Michigan Basement Waterproofing Rules for Grand Rapids, MI Homeowners
Michigan sets basement rules at three levels: the state licenses the trades, the City of Grand Rapids, MI issues permits and runs the sewers, and each neighboring city or township handles its own. Here's who covers what, with each office's public number. This is a summary of public law, not legal advice.
Key Points First
- LARA licenses the trade. "Waterproofing a basement" is a named trade on the state's maintenance and alteration contractor license.
- Pipes call for a plumber. Anything tied into a drain or sewer is plumbing, under a plumbing permit.
- Paper protects you. The deal, and every change, gets written down and signed by both sides.
- City programs stay with the City. Grand Rapids runs its own sewer-backup programs with contractors it picks.
Who Needs a License Here
Michigan has no stand-alone waterproofing license. The Michigan Occupational Code, Article 24 (MCL 339.2401 and following), licenses residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors through LARA, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, and "waterproofing a basement" is one of the listed trades. Owners working on their own homes need no builder license, and jobs under $600 in total can be exempt unless they're part of a larger project or were divided to get around the law.
Unlicensed contracting is a misdemeanor, with a first-offense fine of $5,000 to $25,000, and an unlicensed contractor can't use a Michigan court to collect payment. A licensee's ads must show its licensed name, license number and actual business address, not just a post office box.
Before signing, ask for the license number (the Attorney General says a residential builder's runs 10 digits); LARA calls a contractor who can't produce one "a red flag". Check it on LARA's online license verification at michigan.gov/lara or at 517-241-9316.
Pipes answer to the Skilled Trades Regulation Act's plumbing article (MCL 339.6101 and following). Storm and sanitary drainage piping is plumbing, done only by a licensed master or journey plumber for a licensed plumbing contractor, which pulls the permit first. Sump connections to a drain or sewer, backwater valves, ejectors, footing-drain disconnections, building drains and laterals all count. Owners may do plumbing in their own single-family home, with a permit.
Michigan treats anyone offering basement work as a builder, and anyone paid to drum up jobs for one as a salesperson, so Basement Waterproofing Grand Rapids MI stays clear of both. It holds no Michigan builder or contractor license, does no work or plumbing, writes no prices, signs nothing and names no contractor. A contractor may pay the site a flat advertising fee (free during the current trial); you never pay the site or get anything from it.
What the Contract Should Say
Michigan's administrative rule for builders and contractors (R 338.1533) wants every agreement, and every later change, in writing, signed by you and the contractor, with a copy for you. The paper has to show the price, the kind and amount of work, and the materials and their quality.
- Pay in stages. LARA advises against paying the whole price up front; pay as the job moves along.
- The exact scope. Drain length, pump model, which walls, and where the sump empties: the yard, never the sanitary line.
- Who pulls permits. The building permit holder, and the plumbing contractor for any plumbing permit.
- Lien waivers. As a general precaution, collect written waivers from the contractor and its suppliers before the last payment.
- Coverage and warranty. Proof of liability insurance and workers' comp, and whether the warranty passes to a buyer.
Canceling a Home Sale
The Michigan Home Solicitation Sales Act generally lets you back out of a sale over $25 that was pitched to you at home, in person, through a call or in writing, and agreed to there. You usually have until midnight of the third business day after signing, counting weekdays but not holidays. In a true emergency the right can be given up, but only through a separate statement the buyer writes by hand, dates and signs. Cancel in writing and keep proof.
The Michigan Consumer Protection Act bars a business from implying an approval, certification or connection it lacks. For complaints, the Attorney General's Consumer Protection team answers at 517-335-7599 (toll-free 877-765-8388); license complaints go to LARA online.
Public Programs for Basement Water
Rain and sewage now run in separate pipes here. City Environmental Services spent $400 million from 1991 to 2015 splitting them: 119 miles of new pipe went in, and all 59 overflow points were shut. Overflows to the Grand River dropped from up to 12.6 billion gallons a year in 1969 to zero in 2014, about three years before the state's 2019 deadline.
