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Location

69 Paul Drive
San Rafael CA 94903

Office hours

Mon – Sat 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sun – Closed

Call us Today

415-785-7522

Multiflex logo

Call us Today

415-785-7522

Professional Waterproofing & Leak Repair Sausalito

Most of Sausalito’s buildings were standing before 1950, and they deal with water in two very different ways: hillside lots where winter runoff races downhill faster than the original drainage can carry it, and flat bayfront ground where the tide and a rising water table do the pushing. As a waterproofing contractor in Sausalito, I Construction & Structural Inc. finds the exact point where water is entering and repairs the cause instead of the stain.

Sausalito Deals With Water From Above and From the Bay

Sausalito packs both problems into one small city. Behind Bridgeway, the streets climb through Old Town, Hurricane Gulch and The Hill on stone and concrete retaining walls that have been holding back soil for decades. Along the shore, Marinship has been sinking in places, and the city itself notes that king tides, which arrive six to eight times a year, already put water on Bridgeway near Highway 101 and through the Marinship area. Our waterproofing services in Sausalito are shaped by that split: runoff and hydrostatic pressure on the slopes, groundwater and tidal influence on the flats, and a different repair for each.

Our Services

I Construction & Structural Inc. doesn’t apply one waterproofing system to every address in town. Building waterproofing in Sausalito begins with working out which situation a property is in, then designing the repair around the path the water actually takes. Leaks also tend to leave rot, damaged framing or failing stairs behind, so the same crew can carry straight on into the structural repair and construction work that follows.

Deck, Balcony & Roof Waterproofing

View lots mean decks, and decks are where many Sausalito leaks begin: a balcony hanging off a slope, a flat roof over a garage built into the hillside, a roof terrace where the membrane stopped at the wall instead of turning up behind the siding. Roof waterproofing in Sausalito usually comes down to flashing and transitions, because that is where water gets in long before the surface itself gives out.

  • Stripping failed coatings and replacing them with a sheet or liquid-applied membrane suited to the traffic the surface carries
  • Rebuilding flashing where decks meet walls, rails, posts and doors
  • Resloping surfaces and clearing scuppers and drains so water leaves instead of ponding
  • Sealing around skylights, vents and parapet caps
  • Water-testing the finished surface before any final finish or flooring goes on

Foundation Wall & Concrete Leak Repair

A good number of Sausalito foundations are stone, brick or early unreinforced concrete, built long before anyone put a waterproofing membrane behind a wall. When the hillside above saturates in January, that water has nowhere to go but through the wall. Foundation waterproofing in Sausalito often means giving the wall protection it never had, and when cracking or settlement is what lets the water in, sealing alone won’t hold, so the wall gets foundation repair and stabilization before any membrane goes on.

  • Excavating the exterior face of the wall to locate the actual point of entry
  • Cleaning and repairing the wall, then coating it with a waterproof membrane
  • Injecting active cracks so they are sealed through the thickness of the wall
  • Installing perimeter drains that carry water away instead of letting it press on the foundation
  • Adding a sump pump with battery backup where storms are likely to knock out power

Retaining Wall, Crawl Space & Lower-Level Waterproofing

Under many Sausalito houses there is a crawl space, a garage or a lower level cut into the slope, with a retaining wall just uphill doing more work than it was designed for. Residential waterproofing in Sausalito begins by sorting out where the water comes from: behind the wall under pressure, down the surface of the slope, or up from a high water table. Where the wall itself is leaning, bowing or failing, waterproofing alone won’t solve it, and the repair turns to retaining wall construction and repair, including tiebacks where the soil load calls for them.

  • Curtain drains and French drains behind and below walls to relieve hydrostatic pressure
  • Clearing or replacing weep holes and surface drains that have silted up
  • Vapor barriers, subfloor drainage and ventilation corrections in crawl spaces
  • Regrading and surface drains so roof and yard runoff leaves the foundation area
  • Sealing cracks, cold joints and wall-to-footing connections on lower-level and basement walls

Our Waterproofing Work in Sausalito

Crawl Space Drainage

A shingled cottage on a sloped lot had water moving under the floor whenever a storm lasted more than a day, leaving the crawl space soft and the wood sill damp. We cut a curtain drain along the uphill side, added subfloor drainage and a vapor barrier, and redirected the downspouts away from the footings.

Deck Membrane Replacement

A cantilevered deck on a hillside home had been patched repeatedly, yet water kept getting past the ledger and into the ceiling below. We stripped the surface back to the substrate, rebuilt the flashing at the house wall, and installed a new membrane with a corrected slope toward the drain.

Foundation Wall Sealing

A light-industrial building on low ground showed damp interior walls after every king tide and storm. We excavated the exterior face, sealed the wall with a membrane, and ran a drain line to a sump with battery backup so the wall stayed dry through high water.

Why Choose I Construction?

Hillside and Bayfront Risk Look Nothing Alike

On The Hill, in Spring Street Valley or up in Nevada Street Valley, the problem is runoff and soil that turns heavy and shifts in a wet winter, and city planning documents identify hillside areas with landslide potential. Down in Marinship and along Bridgeway, it’s king tides, groundwater and bayfront that has been settling. A property’s location decides the design before anyone picks up a tool.

