Paid by you · not by contractors
The $79 Quote Autopsy
You are holding one or more waterproofing quotes and a decision worth $5,000 to $20,000. Send them to us. You get them back broken into line items, held against the published cost ranges, with everything vague or missing named in plain language.
Why nobody else will tell you your quote is bad
Every comparison site in this trade is paid by contractors — they sell your details as a lead, at $50–$200each. A business paid by the person being reviewed structurally cannot referee the review. Neither can a free inspection from a company that profits only if the answer is “yes, you need the work.”
Independent foundation inspections already sell for $300–$750 for exactly this reason. The Autopsy is the cheap rung below that ladder: a document review, not a site visit, at $79.
Your quote and your details are never shared with contractors. That is the whole product.
What comes back
A written breakdown covering four things. Two quotes $4,000 apart are usually two different jobs — the first job of the review is to establish whether you are even comparing like with like.
Which method you were actually quoted
Named explicitly — sealant, interior drainage, interior or exterior French drain, or full exterior excavation. Most quotes say “waterproofing system” and leave this to be inferred.
Whether it can be compared at all
Linear feet, square feet, pump and discharge inclusion. A quote missing these cannot be measured against any published range, or against another quote.
What is vague, missing, or moved to “additional”
The items that reliably reappear as change orders: spoil removal, landscaping reinstatement, egress, electrical for the pump, and permit responsibility.
What the warranty actually says
What is covered, who honours it, whether it survives the company closing, and whether it transfers when you sell the house.
What this is not
- Not an inspection. We never see your basement — we read your documents.
- Not engineering, legal, or construction advice, and not a substitute for a structural engineer where one is warranted.
- Not a verdict on a specific company. We assess the document, not the contractor.
- Not a guarantee of a lower price. Sometimes the honest finding is that your quote is reasonable.
Prefer to read first? The cost guide and method comparison are free and cover most of what a quote should say.