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Section 1807.1.3 is not a universal current section number. The Massachusetts 780 CMR text and older International Building Code (IBC) editions use 1807.1.3 for ground-water control, while the 2021 IBC uses Section 1805.1.3. In the cited code language, a project can use the dampproofing route only when groundwater is lowered and maintained at least 6 inches (152 mm) below the bottom of the lowest floor. If a groundwater investigation indicates hydrostatic pressure and the specified control system is not provided, the walls and floor must be waterproofed under the 2021 IBC language. Confirm the adopted edition and local amendments before applying either requirement.
What is Section 1807.1.3 ground-water control?
Section 1807.1.3 is the ground-water-control provision found in the cited Massachusetts 780 CMR Chapter 18 text and in historical IBC material. It explains when a groundwater-lowering system can support dampproofing rather than waterproofing for below-grade floors and walls. The 2021 IBC moved the comparable provision to Section 1805.1.3, so a drawing, inspection comment or specification that cites “1807.1.3” may be referring to an older edition or a state code that retains that numbering.
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The rule addresses a specific condition: groundwater must be lowered and maintained at an elevation not less than 6 inches (152 mm) below the bottom of the lowest floor. The phrase “not less than” means the separation must be at least 6 inches; a smaller or intermittently achieved gap does not satisfy the stated condition. The system must be designed using accepted engineering principles, not selected by buying a pump with a convenient capacity rating.
How far below the basement floor does the water table have to be?
The cited threshold is 6 inches (152 mm) below the bottom of the lowest floor. This is a vertical separation between the controlled groundwater elevation and the underside of the lowest floor, not a measurement from the finished basement surface. The system must lower and maintain groundwater at that elevation, so a temporary drawdown during construction is not the same as a permanent compliant condition.
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- Reference point: the bottom of the lowest floor.
- Required separation: at least 6 inches (152 mm).
- Performance expectation: the elevation is lowered and maintained, rather than achieved only during a short test.
- Code status: the value is a regulatory threshold, not a published study result or a universal pump-sizing number.
Project documents should identify how the design team established the groundwater elevation, what operating conditions were assumed, and how the system will continue to work during periods of high inflow. Those details are especially important where seasonal groundwater changes could reduce the separation.
When does groundwater control allow dampproofing instead of waterproofing?
The dampproofing pathway
Under the cited Massachusetts language, when the groundwater table is lowered and maintained at least 6 inches below the lowest floor, “the floor and walls shall be dampproofed in accordance with 780 CMR 1807.2.” That sentence is the operative connection between the ground-water-control condition and the dampproofing section. It does not say that any basement may be dampproofed merely because a sump pit or drain is present.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe 2021 IBC uses comparable ground-water-control language in Section 1805.1.3. The applicable dampproofing section, exceptions and construction details still come from the adopted code edition and jurisdiction.
The hydrostatic-pressure pathway
The cited 2021 IBC text takes a different approach when the groundwater investigation indicates hydrostatic pressure. If the design does not include the described groundwater-control system, the walls and floors are required to be waterproofed. In practical terms, the designer cannot rely on the dampproofing option while leaving hydrostatic pressure unaddressed.
This is a code decision, not a marketing distinction between two product labels. The investigation, the selected control system and the adopted code determine which moisture-protection requirement applies.
What must a groundwater-control system be designed to consider?
The code calls for engineering design based on accepted principles. The cited Massachusetts and 2021 IBC language identifies several inputs that must be addressed:
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| Design consideration | Why it matters to compliance |
|---|---|
| Soil permeability | Permeability affects how quickly water can move toward drains, sumps and other collection points. A system designed without the site’s soil behavior may not maintain the required elevation. |
| Rate of water entering the drainage system | Inflow determines how much water the collection and discharge system must handle during expected conditions. |
| Rated pump capacity | The pump’s published capacity is an input to the design, not proof that the installed system will deliver that flow in place. |
| Head against which pumps operate | Vertical lift and friction losses reduce actual delivered flow. A rating at low head cannot be treated as the operating capacity at the project’s discharge elevation. |
| Rated capacity of the disposal area | The receiving area or discharge arrangement must accept the design flow. Pumping more water than the disposal system can handle simply moves the failure downstream. |
| Effects on nearby utilities, structures and facilities | Massachusetts 780 CMR specifically calls for adverse effects to be considered. Drawdown can alter soil-water conditions near neighboring assets, so the design must evaluate those risks. |
These are design considerations, not a universal recipe such as “install a pump rated at a particular number of gallons per minute.” Actual values depend on the site investigation, drainage layout, elevations, discharge route and operating assumptions.
How to decide which code approach fits a project
- Identify the adopted code. Confirm the jurisdiction, edition and amendments with the building department. The 2021 IBC uses 1805.1.3; Massachusetts 780 CMR and older IBC references use 1807.1.3.
- Obtain the groundwater investigation. Determine whether groundwater or hydrostatic pressure is expected at the lowest floor. Do not substitute a visual site check for the investigation required by the design professional.
- Establish the target elevation. If using the ground-water-control route, document the elevation that is at least 6 inches (152 mm) below the bottom of the lowest floor.
- Model inflow and soil behavior. Evaluate permeability and the rate at which water will enter the drainage system under relevant site conditions.
- Check pump performance at operating head. Use the pump’s rated capacity together with the actual lift and system losses. A nameplate rating alone does not demonstrate compliance.
- Verify disposal capacity. Confirm that the approved discharge point, drainage field or other disposal area can accept the expected flow.
- Evaluate neighboring impacts. Consider utilities, adjacent structures and other facilities, including possible effects from changing groundwater levels.
