Rolling ground, walkout basements and newer neighborhoods to the west
Lenexa, about 15 miles from downtown with some 57,000 people, has grown west across rolling ground, and many of its houses have walkout basements.
The older part of Lenexa, near Santa Fe Trail Drive and the original town, has postwar homes on block and early poured basements. Most of the city, though, is newer: neighborhoods west along K-10 and Prairie Star Parkway with two-story homes, stone accents and walkout basements set into the rolling ground. Those walkouts make great living space, and the tall uphill walls behind them are where water and soil pressure concentrate.
In newer Lenexa homes, we mostly see seeping shrinkage cracks in poured walls, backfill that settled and now tips water toward the house, sump pumps working hard through spring, and an occasional settling corner. In the older east side, it's block walls and the usual horizontal cracks. Either way, the fix starts with where the water goes, and in a city that has put real effort into managing stormwater on its trails and lakes, the same idea applies to a backyard.
What we see most in Lenexa
Walkout uphill walls
Tall uphill walls checked for cracks and movement.
Settled backfill
Grading restored and downspouts extended on newer homes.
Sump systems
Builder-grade pumps upgraded and backed up.
Older east side
Block-wall bracing and drainage near the original town.
Neighborhoods and parts of town
- Old Town Lenexa
- Along Santa Fe Trail Drive
- Near Lenexa City Center
- Off Quivira Road
- Along 87th Street Parkway
- West along K-10
- Near Prairie Star Parkway
- Around Black Hoof Park
Services in Lenexa
Crack repair · piers · bowing walls · waterproofing · French drains · sump pumps · crawl spaces · slab lifting · free inspection
Questions from Lenexa homeowners
Is it normal for a newer basement wall to crack?
Shrinkage cracks in poured walls are common and usually minor. They're worth sealing if they leak, and watching if they don't.
Can you work on a finished walkout?
Yes. We often handle the uphill wall from outside to avoid opening finished space.
Do you need a Lenexa permit?
Structural repairs generally do. We pull it through the city.
Nearby: Shawnee · Overland Park · Leawood · the whole metro