Hydrostatic pressure after heavy rain
Saturated clay backfill presses inward on walls and pushes water through cove joints and cracks.
Hamilton County, Indiana · Serving since 1986
Basement Waterproofing, Crawl Space & Foundation Repair in Cicero, IN
Free inspections in Cicero, no travel charge
Wet basements, cracked and bowing walls, damp crawl spaces and settling foundations, repaired by our own crews, out of our own shop on West 16th Street in Indianapolis. We have been coming out to Hamilton County homes for four decades. Here that covers ZIP code 46034, on the flat clay ground of the Tipton Till Plain.
- No travel surcharge
- Financing available
- Free inspection
ZIP codes we cover in Cicero
- 46034
Ground conditions here
Glacial till & heavy clay
- Family owned since 1986
- BBB Accredited · IICRC Certified
- Our own crews on every job
Why it happens here
The ground under Cicero
Cicero, in Hamilton County, sits on the Tipton Till Plain: flat ground over dense, clay-rich glacial till left behind by the last ice age.
Clay holds water and swells when it is wet, then shrinks back as it dries. That seasonal push and pull against foundation walls is the single most common reason we get called out here. Because the ground is flat, water also has nowhere obvious to go: it soaks into the backfill beside your foundation and stays there, building pressure against block and poured walls alike.
It also means the repair has to do two jobs at once: relieve the water pressure and hold the wall where it belongs. Doing only one of them is why so many homeowners are on their second contractor.
Shrink-swell soil movement
Wet-dry cycles expand and contract the clay against footings, opening stair-step and horizontal cracks.
Slow-draining lots
Flat grade and tight soil keep surface water sitting against the house.
What we do
Every repair, available in Cicero
One company for the whole job. We diagnose it, price it, do the work with our own crews and stand behind it afterwards.
Basement Waterproofing in Cicero
Stop water getting in, and move the water that is already there back out.
Crawl Space Repair in Cicero
Dry it out, seal it up, and fix the framing the damp has already cost you.
Foundation Repair in Cicero
Stabilize what has moved, then correct the conditions that moved it.
Worth a look
Twelve signs we get called for most
Any one of these is worth a free inspection. Two or more usually means the cause is structural, and waiting makes the repair bigger.
- Water on the basement floor after rain
- A sump pump running constantly, or not at all
- Cracks in basement or foundation walls
- A wall bowing or leaning inward
- A musty smell that never quite leaves
- Floors that slope, bounce or feel soft
- Doors and windows that stick or won't latch
- Drywall cracks above door frames
- Stair-step cracks in exterior brick
- Mold on joists, or insulation falling down
- Standing water or damp soil in the crawl space
- Humidity upstairs you can't get rid of
What happens next
How a Cicero job runs
- Step 01
You call, we schedule
A real person in Indianapolis answers the phone. We book your free inspection while you are on the phone.
- Step 02
Free on-site inspection
An inspector walks the Cicero property, inside and out: basement or crawl space, grading, gutters, the lot itself. Expect an hour, and expect to be shown what he is looking at.
- Step 03
A written price, explained
Scope, method and cost in writing, with financing options. No pressure to sign on the spot.
- Step 04
Our crew does the work
Michaelis employees on every job. We clean up behind us and we are still here if you need us in ten years.
Common questions
Cicero homeowners ask
Do you actually come out to Cicero?
Cicero is inside our service area and always has been. We cover ZIP code 46034, and there is no travel charge for coming out to you. The inspection is free whether you are ten minutes from our shop or an hour. Cicero is one of 10 Hamilton County towns on our list (Indianapolis, Noblesville and Carmel among them), and all of them sit on the same ground: glacial till and heavy clay.
How fast can someone look at my house in Cicero?
Free inspections are usually scheduled within a few days, and we give you a set time window to plan around. If a wall has moved suddenly or water is actively coming in, say so when you call and we will get you in sooner.
What will the repair cost in Cicero?
It depends on the cause and the size of the area, which is exactly what the free inspection is for. Our published ranges run from a few hundred dollars for a single crack repair to the mid five figures for full structural work. See our cost guide for service-by-service ranges. Financing is available.
My lake home in Cicero by Morse Reservoir has a damp basement. Is the lake causing it?
Being near the water can raise moisture in the soil, and Hamilton County clay holds it against the walls. We look at the grade, the drainage and the walls to find the path. An interior drain and sump pump are common fixes.
I own one of the older in-town houses in Cicero. What should I watch for in the basement?
Look for bowing walls, cracks at the floor joint and damp spots after rain. Older block walls can lean as wet clay pushes on them. Our free inspection covers all of it.
Can I finance foundation and waterproofing work on my Cicero house?
Yes, financing is available. We'll explain your options along with the written price after the inspection.
Nearby
We also serve
Ask your neighbors. Our trucks are in Hamilton County and the counties bordering it most weeks, so these towns are already on the route.
Full service area directoryCoverage
ZIP codes served in Cicero
- 46034
Get it looked at while it's small
A crack you can fit a coin in today is a wall replacement in five years. The inspection in Cicero costs nothing and takes about an hour.