Century-Old Walls and Mid-Century Hillside Homes Fail Differently

Railroad-era cottages in Old Town and New Town often have stone or brick foundations with no membrane at all, while the steep tracts opened up in the late 1940s and 1950s, such as Wolfback Ridge and Toyon Terraces, brought decks, retaining walls and lower-level rooms cut into slopes. Plenty of what looks like a sudden problem is really a water leak repair in Sausalito that has been building for decades, and it needs more than a patch.

Permits, Shoreline Rules and Rainy-Season Timing

Sausalito asks for a drainage and erosion control plan on work that disturbs the ground during the wet-weather window, roughly mid-October to the start of May, and larger grading jobs need a separate permit. Projects close to Richardson Bay can also fall inside the first 100 feet of shoreline regulated by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. We work out which of those applies during planning, so the schedule isn’t surprised later.

Have a Leak That Needs Attention?

A ceiling stain under a deck, a crawl space that smells damp by February, or a lower-level wall that sweats after every king tide is worth a call before the next storm cycle, not after it. If you’re researching leak repair in Sausalito, start by sending us photos and a note on when the water appears. That timing alone often points us toward the source before we’ve visited. We take the same approach across Marin County, from Sausalito to waterproofing and leak repair in San Rafael.

Protecting Homes Throughout Mill Valley Communities

I Construction & Structural Inc. serves Mill Valley homeowners with dependable water leak repair and waterproofing solutions matched to each property.

  • Dominican Hills
  • Old Mill
  • Sycamore Park
  • Tamalpais Park
  • Miller / Molino
  • Blithedale Canyon
  • Cascade Canyon
  • Scott Valley
  • Alto
  • Homestead

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Marinship property take on water during king tides even when it hasn't rained?

King tides push bay water into low ground and raise the water table beneath it, so water can enter through slabs, wall joints and utility penetrations with no rain at all. Because the cause is tide and groundwater rather than runoff, the fix leans toward sealing and drainage on the lowest parts of the building instead of roof or gutter work.

Why is my crawl space damp in February when the summer was completely dry?

Saturated hillside soil releases water slowly, so moisture can reach a crawl space days after a storm has passed. Seasonal dampness usually points to uphill drainage, a clogged surface drain or a missing vapor barrier rather than a leaking pipe.

Can a deck or balcony on a steep lot be waterproofed without rebuilding it?

Often, yes, as long as the framing underneath is sound. We open up the surface, check the structure and the ledger connection, then replace the membrane and flashing. If rot has reached the framing, that repair has to come first, and we’ll show you where it is before going further.

When is the best time of year to waterproof in Sausalito?

Late spring through early fall gives membranes and sealants the dry stretch they need to cure, and keeps excavation clear of the city’s wet-weather requirements. Active leaks during the rainy season still get handled right away, with temporary protection and a schedule built around the dry windows.

Do waterproofing or drainage projects in Sausalito need a permit?

Frequently, yes. The city requires a drainage and erosion control plan for ground disturbance in the wet months, grading of 50 cubic yards or more needs its own permit, and work near the Richardson Bay shoreline can involve the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Requirements depend on the address and scope, so we confirm current rules before starting rather than assume.

How do you get equipment and materials onto a hillside lot with narrow streets or stairs?

Sausalito’s narrow lanes and stair streets mean we plan access first: smaller equipment, hand-carried materials where needed, and delivery timing that keeps neighbors’ driveways clear. We walk the access route during the site visit and build it into the schedule and estimate.

How can I tell whether a wet wall is a groundwater problem or a plumbing leak?

Watch the pattern. A plumbing leak shows up whenever water is being used and doesn’t care about the weather, while a waterproofing problem follows storms and tides. If a wall is wet during a dry week, have the plumbing checked first; if it only gets wet after rain or a high tide, give us a call.

Do properties close to the bay need different waterproofing materials?

Salt air and constant humidity are harder on metal flashing, fasteners and coatings than inland conditions. For properties near the water, we specify corrosion-resistant hardware and membranes rated for continuous moisture exposure so the repair isn’t the next thing to fail.

What does the white powder on my foundation wall mean?

That powder, called efflorescence, is mineral salt left behind when water moves through concrete or masonry and evaporates. It signals that moisture is passing through the wall even if the surface feels dry, and it’s a good prompt to look at exterior drainage before the moisture causes damage.

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No Obligation Consultation

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Friendly Crew

We know we are working for you and do our best to make sure you are 100% satisfied with our work.

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Safety First

With over two decades of experience we place your safety above all else. All plan and projects take this as first priority.

    About us

    We are a locally owned and operated company that values honesty and integrity and treats your home as if it were our own. We offer a variety of contracting services customizable to each individual project.

    Contact us

    I Construction & Structural Inc
    69 Paul Drive
    San Rafael CA 94903

    Office: 415-785-7522
    Service: 415-424-5969

    Fax: 415-785-7137