Moisture test and written report
One visit, readings on every wall and the slab, a seven-day humidity logger, a radon test kit and a report with photos. Credited to the job if you sign within 60 days.
Basements · Pittsburgh, PA
We test the walls before we quote the room.
Bankston Basements finishes basements in Pittsburgh and the towns around it, with a crew of six. Before we quote, we read the walls and the slab, leave a logger for a week and give you the numbers in writing.
- Crew of six
- A written moisture report comes first
1 visit
Readings on the walls and the slab7 days
A humidity logger stays in the room1 report
In writing, with photosThen
A quote, as a range for your size
The test
What the readings decide
There are three possible results. Each one changes what we quote.
| Reading | Dry | Damp | Wet |
|---|---|---|---|
| On the walls and slab | DryMeter readings stay low, and the plastic sheet stays clear after a day or two. | DampSome spots read high, usually low on a wall or near a crack. The sheet fogs. | WetWater shows on the floor or a wall after rain, or there is white crust and a musty smell. |
| What it usually means | DryOrdinary concrete moisture. A finished wall and floor can go over it. | DampVapor coming through, or a slow source outside such as a downspout or the grade. | WetWater is getting in through the wall, a crack or the drain. |
| What we quote | DryThe finish, as a range for your size. | DampThe finish plus a vapor plan: foam on the walls and a floor with an air gap. | WetNo finish yet. You get the report and a list to hand a drainage contractor. |
| What happens next | DryA written quote, then a start date. | DampFix any outside source first. We retest if you ask. | WetCall us after the water is fixed, and we test again. |
The report
The report comes before the quote
A few pages and photos, in plain words. You keep it whether or not you hire us.
Clay Ames, our project lead, runs the test. Denita Bankston reads the report with you, by phone or at the kitchen table, and says what she would do with your numbers.
What is in it
Meter readings at three heights on every wall, and across the slab
The plastic-sheet result
Seven days of humidity and temperature from the logger
The outside: grade, downspouts, window wells, cracks, the floor drain and any sump
A radon test result from the lab
Our call: dry, damp or wet, and what that means for the quote
By size
What each size includes
Finished means framed, insulated, wired, drywalled, floored and lit, with a ceiling and doors. Your quote, after the test, sets the number.
Before any of it
A finished basement
About 600 sq ft
One room and a storage area: a bedroom or an office.
About 900 sq ft
A family room and a bedroom, with the plumbing for a bath roughed in.
About 1,200 sq ft
A family room, a bedroom and an office. A finished bath is a separate line.
About 1,500 sq ft
A full level: family room, two bedrooms and a laundry corner.
Permit fees, a bath and an egress window are priced as their own lines, and a damp result adds a vapor plan.
The work
What we build
Six jobs, each with its own page: what is in it, what moves the price and who pulls the permit.
Moisture test and report
Readings on every wall and the slab, a week of humidity data and a written report, before any quote.
Read moreFinishing a basement
Frame, insulate, wire, drywall, floor and light: a family room, a bedroom, an office or all three.
Read moreEgress windows
A cut in the foundation wall, a window and a well, so a basement bedroom has a way out.
Read moreBaths and laundry
A shower, a toilet or a laundry corner, planned around where your drain runs.
Read moreWalls, floors and insulation
Foam against the masonry, a stud wall in front and a floor with an air gap under it.
Read moreCeilings and lighting
Drywall or drop ceilings, access to valves and lights that suit the height you have.
Read more
Finished rooms
Basements, with what was done
Every caption says what the job included.
Sample photos.
Customers
After the report
“The report had numbers for every wall. The back corner read high, so Clay had us fix the downspout and test again before he'd quote anything.”
Jadwiga N.Basement, Westwood
“We heard a range by size on the first call and the quote came in inside it. The egress window was its own line, so we could see what it cost.”
Buddy R.Basement, Penn Hills
“Benito asked where the washer would go before he framed a single wall. The drain was stubbed in the right place on the first try.”
Shante W.Basement, Castle Shannon
Sample reviews.
Where we work
Pittsburgh and the towns around it
A job means someone on site every working day, so we stay within about forty minutes of the shop.
- Pittsburgh neighborhoods: Sheraden, Westwood, Banksville, Hazelwood
- Allegheny County, south and east: Castle Shannon, Pleasant Hills, West Mifflin, Jefferson Hills, Penn Hills, Plum, Bridgeville, Green Tree
- Allegheny County, north and west: McCandless, Hampton Township, Coraopolis, Robinson Township
- Westmoreland County: Irwin, North Huntingdon
We don't work in Butler, Beaver or Washington counties, or in West Virginia. We don't waterproof or dig drains: if the test finds water coming in, we send you to someone who does.
Before you book
Questions people ask first
How does the estimate work, and what does it include?
It starts with the moisture test: one visit of about two hours, a week with the logger in your basement, and a written report. The test and report have a set fee, quoted when you book, and it is credited to the job if you sign within 60 days. The quote follows the report. It lists each line, the allowances for things you choose, what is left out and the schedule. The test does not cover plans for a permit or an engineer's letter.
What if the test says the basement is wet?
Then we don't quote a finish. You get the report with photos and a short list to give a drainage or waterproofing contractor. When the water is fixed, call us and we test again.
Is my house built before 1978? What do you do about lead?
Paint from before 1978 may contain lead. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule says a certified firm must follow set work practices whenever paid work disturbs it, and you get the EPA's renovation pamphlet before we start. Most basement work disturbs little paint, but we treat old paint as lead paint unless a test says otherwise, seal off the work area, never dry-scrape or burn paint, and clean with HEPA vacuums and wet wipes. Jobs under 6 square feet inside or 20 square feet outside are exempt; window replacement and demolition never are. Our certification is on the registration, insurance and warranty page.
Do I need a permit, and who pulls it?
Yes. Finishing a basement needs a building permit, and the electrical and plumbing work is inspected too. We pull the permit through your city, borough or township, or the agency it uses, and the fee goes on the quote at cost.
What happens if you find something behind the wall?
We stop, show you and put the fix and its price in writing before we go on. Nothing is added to the job without your signature.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
Yes. We hang a dust barrier at the stairs, cover the floors you walk on and keep the basement door closed. The water and power to your upstairs stay on, except for short, announced shutoffs.
Start here
Book a moisture test
Tell us the street and what the basement is like now. We call or text to set a time for the test.
Phone(412) 555-0102
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- By appointment
- SundayToday
- Closed