Basement Waterproofing in Upper Darby, PA
Upper Darby, PA is a township of rowhouses and twins, many of them older than the Second World War, and plenty of their basements turn damp after a hard rain. Tell this free referral service what you are seeing, and one independent local contractor will set up a visit and put an estimate in writing.
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Fixing Basement Water in Upper Darby, PA
With 85,458 residents (2025 Census estimate), Upper Darby is the largest township in Delaware County. It sits about 7 miles west of Center City, with Cobbs Creek drawing the line between it and West Philadelphia.
This site is only a go-between. It holds no township or state contractor credentials, takes on no basement work and prices nothing. Contractors may advertise here; homeowners are never charged and never handed anything for asking.
Twins, Rows and Pre-War Stone in Upper Darby, PA
In the Upper Darby census area around 69th Street, about 60% of homes are attached and roughly 44% predate 1940 (Census survey data). Township-wide, about 58% of homes are owner-occupied, and the median value is $219,100, the lowest of the five townships this site covers.
Drexel Hill, Highland Park, Stonehurst, Aronimink, Primos and Secane all hold houses set on stone or brick, where old mortar slowly turns to sand and lets water in. Shared walls add a twist: a damp patch on a party wall may begin next door.
- Mortar that brushes away like sand. Crumbling joints between foundation stones leave water a short path through the wall.
- A wet stripe under the front wall. Seepage in older rows can show first where the sidewalk meets the house.
- White crust on brick after a storm. Residue left as water dries hints at seepage.
What Local Contractors Do in Upper Darby, PA
- Full basement waterproofing. An interior drain feeding a sump suits many rows, where digging outside would mean tearing up a shared yard.
- Leak repair. One wet spot near a pipe entry, a front vault or an old coal door can often be treated on its own.
- Crack and mortar repair. Injection for poured concrete; repointing for stone and brick that has lost its mortar.
- Sump pumps. Many pre-war twins were built without a pit, so a first pump is a common request.
- Drainage. Clearing gutters, lengthening downspouts and sloping soil away from the wall.
The pages on full basement waterproofing and foundation crack repair say more.
Cobbs Creek, Darby Creek and Heavy Rain
Cobbs Creek runs along the Philadelphia line and joins Darby Creek, part of Upper Darby's eastern and southern edge. In August 2018, Darby Creek flooded homes close to its banks near Chester Pike (CBS Philadelphia). During Tropical Storm Isaias in August 2020, drivers were detoured around a flooded stretch of State Road and Township Line Road in Drexel Hill.
Most basement water here is quieter: a slow seep after a soaking rain or a spring thaw. Water rising through a floor drain points instead to a sewer backup, which waterproofing does not fix. Ask Upper Darby Township about sewer backups through its One Center request line, 610-734-7625. Philadelphia's water department programs stop at the city line.
Permits and Contractor Licenses in Upper Darby, PA
Permits here come from Upper Darby, never from Philadelphia L&I. The township's Licenses & Inspections office at 100 Garrett Road, 610-734-7613, includes the Buildings Division, which issues permits for alterations and repairs. The contractor confirms which permits your address and job require.
Upper Darby also licenses contractors under Chapter 265 of its code, on top of the state's home improvement contractor registration. A sump tied into the house drain, or a backwater valve, is plumbing work, so ask in writing who handles it and who pulls each permit.
Upper Darby, PA Costs and the Resale Check
No price list covers Upper Darby alone, so these rows are national. A rowhouse shares two walls with neighbors, yet every foot of wall that needs a drain still counts.
| Cost row | Figure | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical basement waterproofing project | about $3,000 to $10,000 (average about $5,000) | Fixr national (2026) |
| Interior perimeter drain, per linear foot | $40 to $120 | Fixr national (2026) |
| Sump pump installation | $600 to $2,500 | Fixr national (2026) |
| Epoxy crack injection, per crack | $250 to $1,000 | Fixr national (2026) |
| Waterproof paint or sealant, per sq ft | $1 to $8 | Fixr national (2026) |
The township requires a Use & Occupancy inspection whenever a home changes owners or tenants, so a sale is a natural moment to deal with a wet basement. For a rough drain-and-pump range, try the cost calculator.
A Simpler Start in Upper Darby, PA
- A single contact. Your request goes to one independent contractor, free, so your inbox stays quiet.
- Paperwork you can check. Ask the estimate to list feet of drain, pump model and discharge point.
- Close to home. Requests from around 69th Street Terminal and the Tower Theater out to Secane go to a contractor working in this corner of Delaware County.
Before signing, look up the contractor's Pennsylvania registration number through the Attorney General's online search or at 1-888-520-6680. On a job over $5,000, a deposit above one-third of the price is generally more than state law allows.
Check Your Street, Then Sort Out the Water
Confirm that a contractor covers your address, then try the wet basement checker to sort seepage from a sewer problem.
Questions About Upper Darby, PA Basements
Will the Use & Occupancy inspection look at my basement?
Licenses & Inspections at 610-734-7613 can explain what its inspectors review when a home changes hands. If your basement takes on water, a written estimate in hand beforehand gives you and a buyer something concrete to discuss.
I share walls with neighbors. Can my side be waterproofed alone?
Usually, yes. An interior drain and sump go in from inside your own basement, though water from next door may still show along a shared wall. Ask how the drain will end at each party wall.
Does a contractor need anything from Upper Darby beyond state registration?
Yes. The township licenses contractors under Chapter 265, apart from the state registration. Ask to see both, and confirm the township license with L&I. A Philadelphia contractor license carries no weight on this side of Cobbs Creek.
Water came up my floor drain during a storm. Who should hear about it?
That sounds like a sewer backup, not seepage. Report it to Upper Darby Township through the One Center line, 610-734-7625. Many homeowners policies leave out sewer backups unless an endorsement was added, so read yours and ask your insurer or agent.
More Towns Nearby
Across the county line in Montgomery County, this site also has pages for Lower Merion, PA and Cheltenham, PA, plus Abington, PA a little farther north.
Request an Upper Darby, PA Estimate
Note where the water shows up and what the walls are made of, then send the form. An independent contractor who works in Upper Darby will reach out to pick a time, and hiring anyone afterward is up to you.