Serving Kenton, Boone & Campbell County

Foundation repair and basement waterproofing in Northern Kentucky

Stealth Foundation provides foundation repair and basement waterproofing services across Northern Kentucky. From Independence and Florence to Covington and Burlington, we are the local team Northern Kentucky homeowners call when their foundation or basement needs professional attention. Family-owned and serving Northern Kentucky since 2010, with a lifetime transferable warranty on every installation.

Schedule your free inspection Call (859) 356-1002

Our services

Foundation repair and basement waterproofing services in Northern Kentucky

Residential foundation repair

  • Helical pier foundation repair

    For sinking or settling foundations. Steel pier shafts are driven through Kentucky's clay layer to stable, load-bearing soil below, permanently stopping foundation movement. The right solution when your foundation is sinking or has settled unevenly.

  • I-beam wall stabilization

    For bowed or leaning basement walls. The pre-engineered I-beam system designed by Steve Cohen anchors to the floor and ceiling framing, resisting the lateral soil pressure driving the wall inward. Designed to stop movement and allow for gradual correction over time.

  • Carbon fiber wall straps

    For mild to moderate wall bowing where displacement is less than two inches. High-tensile carbon fiber straps are bonded to the wall surface and anchored at floor and ceiling, with no excavation, typically completed in a single day.

Basement waterproofing

  • Interior waterproofing

    A perimeter drainage system installed from inside the basement captures water at the point it enters and routes it to a sump pit before it spreads across the floor. No exterior excavation required. Typically completed in one to two days.

  • Exterior waterproofing

    A membrane barrier and drainage system applied to the outside of the foundation wall stops water before it contacts the concrete. The most comprehensive waterproofing solution for Northern Kentucky homes where exterior drainage is the right approach.

  • Sump pump installation

    New installations, replacements, and battery backup additions. Properly sized for your basement and for the water volumes Kentucky's spring storm season produces, including battery backup for the power outages that accompany the region's heaviest rain events.

Northern Kentucky communities we serve

Stealth Foundation serves homeowners throughout Northern Kentucky, with Independence as our home base for the region. From the river cities to the growing suburbs, we cover communities across Kenton, Boone, and Campbell counties. Not sure if we reach your address? Call (859) 356-1002 and we'll confirm before your inspection.

Kenton County

Independence, Covington, Erlanger, Fort Mitchell, Edgewood, Villa Hills, and Crescent Springs.

Boone County

Florence, Burlington, Hebron, Union, and Walton.

Campbell County

Newport, Fort Thomas, Alexandria, Bellevue, and Wilder.

Why this market is different

Why Northern Kentucky foundations fail, and what makes this region different

Foundation and waterproofing problems in Northern Kentucky are not random. The region's specific combination of terrain, soil, climate, and housing stock creates conditions that are more demanding than most of the country. Here is what drives the majority of the problems we see.

Hilly terrain and concentrated runoff

NKY's topography is a defining feature and one of the biggest drivers of foundation and water problems. Water runs downhill fast, and here it often runs straight toward hillside foundations. Properties at the base of slopes, in drainage channels, or in low-lying areas across Kenton and Boone County face concentrated moisture loads that flat-terrain homes never see.

Clay-heavy soil throughout the region

The soil under most of Northern Kentucky, from Independence and Alexandria to Covington and Fort Thomas, is predominantly clay. It expands when wet and contracts when dry, a push-pull cycle that puts continuous lateral pressure on basement walls and vertical stress on footings every season. It's the primary cause of foundation movement across Kenton, Boone, and Campbell County.

Freeze and thaw cycles every winter

NKY winters repeatedly push frozen ground against foundation walls, then release it as temperatures rise. Each cycle widens existing cracks and drives lateral force into the wall. Over 10, 20, or 50 winters, that mechanical force adds up, which is why many foundations that looked fine a decade ago now show visible movement.

Ohio River proximity and elevated water tables

Communities along the river corridor, including Newport, Covington, and Wilder, sit in higher-moisture environments with seasonally elevated water tables. In heavy rain seasons, groundwater presses against foundation walls from below as well as from the surrounding soil. Homes near river tributaries throughout Campbell County face the same double load.

Aging housing stock in older communities

Covington, Newport, Fort Thomas, and Fort Mitchell hold many homes with 50-to-100-year-old foundations, block walls built from the 1920s through the 1970s to the standards of their era. They were adequate when built. After decades of soil movement, freeze-thaw cycling, and moisture pressure, many are now at or past the point where professional stabilization is needed.

Newer development on variable fill soil

Florence, Burlington, and Hebron have grown fast over the past two to three decades. Homes on graded lots and compacted fill can settle early as that fill keeps compressing under the structure, sometimes within the first 10 to 15 years. The cause differs from the long-term clay movement in older communities, but the fix, helical pier stabilization, is often the same.

