-control work is available across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island, with special attention to attached homes, shared walls, narrow access, driveway pitch, sidewalks, stoops, and stormwater movement.
PaveKing does not promise heavy underpinning without engineering. Structural underpinning, piering, and PE-stamped repairs require licensed engineer review, DOB filings when applicable, and a contractor scope built around approved drawings. We help solve the water problem and coordinate the structural path when needed.
Not always. Hairline vertical cracks may be shrinkage, but horizontal, stair-step, diagonal, widening, or leaking cracks should be measured, photographed, and evaluated.
Yes. Poor pitch, sunken sidewalks, cracked aprons, and hardscape sloping toward the building can push water into foundation walls and basements.
Movement, width, water entry, shape, and location matter. Horizontal cracks, bowing walls, settlement, and cracks growing weekly are engineer-level warning signs.
Often, yes. Many leaks are caused by grading, downspouts, driveway pitch, sidewalk pitch, window wells, areaways, or failed exterior water control.
Simple drainage and grading may not require DOB filing, but structural foundation work, underpinning, major excavation, or work affecting building structure may require permits and PE-stamped drawings.
Exterior French drains commonly range around $80–$200 per linear foot depending on access, depth, tie-ins, disposal, restoration, and site conditions.
We coordinate with licensed structural engineers for underpinning or PE-required scope, then execute contractor work after engineer sign-off when the project fits our scope.
Yes. PaveKing works across Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island, including row homes, brownstones, shared-wall properties, driveways, and side-yard drainage problems.