- Select the moisture-protection requirement. Where the specified groundwater-control condition is designed and maintained, apply the applicable dampproofing section. Where hydrostatic pressure is indicated without that control system, follow the adopted waterproofing requirement.
- Coordinate drawings and inspections. The geotechnical or structural design, drainage details, pump equipment, controls, discharge route and below-grade wall and floor protection should describe one coordinated system.
Groundwater control compared with relying on waterproofing
| Question | Groundwater-control design with dampproofing route | Waterproofing route under hydrostatic-pressure provision |
|---|---|---|
| Is hydrostatic pressure indicated? | The route depends on controlling groundwater to the code condition; the project still needs an investigation. | If hydrostatic pressure is indicated and the described control system is absent, the cited 2021 IBC language points to waterproofing. |
| Can the 6-inch separation be maintained? | Yes, the design must show groundwater lowered and maintained at least 6 inches below the lowest floor. | If that condition is not provided, the dampproofing pathway is not the basis for compliance under the cited language. |
| What drives system sizing? | Soil permeability, inflow, pump capacity, operating head and disposal capacity, plus neighboring impacts. | The waterproofing design must address the pressure condition; a pump is not a substitute for the required protection. |
| What must be checked locally? | Adopted code edition, amendments, discharge approvals and inspection requirements. | The same local checks apply, along with the jurisdiction’s waterproofing provisions and details. |
The table describes code pathways, not a guarantee that one approach will cost less or be simpler. Site constraints, maintenance obligations and the consequences of a failure can make a robust waterproofing design preferable even when groundwater control appears feasible.
Does buying a sump pump make a basement code-compliant?
No. A sump pump is a reasonable product category to investigate because the code expressly identifies rated pump capacity and pump head as design considerations. However, the code does not prescribe a sump pump by name, approve a brand or state that purchasing one creates compliance. The pump is only one component of a system that must account for inflow, soil permeability, discharge capacity, operating head, controls and effects on nearby property.
Before equipment is specified, the design professional should establish the required duty point: the flow needed at the actual operating head, with the expected number of pumps, controls and backup arrangements identified in the project documents. The receiving disposal area must be checked at the same time. A pump that can move water out of a pit but cannot discharge through the complete system at the required elevation does not meet the design objective.
Common failure modes and how to correct them
Using the wrong section number
Symptom: A plan cites 1807.1.3 without identifying the edition, while the jurisdiction has adopted the 2021 IBC.
Correction: Cite the locally adopted provision—1805.1.3 in the 2021 IBC—or explain the state code and edition that retain 1807.1.3. Check amendments before permit submission.
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Measuring from the wrong surface
Symptom: The six-inch distance is measured from the finished slab or a drain inlet instead of the bottom of the lowest floor.
Correction: Establish the elevation from the underside of the lowest floor and show the datum on the engineering documents.
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Assuming a temporary drawdown is permanent control
Symptom: Water is below the target during construction, but seasonal or storm inflow is not evaluated.
Correction: Design for the expected operating conditions and document how the system will maintain the separation over time.
Reading the pump label as delivered flow
Symptom: The rated flow is copied into the plans without accounting for vertical lift and piping losses.
Correction: Check performance at the actual operating head and coordinate the result with the disposal-area capacity.
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Ignoring neighboring effects
Symptom: The design lowers groundwater next to utilities or adjacent structures without evaluating changes in soil-water conditions.
Correction: Include nearby utilities, structures and facilities in the engineering review, as specifically called out by Massachusetts 780 CMR.
Installing a barrier without resolving hydrostatic pressure
Symptom: The project specifies dampproofing even though the investigation indicates hydrostatic pressure and no qualifying control system is shown.
Correction: Reconcile the investigation with the adopted code. Under the cited 2021 IBC language, that condition requires waterproofing for walls and floors.
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- The adopted code edition and the exact ground-water-control section number.
- The lowest-floor elevation and the groundwater-control elevation demonstrating the 6-inch (152 mm) separation.
- The investigation or engineering basis for groundwater and hydrostatic-pressure conditions.
- Soil permeability assumptions and the expected rate of water entering the drainage system.
- Pump duty point, rated capacity, operating head, controls and any required redundancy identified by the engineer.
- The rated capacity and approval basis for the disposal area or discharge route.
- Assessment of potential adverse effects on nearby utilities, structures and other facilities.
- Details showing whether the walls and floors are dampproofed under the applicable section or waterproofed because of hydrostatic pressure.
- Inspection, testing and maintenance information needed to keep the designed groundwater elevation from being lost after occupancy.
The code text establishes the performance condition and design factors; it does not replace project-specific engineering or the authority having jurisdiction’s review.
Which edition should a contractor or owner use?
Use the edition legally adopted where the project is located, including state and municipal amendments. The ICC Digital Codes listing identifies multiple IBC editions, including 2021 and 2024, and edition selection changes section numbering and potentially the applicable details. A Massachusetts project governed by 780 CMR may continue to cite 1807.1.3 even when a project in another jurisdiction using the 2021 IBC cites 1805.1.3.
When documents from different disciplines use different numbers, compare the actual text and edition rather than assuming the references conflict. Ask the building official or code consultant to confirm the controlling language before revising a design.
Bottom line for Section 1807.1.3 ground-water control
The dampproofing option is tied to a measurable condition: groundwater is lowered and maintained at least 6 inches (152 mm) below the bottom of the lowest floor, using an engineered system that accounts for soil permeability, inflow, pump capacity, operating head, disposal capacity and nearby impacts. If hydrostatic pressure is indicated and that control system is not provided, the cited 2021 IBC language requires waterproofing of walls and floors. Because section numbers vary—1807.1.3 in the cited Massachusetts and historical text, 1805.1.3 in the 2021 IBC—verify the locally adopted code before selecting, specifying or approving the below-grade protection.
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