Sump Pump

This is one of those topics where the phrase does way too much work.

“Basement waterproofing.”

That could mean:

• a guy with a caulk gun filling a crack
• cutting up your slab to install an interior drain + sump
• excavating the outside of the house (aka: the big scary one)

…and people will still say it like it’s one product with one price.

Also: basement water problems are rude.

It’s never like “hello, I am Water and I would like to enter through Location A.”

I’ve heard sump pump replacement prices described as “highway robbery” and “basically free” in the same week.

Both stories can be true.

The trap is the phrase itself: replace the sump pump. It can mean a clean swap… or it can mean “swap the pump and untangle the weird little system it’s attached to.”

Start here (installed range, assuming it’s not weird)

If you have an existing pit and you’re doing a straightforward replacement, This Old House pegs it at about $350–$1,000 installed.¹