Drainage and Waterproofing
Engineer designed systems that stop flooding, moisture intrusion and soil erosion for homes, associations and commercial property across Florida.
This is the service page. If you already know your market, go straight to your city below. Every location page carries the ground conditions and the discharge problem specific to that place, because that is the part that actually changes.
We are a licensed Florida engineering firm and a repair contractor in the same company, CA# 30969, and we were the first engineering firm to pioneer the waterproofing industry in Florida. Qualifying work carries a lifetime transferable warranty.
Anyone Can Sell You a Trench
The excavation is the same everywhere. The membrane is the same everywhere. The four steps below do not vary much from Redington Beach to Miami, and any competent crew can perform them.
The part that is actually engineered is where the water goes afterwards. A drain is a path to somewhere lower, and whether somewhere lower exists at your property, at the hour the water arrives, is a question about that property and nothing else. It is the only variable in this work that changes from one market to the next, and it is the one most quotes never mention.
That is why we publish a page for each market rather than one page for the state. Pick yours from the list below and you will find the ground conditions, the receiving water, and the reason the standard answer does or does not work there.
Signs You Need Drainage and Waterproofing
- Standing water or soggy areas after storms
- Buckled wood floors or tile popping from slab moisture
- Water stains or efflorescence along baseboards and walls
- Mildew odor or visible mold near slab edges
- Driveway or parking area flooding that drains slowly
- Soil disappearing rather than pooling, which is removal and not settlement
- A lower level or garage deck that takes water every wet season
Inspections are free. We would rather tell you the repair is drainage than sell you a scheme you did not need.
Drainage and Waterproofing Near You
Twenty five markets, grouped by the condition they share. Statewide context sits on the Drainage and Waterproofing Florida page.
Tampa Bay
Pinellas County
Clearwater · St. Petersburg · St. Pete Beach · Madeira Beach · Indian Rocks Beach · Redington Beach
Sarasota and Manatee
Sarasota · Siesta Key · Lido Key · St. Armands Key · Longboat Key · Casey Key · Venice · Bradenton · Anna Maria Island · Holmes Beach
Southwest Florida
Central Florida
Southeast Florida
The Four Steps
Foundation Masters engineered the first true structural waterproofing system in Florida to keep slabs dry even with high groundwater.
- Excavate roughly 12 inches below the slab edge to expose the footer and wall
- Apply the Seal Tight Waterproofing System to protect below grade concrete and footings
- Design engineered drainage piping or sump discharge to safely redirect water away from the structure and sensitive soils
- Add gutters and grading corrections to control surface runoff
Results: dry slabs, stable subgrades, and a reduced risk of settlement. Where a structure is already showing movement or cracking, the drainage correction is paired with foundation repair so the cause and the damage are handled together rather than in sequence.
Scope of Work
- Seal Tight Waterproofing System on the positive side of below grade concrete
- Engineered perimeter drainage with a verified discharge point
- Designed sump and pumped discharge where gravity is not available
- Catch basin, trench drain and storm pipe repair and replacement
- Parking lot drainage systems and subgrade stabilization
- Below grade and lower level parking structure waterproofing
- Grading corrections and gutter and leader discharge
- Vapor retarder detailing under new slabs
- Sheet piling and cofferdam groundwater cutoff
- Seawall repair, elevation and replacement
- Flood asset protection for commercial and association property
Parking Garage Waterproofing
A below grade parking level is the hardest version of this work. The structure sits in the groundwater rather than above it, so water presses against it continuously and the only question is whether the original assembly is still holding.
Two things make it expensive. Where the water shows up inside is frequently not where it entered, because it travels between the membrane and the concrete first. And the usual repair, injection or a coating applied from the dry side, addresses the stain and leaves the waterproofing deficiency exactly as it was. We work the positive side instead and engineer the discharge. Detail by market sits on the Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando pages, and the assessment side lives on parking garage inspections and high rise building inspection.
Drainage and Waterproofing
Why do drains still overflow during heavy rain?
When groundwater rises near the surface, drains lose discharge head and cannot empty. Engineered inlets, piping, and sumps restore capacity under high water table conditions.
Do I need waterproofing if my slab is at grade?
Yes. At grade slabs are exposed to groundwater rise. Our system seals below grade and redirects water so it never touches the concrete.
Can you waterproof an existing building without major demolition?
Yes. We access the slab edge and footer from the exterior, apply the Seal Tight System, and integrate engineered drainage to manage hydrostatic pressure.
Does fixing drainage help with sinkhole risk?
Controlling water reduces soil washout, which is one contributing mechanism in subsidence over limestone. It is not a sinkhole prevention system and nobody should sell it as one. If you have active subsidence, that is a geotechnical question first and we would want soil borings before recommending anything.
Do you service commercial properties?
Absolutely. We design and repair catch basins, storm pipes, and subgrades for retail centers, HOAs, high rises, and industrial sites.
Do you install French drains?
No. A French drain moves water by gravity to a lower point. On most Florida lots the pipe would sit at or below the water table, so there is no lower point available and the trench becomes a place water collects rather than a place it leaves. It has to daylight or be pumped, and if it is being pumped then the gravel trench is not the part doing the work.
Does drainage and waterproofing work carry the lifetime warranty?
Qualifying drainage and waterproofing work carries a lifetime transferable warranty, which means it passes to the next owner of the property. The scopes and the exclusions are set out on our warranties page.
When the Water Has Already Done Damage
Foundation Repair Florida · Foundation Repair Tampa · Foundation Repair Orlando · Foundation Repair Miami · House Leveling · Helical Piers · Push Piers · Pipe Pile · Steel Corrosion · Weathered Cracks · Geotechnical Engineering Florida · Civil Engineer Florida · Soil Borings · Foundation Inspection Florida · Seawall Permits Florida · All Services · Warranties
Get a Drainage and Waterproofing Inspection
Our Florida licensed engineers evaluate water tables, soils, runoff and structure elevation to design a permanent fix. Inspections are free and every qualifying system is backed by a lifetime transferable warranty.