Bought a house this year, and learned quickly after buying that the basement was getting water when it rained. The amount of water it had gotten was many times the amount (rough guess 20x) for a hard rainfall vs the picture I’m showing from a recent fall. The main difference is we refreshed the window wells and did some minor regrading on the exterior.

I’d like to water proof the basement, see that it’s dry, and finish it in another year or two so I’ve had waterproofers come through. Two estimates I’ve gotten have both stated that the only way to address my problem is a French drain which would run about $10k for the perimeter of the house. They’ve said my foundation is clearly water-damaged, the area has a high water table and old houses in my area have similar looking basement walls

I guess my main curiosity... is a French drain really a fool-proof option where it’ll solve my seepage issue and protect my foundation? I now suspect the visible water may be related to old windows or window wells. But portions of the basement are treated with dry lock and it looks to me that there is some smaller amount of water or humidity trying to come through the walls there. There are also several places where the old foundation is crumbly (but no visible cracks).

If moisture is damaging the foundation, are the other fixes to consider? My parents generation have suggested more than once that the solution was always excavating and sealing the outside of the house, but the waterproofers seemed to dismiss that. I’m not sure that excavating and sealing the entire perimeter would be cheaper than a French drain

Thanks

Joe