Document the condition
Note where it appears, its tie to weather, and how it's progressed. A few photos and rough measurements make the first call more useful.
Read the local context
Troy's shift from township farmland to a city happened fast: incorporation in 1955, then subdivisions and shopping centers filling in through the 60s and 70s, then the office towers that followed the Somerset Mall's 1969 opening. All of that construction sits over Oakland County glacial till -- sandy moraine in places, poorly drained Blount and Lenawee clay in others -- while the Rouge River's mainstem, which starts inside city limits at Sprague Ditch, keeps moving stormwater south through town whether the ground underneath drains well or not.
Ask what will be hidden
Water category, elapsed time, which cavities it reached, electrical safety, and material porosity all determine the right scope in Oakland County; same-day or emergency availability is never assumed here. A proper written scope documents the prep and verification steps that disappear once the work is finished.
Compare complete scopes
Set protection, access, materials, permits, testing, cleanup, restoration, exclusions, warranties, and change-order terms against each other.
What official local sources add
The City of Troy's Engineering Department oversees floodplain information, storm drains, and soil-erosion permitting alongside its Streets and Drains Division, which investigates residential stormwater issues under the county's stormwater permit program. Because Troy sits along the Rouge River's headwaters reach, parcel-specific floodplain status and drainage requirements should be confirmed with the city before exterior, grading, or foundation work begins.
Sources were reviewed 2026-07-26. The Troy parcel's flood zone, historic-district status, and permit requirements are worth confirming with the relevant authority before anything else.