StashGrade for basement waterproofing
Revenue per linear foot of drain. Margin by system type. See what the books show.
Interior drain tile, exterior waterproofing, sump pumps, battery backups. Each system has a different cost structure. Interior jobs run faster and carry better margin. Exterior excavation can flip a profitable job to a loss. StashGrade separates them.
Where waterproofing companys leak money
Excavation scope hitting bedrock or utilities
Exterior waterproofing bids assume standard soil. When a crew hits bedrock at three feet, clay that requires a breaker, or utilities that force rerouting, excavation costs can run 2-3x the estimate. The overrun lands in labor and equipment on the job cost; the invoice doesn't change. That one job can offset the profit from three clean exterior jobs.
Finished basement demo not priced into the bid
Interior drain tile in a finished basement requires removing drywall, flooring, and trim before the drain goes in. If the bid assumed an unfinished space and the crew shows up to a finished basement, that removal is performed at no charge. On a typical finished basement, that's $800-1,500 in unbilled labor per job.
Sump pump equipment upgrades absorbed, not billed
Standard bids spec a standard pump. High water table sites need a commercial-grade pump — $800-1,500 more in equipment cost. If the field crew upgrades the pump without issuing a change order, that cost comes directly out of job margin. The books show higher COGS; the invoice shows the original price.
Interior and exterior systems in the same revenue account
Interior drain tile runs 35-45% margin. Exterior waterproofing with excavation runs 30-40%, and has far more variability. When both land in "waterproofing revenue," the blended margin hides which system type is driving profitability and which is eroding it.
What the readout looks like
Margin by system type on a sample waterproofing P&L:
| Segment | Gross margin | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Vapor barrier (floor/walls) | 56% | material-light, labor-driven |
| Battery backup systems | 50% | |
| Sump pump installation | 44% | |
| Interior drain tile | 39% | |
| Exterior waterproofing | 31% | excavation variability compresses margin |
Sample data from a seeded demo company.