Document the condition
Track the details on a Champaign home: where it happens, when, how weather affects it, whether it's changed, and any past work -- photos and basic measurements make the first call more productive.
Read the local context
Champaign grew from an 1855 railroad settlement into a city built on Champaign County's black prairie soil, ground that historic records describe as poorly drained enough to have supported a local clay drain-tile industry. That same drainage challenge, combined with the flat topography common across the county, is what keeps basement water intrusion a persistent concern in homes throughout the Champaign-Urbana area.
Ask what will be hidden
A written scope should explain the preparation and verification that will no longer be visible at completion, not just the finished appearance.
Compare complete scopes
Set Champaign proposals side by side on protection, access, materials, permits, testing, cleanup, restoration, exclusions, warranties, and change-order terms.
What official local sources add
The City of Champaign requires a permit (a $70 fee) for new or modified connections to the municipal stormwater drainage system and is the permitting authority for land-disturbing activity, requiring an approved stormwater control plan for qualifying construction projects. Champaign coordinates that permitting with Champaign County, the City of Urbana, the University of Illinois, and the Village of Savoy through the Champaign County Stormwater Partnership's shared MS4 permit program. Exterior drainage changes around a foundation can count as land-disturbing activity, so Champaign's stormwater permit requirements should be checked before altering grading or connections.
As of the 2026-07-26 review, Champaign parcel flood zone, historic-district status, permits, and requirements should still be confirmed with the relevant authority before work begins.