Lowest Floor is an independent, plain-English guide to basement water and sump pumps in the United States. It helps you find where the water comes from, what fixes it and in what order, before you pay anyone.
Who it’s for
- Water on the floor now. What to do first, and whether it is safe to go down there.
- Damp, cracked or smelly, but not urgent. What the sign may mean and what to check next.
- Holding a quote. Whether the proposed fix matches the cause, and what to ask before you sign.
- Sump pump owners. Why a pump runs, stops or alarms, what size fits and what backup does.
The order of work
The order we follow comes from published guidance. University of Minnesota Extension says to deal with interior moisture sources, stop ventilating with humid summer air, fix grading and gutters, and only then consider interior or exterior drainage. Building Science Corporation’s BA-1015 report says to look above grade first, and that fixing wetness without fixing surface drainage may be futile.
So our pages start with diagnosis, and no page recommends a drain, a membrane or a pump before gutters, grading and interior moisture have been checked, unless a source says otherwise for that case. If you are starting out, begin with how to find the source of a leak, then see the fixes, in order.
What we are not
Lowest Floor is not a contractor, a waterproofing company, a pump seller, a lead service, a contractor directory, an engineering firm, an insurer or a government agency. We sell nothing and install nothing. We have no crew and inspect no homes. We have not seen your basement, and we do not claim to have done the work we describe.
How we are funded
Lowest Floor is funded by display advertising. Ads may not appear yet while the site is new. Once they run, some may come from waterproofing, restoration or repair firms, retailers or manufacturers. An ad is not an endorsement, and advertisers have no say over what we publish.
How we stay independent
- No affiliate links. We earn nothing if you buy something after reading a page.
- No paid placements. Nobody can pay for coverage, a mention or a better position.
- No sold leads. We have no quote form, and we do not pass your details to anyone who wants your job.
- No referrals or quotes. We do not recommend, list or rank contractors, and no contractor pays us.
- Nothing for sale. We do not sell or install pumps, drains, coatings or repairs.
That is why a page here can say things a seller might not: that a pump may not be the first step, that a crack alone cannot tell you its cause, or that a percentage on a sales page has no study behind it that we could find.
Where our facts come from
Our pages are written for readers in the United States and rest on sources such as building codes as published, university extension services, EPA, CDC, CPSC, FEMA, the Standard Flood Insurance Policy, state insurance regulators, city ordinances, and maker manuals and specification sheets. Sources are linked at the claims they support, and each page ends with the date they were checked. Pages are published under the Lowest Floor name. How we check explains where rules and figures come from, and our editorial policy explains each step.
Prices live on our sister site
We publish no price tables. Where you want to know what a job costs, we send you to our sister site, CostPlain, and we call it that so you know the two sites are connected.
Use our pages as a starting point
A web page cannot see your basement. Rules vary by city, state and insurance policy, and the same stain can have more than one cause. A structural engineer, an electrician, your city or your insurer decides what applies to you. Everything here is general information, not engineering, legal, insurance or medical advice.
Mistakes and questions
Our corrections page logs what we have fixed, and our contact page says how to reach us. Please read our disclaimer too.