Sewage rising through a floor drain gets reported to 311 (from outside the City, dial 616-456-3000). The lateral to the main is the resident's responsibility, so if crews trace trouble there, the owner calls in a plumber or sewer cleaner. Where a City sewer seems to be the cause, the City's PA 222 process requires a written claim within 45 days (Risk Management, 616-456-3467).
- Footing Drain Disconnection Program. Footing drains tied to the sanitary sewer cause backups in many parts of the City. The City picks the neighborhoods (East Leonard Heights and Maryland Estates came first), participation there is required, and its FAQ says it pays reasonable costs up to $4,500 through its own pre-qualified contractors. 616-456-3057.
- Backwater Valve / Sump Pump / Footing Drain Program. City Commission Policy 1000-22 (2001) covers homes with a sanitary-overload backup in the past ten years or in a contributing area, paying up to 100% of the City's own contract price, with a City-retained contractor. Ask the City whether the program is taking new properties.
- Past the City line. That program's agreement also names Kentwood and Grand Rapids Township; ask the City about eligibility. Grandville and Jenison drain to the Grandville Clean Water Plant, (616) 457-0720.
Both programs are the City's alone. Policies commonly leave out seepage and often sell sewer-backup protection as an add-on endorsement, which the City strongly urges residents to carry; ask your insurer or agent.
Permits by Address
Foundation, excavation and structural repair in Grand Rapids generally need a City building permit, and plumbing or sewer work needs a separate plumbing permit pulled by a licensed plumbing contractor; the contractor confirms which permits apply with the Development Center (1120 Monroe Ave NW, 3rd Floor; 616-456-4100). "Foundation Only" is an improvement type on its application.
- East Grand Rapids, MI. Permits through Cascade Township Building Inspection Services, 616-949-3765. Egress window wells need a drainage plan, and the City checks underground drainage before burial. Backups: 616-940-4870 weekdays, 616-632-6100 (press 1) after hours.
- Kentwood, MI. Kentwood's own Inspections department issues permits: 616-554-0700.
- Grandville, MI. Professional Code Inspections (PCI), (616) 667-8803, issues permits; after-hours backups through Police, (616) 538-6110.
- Grand Rapids Township, MI. The Township (616-361-7391) reviews; Cascade Inspection Services, (616) 949-3765, issues.
- Jenison, MI. Georgetown Township Zoning (616-457-2340 ext. 2) reviews, and PCI, 616-667-8803, issues. "Basement Finish" needs a permit; ask the township about waterproofing.
Questions About the Rules
Who disconnects a footing drain from the sanitary sewer in Michigan?
A licensed plumbing contractor, under a plumbing permit. In neighborhoods the City has selected, its Footing Drain Disconnection Program handles the work with its own pre-qualified contractors, so ask the City whether your street is in a program before paying anyone.
Does a waterproofing job in Grand Rapids need a permit?
Foundation, excavation and structural repair generally need a City building permit. For drain tile or a sump emptying to the yard, the contractor should check with the Development Center, and the contract should name who pulls each permit.
References
All read 2026-10-10; laws and programs change, so check the live page.
- legislature.mi.gov: MCL 339.2401, 339.2403, 339.2404, 339.2412, 339.601. Licenses, exemptions, penalties.
- legislature.mi.gov: MCL 339.6103, 339.6107. Plumbing and its permits.
- legislature.mi.gov: MCL 445.111–445.112, 445.903, 500.1222. Cancel rights, consumer protection, insurance licensing.
- Mich Admin Code R 338.1532–338.1533. Contractor ads and contracts.
- michigan.gov/lara releases (2019, 2025); michigan.gov/ag release (2025). Lookups and hiring tips.
- grandrapidsmi.gov: Development Center, Sewer Improvement Project, Footing Drain Disconnection Program, CCP 1000-22 and PA 222 pages. Permits, sewers, City programs.
Next Step: An Estimate
With the rules sorted, get a written price for your own basement. Fill in the short request form, and one independent contractor serving the Grand Rapids area will get in touch, see the space and write out what it would do, what it would cost and its LARA license number. Curious about a rough range or the source of the water? The cost calculator and the wet basement checker each take a minute.