Hydrostatic pressure after heavy rain
Saturated clay backfill presses inward on walls and pushes water through cove joints and cracks.
Marion County, Indiana · Serving since 1986
Basement Waterproofing, Crawl Space & Foundation Repair in Indianapolis, IN
Free inspections in Indianapolis, 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. Indianapolis spans Marion and Hamilton counties, and we cover all of it. Here that covers all 56 Indianapolis ZIP codes, on the flat clay ground of the Tipton Till Plain.
- No travel surcharge
- Financing available
- Free inspection
ZIP codes we cover in Indianapolis
- 46201
- 46202
- 46203
- 46204
- 46205
- 46206
- 46207
- 46208
- 46209
- 46211
- 46214
- 46216
- 46217
- 46218
- 46219
- 46220
- 46221
- 46222
- 46224
- 46225
- 46226
- 46227
- 46228
- 46229
- 46231
- 46234
- 46235
- 46236
- 46237
- 46239
- 46240
- 46241
- 46242
- 46244
- 46247
- 46249
- 46250
- 46251
- 46253
- 46254
- 46255
- 46256
- 46259
- 46260
- 46262
- 46266
- 46268
- 46274
- 46275
- 46277
- 46278
- 46280
- 46282
- 46283
- 46285
- 46290
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 Indianapolis
Indianapolis, in Marion 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 Indianapolis
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 Indianapolis
Stop water getting in, and move the water that is already there back out.
Crawl Space Repair in Indianapolis
Dry it out, seal it up, and fix the framing the damp has already cost you.
Foundation Repair in Indianapolis
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 an Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis 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
Indianapolis homeowners ask
Do you actually come out to Indianapolis?
Indianapolis is inside our service area and always has been. We cover all 56 Indianapolis ZIP codes, 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. Indianapolis is one of 3 Marion County towns on our list (Beech Grove and Camby), and all of them sit on the same ground: glacial till and heavy clay.
How fast can someone look at my house in Indianapolis?
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 Indianapolis?
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.
I have an older brick house in Indianapolis with a leaky basement and a cracked wall. Can you look at both in one visit?
Yes. Our inspector checks the basement, crawl space and foundation in one trip. Older Indianapolis homes often have water and structural issues together, so we plan them as one job with one written price.
My postwar ranch in Indianapolis sits on a crawl space. What problems do those usually have?
Many of those crawl spaces have thin or missing vapor barriers and poor drainage. That leads to musty air, mold and sometimes sagging floors. Encapsulation, a dehumidifier and added support are common fixes.
I'm buying a house in Indianapolis and the inspection found a bowing basement wall. What should I do next?
Book our free inspection so you know how far the wall has moved and what will stop it. Wall anchors and carbon fiber straps are common fixes. You'll get a written price you can use in negotiations.
Nearby
We also serve
Ask your neighbors. Our trucks are in Marion County and the counties bordering it most weeks, so these towns are already on the route.
Full service area directoryCoverage
ZIP codes served in Indianapolis
- 46201
- 46202
- 46203
- 46204
- 46205
- 46206
- 46207
- 46208
- 46209
- 46211
- 46214
- 46216
- 46217
- 46218
- 46219
- 46220
- 46221
- 46222
- 46224
- 46225
- 46226
- 46227
- 46228
- 46229
- 46231
- 46234
- 46235
- 46236
- 46237
- 46239
- 46240
- 46241
- 46242
- 46244
- 46247
- 46249
- 46250
- 46251
- 46253
- 46254
- 46255
- 46256
- 46259
- 46260
- 46262
- 46266
- 46268
- 46274
- 46275
- 46277
- 46278
- 46280
- 46282
- 46283
- 46285
- 46290
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 Indianapolis costs nothing and takes about an hour.