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Basement waterproofing in Northfield Hills, Troy

Updated October 20, 2026

Northfield Hills and the Long Lake/Coolidge area were built on Brookston and Colwood soils, which the survey classes as very poorly drained former wetland. The water table is high, sumps here work harder than almost anywhere else in Troy, and a dead pump in April can mean inches of water the same day.

Where: Long Lake and Coolidge · Housing: 1970s–80s colonials and condos · Mapped soil: Brookston and Colwood (former wetland)

What contractors usually find in Northfield Hills basements

• Sumps that run every few minutes in spring and never fully stop.
• Water rising through the floor slab or at the cove joint, not just at walls.
• Finished basements with recurring carpet damage along the exterior walls.

Which fix usually fits

• Sump pumps: A properly sized primary pump plus a battery or water-powered backup is the first fix on former wetland; many houses here need two pits.
• Waterproofing: Interior drain tile with a sealed pit liner keeps the high water table from coming up through the slab.

Also on this site: crack repair, crawl space. The contractor decides the scope at the house; these are the usual starting points, not a diagnosis of your basement.

Before you send the form

1. Count how often the sump cycles on a wet day and put it on the form.
2. Check whether the house has a backup pump at all.
3. Look for water stains at the base of the slab, not just the walls.
4. Note if the condo association controls the exterior (common in this area).

Northfield Hills questions

Why does my sump run so much more than my friend's across town?

Because your house sits on former wetland and theirs is probably on sand or clay. High water table is the whole story in Northfield Hills.

Is a water-powered backup a good idea here?

It is a strong option when outages are the risk, since it needs no battery. The contractor will size it to your pit.

General notes from Census build eras, USDA map units and the city's own flood pages, not records of specific addresses. More on the Troy facts page and the all-areas page.

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Name Phone Email (optional) ZIP code What's going on?Water at the base of a poured wallVertical crack leakingSump runs constantly or failedFinished basement got wetEgress window well filled upCrawl space under an additionNot sure, want an opinion Details (optional) Request the estimate

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Sources

• USDA NRCS Soil Data Access, map unit components at Long Lake/Coolidge (Northfield Hills), Rochester/Square Lake (Sylvan Glen), Wattles/John R (Emerald Lakes) and Big Beaver/Rochester, queried Oct 19 2026 — https://sdmdataaccess.sc.egov.usda.gov/
• USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey: drainage classes and hydrologic soil groups — https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/
• NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Detroit area (about 34 inches of precipitation a year) — https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals