Digging along the foundation to seal the outside of the wall and add a footing drain, often used on the uphill side of sloped Parsippany lots.
Exterior waterproofing keeps water out of the wall rather than catching it once it is inside. The crew excavates down to the footing, cleans and repairs the wall, applies a membrane, adds drainage board, and lays a footing drain that runs to daylight or to a sump. In Parsippany this tends to make the most sense on one problem wall, often the uphill side of a house on a sloped lot in Lake Parsippany, Rainbow Lakes, or the hills toward Mount Tabor, where runoff from the yard above pushes straight into the block.
The ground affects how practical the digging is. On the western side of the township, where the Highlands begin, crews can hit rock and boulders that slow excavation and raise the price. In the eastern lowlands, the trench may fill with groundwater as it is dug, and the new footing drain needs somewhere lower to go. Those conditions are part of why an interior system is often recommended in the flats near Troy Meadows, while exterior work is more common on higher ground. A contractor who has dug in both parts of town should be able to explain which one your house resembles.
Access is the other big factor. Many Parsippany houses from the 1950s through 1970s sit on modest lots with a driveway along one side, a patio or deck out back, and foundation plantings that have grown in over decades. Before any digging, the contractor should call in a utility markout through New Jersey One Call. Ask what will be removed, who restores the patio or walkway, and how the yard will be regraded. Sometimes fixing one wall outside, plus longer downspouts and better grading, is enough to stop the leak.
It can be, but in areas with a high water table an outside membrane alone may not solve water rising through the slab. Many contractors pair exterior work with an interior drain there, or recommend interior drainage instead. Ask why they chose the approach they did.
Rock slows digging and can change the price. Ask how the quote handles rock, whether there is a per-hour or per-foot charge if they hit it, and what happens if they cannot reach the footing in a spot.
Requirements depend on the scope of work. Confirm with the Parsippany-Troy Hills building department, and make sure your contractor handles the New Jersey One Call utility markout before any excavation starts.
Lake Hiawatha sits on the Rockaway River behind a retaining wall built in 1986; in January 2024 residents petitioned to extend it further down River Drive.
patch.comHurricane Irene overtopped the Lake Hiawatha floodwall in 2011, and by 2017 the Morris County Flood Mitigation Program had bought out 20 flood-prone Parsippany homes.
morriscountynj.govAfter Hurricane Ida in 2021, flooding closed New Road and Edwards Road and blocked access to the rear of the Rutgers Village complex.
patch.comA perimeter drain under the slab that collects groundwater and sends it to a sump pump, a common fix for Parsippany lower levels that seep at the floor joint.
Injection sealing for leaking cracks in poured walls, plus a closer look at cracks in the block foundations common in Parsippany's postwar homes.
Sealing damp crawl spaces under Parsippany additions, older cottages, and partial-basement homes with a heavy liner and humidity control.
Pumping out water, drying the space, and removing damaged materials after a storm, pump failure, or Rockaway River flooding in Parsippany.