Basement Waterproofing in Normandy Park, WA

Basement waterproofing in Normandy Park: what to know

Many homes here date from the late 1940s and early 1950s, so any footing drains laid then are decades old and may be silted or crushed. Foundation type varies from lot to lot. The city’s erosion hazard rules ask for an engineered site plan showing springs or seeps on or within 200 feet, a reminder that hillside water is a local factor.

On flatter lots, gutters, downspouts, and grading cause more dampness than groundwater does. Near the bluffs and ravines, seepage becomes a real possibility and the discharge rules matter. The city code lists uncontaminated crawl space pump and footing drain water among discharges that are not prohibited, but that does not give a right to tie into the storm system.

Permits and rules in Normandy Park

The dig is the permit question. The building code’s grading exemption covers excavation under 50 cubic yards and under two feet deep, and a trench down a foundation wall goes deeper. A separate exemption covers excavation for a structure permitted under the code. We confirm with Community Development which path a repair dig takes, and where a footing drain may discharge, before we quote.

Rules change and vary by parcel, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.

How we approach it

Trace gutters, downspouts, and grading before opening ground beside the foundation
Look for seeps on the uphill side of slope-side walls during winter
Estimate trench depth and cubic yards early against the two-foot, 50-yard exemption
Route the footing drain outlet away from bluff edges and ravine banks

For the full process, see our Basement Waterproofing page.

Our basement waterproofing work, serving Normandy Park

Examples of our work. We build basement waterproofing in Normandy Park and the cities around it. See all of our work

Questions from Normandy Park homeowners

Does digging out my foundation wall in Normandy Park need a grading permit?

Possibly. The building code exempts excavation under 50 cubic yards that is also under two feet deep, and a trench beside a basement wall is usually deeper. Critical area review can apply too. Before opening the ground, we find out from Community Development how a repair dig is classed.

Does a Normandy Park house on a bluff need a geotechnical report for waterproofing?

It can. On a mapped landslide hazard area the city requires a geotechnical report. On an erosion hazard area it asks for a soils report with an engineered drainage and erosion control plan. Whether a repair dig triggers that depends on scope and mapping, so we read the map first.

Can my sump pump discharge go to the street in Normandy Park?

Clean crawl space pump water is not a prohibited discharge, but the code does not say it may connect to the city system. The right-of-way chapter also refuses permits for uses that interfere with roadside drainage. We confirm the allowed outlet with the city.