Hills, older brick near the square, and newer streets north of the river
Liberty sits about 15 miles north of downtown, across the Missouri River, with about 33,000 residents and a lot more hills than most of the metro.
Liberty's older streets around the historic square climb and fall with the land, and the houses on them, many brick on stone or early block foundations, sit on slopes that send water toward one side of the house every time it rains. On a hill, the uphill foundation wall takes the water and the soil pressure; the downhill side can settle as the ground creeps. We see both in Liberty, along with steep front steps that have dropped and pulled away from the porch.
The newer subdivisions out toward the edges of town have poured basements on clay, and their issues are the metro's usual: seeping shrinkage cracks, backfill that settled, and sump pumps that run hard in spring. On a hillside lot, though, drainage design matters more than anywhere. A French drain on the uphill side, set to carry water around the house rather than into it, is one of the most useful things we build here.
What we see most in Liberty
Hillside drainage
Uphill French drains and grading that carry water around the house.
Downhill settlement
Piers under the side of the house that's creeping downslope.
Older brick and stone
Gentle repairs for early foundations near the square.
Steep steps
Dropped steps and stoops lifted or supported so they stop pulling away.
Neighborhoods and parts of town
- Around the historic square
- Near William Jewell College
- Along Kansas Street
- Off M-291
- North toward Highway 152
- Neighborhoods off Lightburne Street
- East toward the Fishing River
- Newer streets on the north side
Services in Liberty
Crack repair · piers · bowing walls · waterproofing · French drains · sump pumps · crawl spaces · slab lifting · free inspection
Questions from Liberty homeowners
My house sits on a slope. What should I watch for?
Water collecting on the uphill side and settlement on the downhill side. Cracks that are wider at one end, and doors that bind on the low side of the house, are the early signs.
Is a French drain worth it on a hill?
Usually, if water runs toward the house. Intercepting it uphill is far cheaper than dealing with it once it reaches the basement.
Do you cover Liberty and the rest of Clay County?
Yes, Liberty and the neighborhoods around it north of the river.
Nearby: Gladstone · Independence · North of the river · the whole metro