Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup
We don’t just inspect your basement. We track it over time.
Most basement and foundation problems don’t arrive overnight. A hairline crack widens a little each freeze-thaw season. A sump pump wears out quietly until the one storm it can’t keep up with. Grading settles, a downspout shifts, a window well starts holding water. By the time a homeowner notices, the small problem has usually become an expensive one.
The Behncke Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup is a once-a-year preventive visit built around a simple idea: the same contractor who knows your home should look at it on a regular schedule, write down what they see, photograph it, and compare it to last year. That’s how you catch change early — while it’s still cheap to deal with.
Based on more than 1,200 written inspections and nearly 10,000 estimates across the Quad Cities in the last ten years.
This is more than sump pump maintenance
A typical “sump pump service” pours a bucket of water in the pit, watches the pump kick on, and calls it a day. Our annual checkup does test your sump system thoroughly — but it also walks your foundation walls, your cove joint, your previously repaired areas, your window wells, and the drainage and grading around the outside of your home. It’s a whole-system look at the parts of your house that keep water out and hold your foundation in place.
The real difference is memory. Because we document conditions the same way every year — photographs, measurements, and a written condition rating — we can tell whether something is actually changing or has simply always looked that way. A crack you worried about is often the same crack it was two years ago. Occasionally it isn’t, and catching that early is exactly the point.
We would rather identify a small issue during an annual checkup than have you call us after it becomes a major repair.
What the annual checkup includes
We inspect the applicable, accessible components of your water-management and foundation systems. On a typical visit that includes:
Sump & discharge system
- Test the primary sump pump
- Test float operation
- Inspect the sump pit condition
- Inspect the accessible check valve and discharge piping
- Test battery backup systems when present
- Inspect sump alarms when present
- Inspect the exterior sump discharge location
- Look for clogged, disconnected, poorly draining, or improperly terminating discharge piping
Foundation & walls
- Inspect basement walls for new cracks
- Photograph and compare previously documented cracks
- Measure notable cracks or movement where practical
- Inspect previously installed steel I-beams or wall bracing
- Look for new bowing, displacement, or wall movement
- Inspect the floor/wall cove joint for evidence of water intrusion
- Inspect visible waterproofing and drainage system components
- Look for efflorescence, moisture staining, mold-like growth, or deterioration
Windows & masonry
- Inspect basement windows
- Inspect egress windows and window wells
- Inspect accessible masonry and mortar for deterioration
Exterior & drainage
- Evaluate exterior grading around the foundation
- Inspect downspout discharge locations
- Look for settlement immediately adjacent to the foundation
Documentation
- Check suspicious areas with moisture readings when appropriate
- Photograph important conditions
- Provide recommendations when maintenance or repair is warranted
The Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup is a visual and functional maintenance inspection of accessible components. It is not an engineering inspection, a home inspection, or a code inspection, and it is not a warranty or guarantee against future water intrusion or structural movement. Some components may not be accessible on every home; we inspect what can be safely reached and reported.
How we rate what we find
Every condition we note is given a plain-English rating, so you always know where things stand and what — if anything — needs attention. The same five levels are used year after year, which makes it easy to see when something moves from one level to the next.
| Rating | What it means |
|---|---|
| GOOD | No action recommended. |
| MONITOR | The condition should be observed over time. Nothing to do today. |
| MAINTENANCE | Minor preventive maintenance recommended. |
| REPAIR | Corrective work recommended. |
| URGENT | Prompt evaluation or repair recommended. |
A rating is only half the value. The other half is the baseline. Once we’ve documented a condition, every future visit is a comparison rather than a guess. For example:
- 2026 — crack photographed and measured.
- 2027 — no measurable change.
- 2028 — measurable movement detected.
That record lets you and Behncke make decisions based on documented change instead of memory or assumption. It’s the difference between “I think that crack got bigger” and “here’s exactly how much it moved, and when.”
Your Behncke Foundation Record
Everything we document becomes part of your Behncke Foundation Record — the ongoing history of your home’s basement and foundation, kept by the contractor who repairs and waterproofs these systems for a living.
Over successive annual visits, your record may document:
- Foundation cracks
- Wall movement
- Waterproofing conditions
- Sump pump condition
- Drainage problems
- Egress and window conditions
- Exterior grading
- Previously repaired areas
- A photographic history, year over year
Today the Behncke Foundation Record is maintained by our team and shared with you after each visit. It’s built so it can grow into a digital homeowner record over time — but even in its simplest form, it does the important job: it remembers your home so decisions are based on evidence.
This is not a sales appointment in disguise
Behncke Construction has always operated with no salesmen — working contractors do our estimates, and we’re known for recommending only the work that’s actually needed. The annual checkup is built the same way.
Some of the most useful outcomes of a checkup are the ones that cost you nothing:
- “No repair is necessary.”
