Waterproofing is only "necessary" if you don't want water damage. If you manage it as an uninhabited exterior space, you can live and let live and apply vapor proofing to the ceiling above.

Meanwhile, in the real world, digging down on the exterior and applying the waterproofing the walls there, along with a perimeter drain system is the only truly effective waterproofing. Allowing it into the home and then trying to mitigate it's damage is the losing method.

Searching for the cheap quote rather than the quality reputation is the quick path to getting ripped off. Cheap is cheap for a reason in waterproofing. It ain't how it needs to be done.

Water proofing is necessary for A) indoor air quality throughout the home and B) quality of "living" in the finished basement. If you no longer want a finished basement, don't water proof. Gut the thing, add "wood pallets" for your boxes to sit on and leave the door closed. If you want a "finished basement" that is then added into "living space" and offers higher return on your home/investment, the water proofing is a must.

What you are describing is NORMAL for the type of foundation you have. The fixes listed are also kinda NORMAL for the type of moisture issues you have (I too prefer to see the water stopped BEFORE it gets to the interior of the basement...that means exterior drainage/weeping tiles/french drain). The cost for the fix is NORMAL (for work quoted).

The cinder blocks are some of the most pourous products on the market. The landscaping and maintenance will not fix what is happening. It MIGHT fix it with a 1960's poured concrete (less pourous) but it may not....and there you are trying to find another $6K because the first "fix" didn't work.

The most expensive part of this job is not the water proofing: it is the "gut the basement due to mold, remediate mold and refinish". That is THE MOST expensive part of this job.

Good luck...and I would hesitate to go with the lowest cost on this one.

Thanks very much for this. It's exactly the advice I was seeking! I really appreciate it.