Limited lifetime. Workmanship. In writing.

The promise, in one sentence

Waterproofing Northeast offers a limited lifetime warranty on workmanship for interior and exterior waterproofing services. If a failure occurs because we installed the work improperly under normal use, we will correct it at no cost. Coverage applies to the work WPNE installed and is subject to the written warranty.

Where workmanship coverage may apply

The signed proposal identifies the covered work. These are common installation categories, but a category name by itself does not expand coverage beyond the exact WPNE-installed scope:

Products vs workmanship: two warranties, not one

The WPNE warranty covers our workmanship. Pumps, backup systems, batteries, alarms, controls, sealants, and other products carry their applicable manufacturer product coverage. A product defect and an installation defect are different claims, but we can help identify the right path.

What the warranty does not cover

We are direct about exclusions because that is what an honest warranty does. The fine print and the customer-facing summary should match. Ours do.

When something falls outside the warranty, we still answer the phone. We will walk you through what is happening, refer you to the right trade if it is not ours, and quote any additional scope honestly. The warranty is the part that is free; the goodwill is the part that comes with being family-owned.

An important note on exterior surface drainage

Surface water management solutions like grading, French drains, and roof runoff systems are effective tools, but not standalone guarantees against basement water intrusion. They can reduce moisture at the foundation level, but they should be understood as pieces of a holistic solution. Interior water management may still be required to fully resolve seepage, hydrostatic pressure, or foundation leakage.

Warranty coverage for exterior surface drainage applies to the workmanship of the install itself, not to water entry caused by external factors beyond our control. If we install a yard French drain and the buried pipe later collapses because of our work, that is covered. If we install the same French drain and your basement still seeps because the actual mechanism was sub-slab hydrostatic pressure that needs interior drain tile, that is a scope-of-work conversation, not a warranty failure.

We tell you this up front at the inspection. The honest answer for some basements is that surface drainage alone will not solve it. We will not sell you a partial fix and call it the whole answer.

How transferability works when you sell

The warranty is transferable to a new homeowner with written notice to Waterproofing Northeast within 30 days of property transfer. The cleanest approach is to include the warranty in the closing paperwork and have the buyer or their agent email us at info@waterproofingne.com with the property address and new owner contact information.

Transfer is not automatic. The 30-day written-notice deadline in the warranty matters.

In practice the transferable warranty is a real resale benefit. A buyer comparing two otherwise-equivalent homes is more comfortable bidding on the one whose basement work carries a transferable warranty than the one whose work was done by a contractor whose warranty stopped at closing.

How to file a warranty claim

Every report starts as a post-install concern, unclassified. Written notice and supporting photos help us open the record. We inspect first, then the Warranty Owner classifies it as warranty, callback, maintenance/service, or new corrective work.

1. Take photos before you clean up. Where the water is, how much, whether it appears to be coming through the wall, the slab, the cove joint, or rising out of the sump. Same photo logic as an insurance claim.
2. Submit written notice with the photos. Email us at info@waterproofingne.com with the address, the date the issue appeared, what you are seeing, and the photos attached. A phone call is fine too at (612) 888-6743, but the written record is what gets the claim started formally.
3. We inspect. Field staff document the condition, affected footprint, likely cause, equipment, and relevant installation evidence. They inspect and recommend; they do not make the final warranty decision.
4. The Warranty Owner classifies the concern. If it is covered, we explain the remedy. If it is a callback, maintenance/service need, new area, excluded cause, or manufacturer product claim, we tell you that plainly and explain the next path.
5. We close the record. The classification, decision, customer communication, corrective action if any, and completion evidence are recorded before the concern is closed.

Common questions

Do I need to register the warranty?

Not for the original install. We record the signed scope, installed work, equipment, and closeout evidence in DripJobs. When a property changes hands, the new homeowner must give WPNE written notice within 30 days of the property transfer.

Is this the same as the manufacturer warranty on my sump pump?

No. They are separate coverage paths. Pumps, battery backups, batteries, alarms, controls, sealants, and other products carry their applicable manufacturer product coverage. The WPNE warranty covers workmanship. If you are not sure which applies, open a post-install concern with us and we will classify it after review.

What if my sump pump dies during a power outage?

A standalone sump pump install is covered for workmanship only. A failure caused by power loss is not covered. Battery backup is always optional and quoted separately. We recommend it based on documented risks such as outage exposure, water load, finished-space consequences, and the homeowner's risk tolerance. When selected, our current offered setup is the Zoeller Aquanot Spin 508 with an approved AGM battery. Read more in our backup pump article.

Does the warranty cover my finished basement if drywall has to come out for a repair?

The warranty covers the waterproofing repair itself. If accessing the system requires removing finishes a homeowner installed after our work, the finish removal and reinstall is typically the homeowner's expense or the homeowner's insurance claim, depending on the situation. We always discuss this up front when we quote any work in a finished basement so you know which way the responsibility falls before anyone starts cutting.

Where do I get a copy of the actual warranty document?

You get the signed warranty document at the end of your install along with the rest of your job paperwork. If you have lost your copy, call us and we will email you a fresh one. If you are a new homeowner who inherited the warranty from a previous owner, the same applies; we keep records by property address. You can also read the full warranty document here (PDF).

What happens if WPNE goes out of business?

Family-owned, MN Contractor License IR802718, bonded and insured, operating since 2018, no plans to disappear. The honest answer for any waterproofer is the same though: a warranty is only as good as the company behind it. We answer the phone, we still send the crew, and we are not for sale to a private-equity roll-up. If anything material about the company changed, customers under warranty would be notified in writing first.