Don't wait on these

Signs you should call today

The following signs are not cosmetic issues, and they do not resolve on their own and will only get worse. Call us to schedule a free owner inspection, and Steve or David Cohen will tell you exactly what is happening and what it will take to fix it.

Call us at (859) 356-1002

  • A horizontal crack running across the middle of a basement wall, which is structural, not cosmetic.
  • Stair-step cracking in block wall mortar joints.
  • Floors sloping or a noticeable drift toward one side of a room.
  • Doors or windows that stick now, but closed easily a season ago.
  • Water on the basement floor after any rain, not just heavy rain.
  • White chalky deposits spreading across multiple walls.
  • Any crack that has been growing since you first noticed it.

Who you're working with in Northern Kentucky

61 combined years on Northern Kentucky's river-valley foundations

Foundation repair and basement waterproofing are diagnostic trades. The right repair depends on knowing how local ground behaves, the variable that off-the-shelf franchise manuals miss. The Kenton, Boone, and Campbell County hillsides above the Ohio River channel groundwater toward foundations, and the region's clay soil shifts hard between wet and dry seasons. Steve and David have worked these foundations their entire careers. When you call, an owner performs the inspection personally, not a commissioned salesperson.

Steve Cohen — Owner & Founder

Steve founded Stealth Foundation in 2010 and has 38 years of foundation repair and basement waterproofing experience across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. He designed the pre-engineered I-beam stabilization system the company uses for bowed and leaning basement walls. Steve performs owner inspections personally.

David Cohen — Owner

David has 23 years of foundation repair and basement waterproofing experience in the same region. He performs owner inspections and oversees structural work on the job site alongside his father. The person who inspects your home is the person who does the work.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Stealth Foundation serves homeowners throughout Northern Kentucky, including Independence, Florence, Covington, Burlington, Erlanger, Newport, Fort Mitchell, Fort Thomas, Cold Spring, Hebron, Edgewood, Alexandria, Villa Hills, Wilder, and Crescent Springs. We cover Kenton, Boone, and Campbell Counties. Call (859) 356-1002 to confirm service availability at your specific address.

The most common problems we see in Northern Kentucky are sinking or settling foundations caused by clay soil movement and soil compaction, bowed or leaning basement walls driven by hydrostatic pressure from saturated hillside soil, and foundation cracks widened by freeze and thaw cycling over many winters. Older homes in Covington, Newport, Fort Thomas, and Fort Mitchell frequently have block foundations that have been managing these forces for 50 to 100 years. Newer homes in Florence, Burlington, and Hebron built on graded fill soil can experience early settlement as fill compacts under the weight of the structure.

Northern Kentucky sits on predominantly clay-heavy soil throughout Kenton, Boone, and Campbell Counties. Clay absorbs water and expands significantly when wet, then contracts as it dries. That expansion and contraction cycle repeats with every rain event and dry period, creating continuous lateral and vertical stress on foundation walls and footings. Combined with NKY's hilly terrain and the freeze and thaw cycling of Kentucky winters, the soil conditions in Independence and surrounding communities are among the more demanding in the region for long-term foundation performance.

Yes. Stealth Foundation offers free inspections for homeowners throughout Northern Kentucky. We come to your home, examine the foundation or basement, and explain what we find in plain language. If a repair is needed, we walk you through what it involves, what it will cost, and what the warranty covers. If the situation does not require immediate action, we tell you that instead. Call (859) 356-1002 or use the contact form to schedule. No obligation.

Costs vary based on the type of problem, severity, and which repair method is appropriate for your specific situation. Helical pier installations for sinking foundations typically range from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the number of piers and site conditions. Bowed wall repairs range from $3,500 to $15,000 depending on severity and method. Basement waterproofing systems range from $3,500 for interior drainage to $8,000 and above for exterior systems requiring full perimeter excavation. Every estimate is based on a free inspection specific to your home. There is no meaningful way to price foundation work accurately without seeing the problem in person.

Yes. Stealth Foundation provides both foundation repair and basement waterproofing services throughout Northern Kentucky as a single, family-owned company. Foundation repair services include helical pier installation for sinking foundations, I-beam wall stabilization for bowed walls, and carbon fiber wall straps for early-stage movement. Waterproofing services include interior drainage systems, exterior membrane installation, and sump pump installation and replacement. Many homes need both, a settling foundation and a wet basement often share a common cause. We assess both during the same free inspection and give you a complete picture before any work is scheduled.

Free foundation inspection

Schedule your free owner inspection in Northern Kentucky

Stealth Foundation serves homeowners across Northern Kentucky, from Independence and Florence to Covington and Burlington. If you are dealing with foundation movement, a wet basement, or you just want to know where you stand before a problem gets worse, a free inspection is the right first step. Straight answers, no obligation, with every repair backed by a lifetime transferable warranty.

Call us today at (859) 356-1002

Need foundation repair or waterproofing in Greater Cincinnati? See which communities we serve in Cincinnati.

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