A concrete sidewalk against your house should carry water away from the wall, not toward it. Backfill beside a foundation often settles, and a slab that settles with it can end up pitched toward the house. The fix is to correct the slope or the base, direct downspouts away from the wall, and handle the joint at the wall properly. Our sources give a soil slope figure, not one for slabs, so ask a contractor how they set the pitch.
A concrete sidewalk against your house has one job beyond walking on: keep water moving away from the wall. When it pitches the other way, rain and snowmelt run to the foundation, and you find out in the basement. Here is how to tell, and what actually fixes it.
Why does a sidewalk slope toward the house?
Often, the ground moved, not the concrete. Backfill beside a foundation often settles, and it often slopes toward the house (University of Minnesota Extension). A slab poured over that loose fill goes down with it. Settlement is one of the typical causes of cracking and uneven concrete (ACI), and NRMCA says subgrade should be well compacted with soft spots removed before any slab goes down (NRMCA).
Missing isolation or contraction joints also cause cracking (NRMCA). A slab poured tight against the wall with no planned joint can crack or tilt as it and the wall move differently. Ask a contractor how they will treat the joint at the wall.
Narrow gangway and side walkways along two-flats and bungalows that were poured right up against the foundation. Over the years the slab drops at the wall side, water sits along the foundation, and the basement wall stays damp after rain.
How do you check the slope and the water?
- After a hard rain, look for puddles or wet concrete along the wall side of the slab.
- Place a straightedge or a long level across the slab, from the wall outward. If the high point is away from the house, water has nowhere good to go.
- Check where your downspouts discharge. Extensions or splash blocks should discharge at least 4 feet from the wall (University of Minnesota Extension).
- Check the soil beside the slab. The Extension guidance is to slope soil away from the foundation at least 1 inch per foot for at least 6 feet (University of Minnesota Extension).
That 1 inch per foot figure is soil guidance, not a slab spec. We found no verified figure for how steeply a concrete walk should pitch, so ask the contractor what pitch they will set and how they will check it.
Standing water at the wall can also be a drainage problem on the building. NRMCA recommends drain tile and exterior waterproofing around poured basement walls and notes footings must bear on undisturbed or well compacted soil (NRMCA). If water is getting into the basement, fixing the slab alone may not be enough.
What actually fixes it?
- Correct the base and the pitch. Remove the slab, rebuild the base with compacted fill, and pour it to shed water away from the wall. Raising or lifting a slab is an option on some jobs, which we compare in lifting versus replacing a sinking slab.
- Move the water. Extend downspouts so they discharge away from the wall.
- Deal with the joint. Ask what goes between slab and wall, and where the other joints will be.
Permits and the public way
A concrete walkway on your own property, not in the public way, not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade and not over a basement or story below, is exempt from a building permit (City of Chicago). The sidewalk along the street is different: work in the public way needs a CDOT permit (City of Chicago). If it looks like a side walkway but touches the public way, ask first.
For the broader picture, read sidewalk repair: fix, replace or wait and how thick a sidewalk should be. Our concrete crew can check the pitch and tell you whether it needs rebuilding. The Chicago concrete guide has the rest.
Common questions
It should shed water away from the wall. We found no verified slab figure. The soil guidance we can cite is at least 1 inch per foot for at least 6 feet. Ask your contractor what pitch they will set and how they will check it.
It can send rain and snowmelt toward the foundation, which adds to the water the wall has to handle. It is not the only cause. Downspouts, soil grade and drainage around the footing also matter, so check all of them.
A concrete walkway on private property that is no more than 30 inches above grade and not over a basement is exempt from a building permit. Work in the public way needs a CDOT permit. Confirm your case with the Department of Buildings.
Sources
- University of Minnesota Extension: Moisture in Basements: Causes and Solutions
- National Ready Mixed Concrete Association: Concrete in Practice 7: Cracks in Residential Basement Walls (PDF)
- National Ready Mixed Concrete Association: Concrete in Practice 4: Cracking Concrete Surfaces (PDF)
- American Concrete Institute: RAP Bulletin 1: Structural Crack Repair by Epoxy Injection (PDF)
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: Mason Contractor License FAQ
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: What Types of Work Do Not Require a Building Permit?
Facts last checked: October 7, 2026.
This article explains general rules and common situations in Chicago. It is not legal advice, and City rules change. For a specific property, check with the Chicago Department of Buildings or a licensed professional.