- “This condition hasn’t changed since last year’s visit.”
Those are not throwaway lines — they’re a real benefit of having the same contractor monitor your home over time. We’d rather tell you your basement is in good shape and see you again next year than invent a reason to sell you something. If we do find something, you’ll get a straight explanation, a condition rating, and a recommendation you’re free to act on whenever you choose.
Checkup pricing
Standard Annual Checkup
$189
A complete Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup, with photos, condition ratings, and your Behncke Foundation Record.
Existing Behncke Customers
$149 / year
If Behncke has completed foundation or waterproofing work for you, your annual checkup is discounted as a thank-you for trusting us with your home.
On qualifying larger foundation repair or basement waterproofing projects, Behncke may include the first annual checkup as part of the project, or offer it as an optional ongoing maintenance plan. Ask your estimator whether your project qualifies.
How the annual checkup compares to a real-estate inspection
If you’re buying or selling a home, or a lender needs a written structural opinion, that’s a different service — see our Foundation Inspections page. The Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup is for homeowners who already live in the home and want it looked after on a yearly schedule. Not sure which one you need? Give us a call and we’ll point you to the right one.
Frequently asked questions
How often should my basement and foundation be inspected?
Once a year is the right rhythm for most Quad Cities homes. It matches the seasonal cycle that drives most basement and foundation change here — spring rain, summer dry-out, and winter freeze-thaw — so each visit captures how your home came through a full year. Homes with a finished basement, a history of water, or previously repaired areas benefit the most from staying on an annual schedule.
How often should a sump pump be tested?
We recommend testing your sump pump a few times a year — and especially before spring, when it works hardest. During the annual checkup we test the pump and float, check the pit, check valve, and discharge line, and test the battery backup if you have one. You can read more on our Sump Pump Maintenance & Annual Inspection page.
What happens during an annual basement inspection?
We test your sump and discharge system, walk your foundation walls and cove joint, look for new cracks or movement, re-photograph and re-measure anything we’ve documented before, check your windows and window wells, and evaluate the grading and downspouts outside. You get photos, a condition rating for anything noteworthy, and clear recommendations — all added to your Behncke Foundation Record.
Can you tell whether a foundation crack is getting worse?
That’s exactly what annual documentation is for. Once we’ve photographed and measured a crack, each later visit is a direct comparison. If a crack hasn’t moved in three years, that’s genuinely good news you can rely on. If it has moved, we’ll show you by how much and when. For more on this, see Is That Foundation Crack Serious?
Do you inspect systems installed by another contractor?
Yes. We’ll inspect and test accessible sump pumps, waterproofing, drainage, and previous repairs regardless of who installed them. Part of the value of an outside checkup is a straight second look at work you didn’t do yourself.
Do I need an annual checkup if my basement has never leaked?
A dry basement is the best time to start a Behncke Foundation Record. The whole point of documenting a healthy basement is that you establish a baseline while everything looks good — so if anything ever begins to change, you’ll catch it early instead of discovering it during the next heavy storm.
Does the annual checkup include repairs?
No — the checkup is an inspection and documentation visit, not a repair visit. If we find something that needs work, we’ll explain it, rate it, and give you a recommendation. Any repair is separate work you decide on at your own pace. Minor maintenance may sometimes be handled during the visit; we’ll always tell you first.
What happens if you find a problem?
You’ll get a plain explanation of what we found, a photo, a condition rating, and an honest recommendation — including whether it’s something to simply monitor next year. There’s no pressure. Because the same team keeps your record, we can also tell you whether it’s new or something we’ve been watching.
Is this a structural engineering inspection?
No. The Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup is a visual and functional maintenance inspection of accessible components performed by experienced foundation contractors. It is not a structural engineering inspection, a home inspection, or a code inspection. If your situation calls for a stamped engineer’s report, we’ll tell you.
How much does the annual basement and foundation checkup cost?
The standard Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup is $189. Existing Behncke Construction customers pay $149 per year. On qualifying larger foundation or waterproofing projects, we may include the first checkup or offer it as an optional maintenance plan — just ask your estimator.
Start your Behncke Foundation Record
Protect your basement before small problems become expensive problems. Schedule your Annual Basement & Foundation Checkup today.
Serving Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island, Muscatine, LeClaire, Eldridge, and Blue Grass — the whole Quad Cities area.
Explore related basement & foundation services
- Basement Waterproofing
- Foundation Repair
- Bowing Basement Wall Repair
- Sump Pumps & Sump Pump Maintenance
- Basement Waterproofing System Maintenance
- Basement Maintenance Checklist
- Egress Windows & Window Well Drainage
- Lawn & Yard Drainage
- Is That Foundation Crack Serious?
- Foundation Inspections (for buying/selling)