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Troy, Michigan: why newer basements here still get wet

Local facts with sources · updated October 19, 2026

Troy's housing is young (median build year 1978) and mostly poured concrete, but the land under it was farm and wetland clay. USDA soil maps show very poorly drained Brookston and Colwood soils under the Long Lake and Coolidge area and somewhat poorly drained Shebeon and Selfridge soils under much of the rest of the city. That's why a dry-looking 1980s colonial can have a sump that never stops.

Housing stock

The 2024 American Community Survey counts about 34,600 housing units in Troy with a median build year of 1978. About 31% were built in the 1970s, 12% in the 1980s and 14% in the 1990s; roughly a quarter predate 1970 and about 17% have been built since 2000. Owner-occupancy is high at 72%. Troy's population of about 89,200 makes it Oakland County's largest city.

Typical houses are two-story colonials and large ranches on quarter- to half-acre lots in platted subdivisions, most with full poured-concrete basements that were finished at some point. The city lists dozens of active neighborhood and homeowner associations, from Northfield Hills and Oak River to Somerset North, Stoneridge and Emerald Lakes.

Soil

Soil Data Access returns, at Long Lake Road and Coolidge (Northfield Hills), Brookston (very poorly drained, hydrologic group B/D, 55%) with Colwood (poorly drained, C/D, 35%); at Rochester Road and Square Lake (Sylvan Glen), Selfridge loamy sand (somewhat poorly drained, C/D, 90%); at Wattles and John R (Emerald Lakes), Shebeon (somewhat poorly drained, C) over urban land; and along Big Beaver near Rochester Road, 100% urban land, meaning soils reworked by development.

The 'D' in those group ratings is the key: when wet, these soils have very slow infiltration. Brookston and Colwood in particular are former wetland soils that were tile-drained for farming. Subdivision storm sewers took over that job, but a lot that sits a foot lower than its neighbors, or a footing drain that has silted, still ends up with water at the slab.

Weather and storm history

Troy drains partly to the Rouge River headwaters on the west side and to Clinton River tributaries on the north and east. The area averages about 34 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The region's two benchmark storms both hit Troy: on August 11, 2014, the National Weather Service recorded 4 to 6 inches of rain in about four hours across southeast Michigan, and the June 25–26, 2021 storms brought FEMA major disaster declaration DR-4607, which designated Oakland County.

Neighborhood notes

General observations from housing age and USDA map units, not records of specific addresses.

Permits in Troy

The City of Troy Building Department (500 W. Big Beaver Road, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays) is paperless: permit applications, electronic plans and inspection requests go through BS&A Online, and the inspection line at 248-689-5744 takes calls until 2 p.m. Sump pumps, drain tile tied to a sump, and sewer work are plumbing permits; a permit board must be posted at the job site. The city publishes a public Permits Issued log in which residential basement waterproofing and sump pump jobs appear. The contractor pulls permits under their own state license, which you can verify on Michigan LARA.

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Sources