Family-Owned · Joppa, Maryland · Since 1953
Maryland's Original
Basement Waterproofing
Company
Oriole has been fixing Maryland basements longer than most of our competitors have been in business. Four generations of the Pirog family. 4,000+ completed jobs. No commissioned salespeople — not once in 73 years.
The Company
Named After Maryland's
State Bird. Built to Last.
Frank Pirog Sr. founded Oriole Basement Waterproofing in 1953. He named the company after the Baltimore Oriole — Maryland's state bird — because this business was going to be as rooted in this state as the bird itself. That was not marketing. It was a statement of intent.
The company Frank Sr. built was never franchised. Never acquired. Never taken public. It passed from him to his son Frank Jr., from Frank Jr. to Frank III, and now to his daughter Amber Pirog, who leads the company today. Her cousin Mark Michael serves as Director of Operations. Two members of the same family, running the same company, in the same Maryland communities their grandfather served.
In 73 years, Oriole has built its reputation almost entirely through referrals. Roughly nine out of every ten new customers call because a neighbor, a family member, a real estate agent, or a home inspector recommended OBW. That is not an accident. It is what happens when a company does the job right and answers the phone years later when someone has a question.
"Leave ALL the worry to us."
— The Oriole Basement Waterproofing promise, since 1953
Why "Oriole"?
Frank Pirog Sr. named the company after the Baltimore Oriole — Maryland's state bird — in 1953. The name was chosen deliberately: a Maryland company, for Maryland homeowners, rooted in Maryland communities. That has not changed.
MHIC License #4247
Oriole holds Maryland Home Improvement Commission license #4247 — one of the earliest-issued contractor licenses in the state. Continuously maintained for over four decades.
Four Generations
The Pirog Family Story
The same family. The same communities. The same standard. For 73 years.
Frank Pirog Sr. Founds Oriole
Frank Pirog Sr. launches Oriole Basement Waterproofing in Baltimore, Maryland — naming the company after the state bird he grew up watching from his Harford County yard. Built on a simple rule from day one: do the job right, and the next customer comes from the last one.
Frank Jr. Carries It Forward
Frank Pirog Jr. joins the family business and assumes leadership through Maryland's suburban expansion era. OBW grows steadily through word-of-mouth referrals in Harford and Baltimore counties — the same communities Frank Sr. built in.
Frank III Brings a Third Generation
Frank Pirog III continues the hands-on tradition his grandfather established. OBW remains privately held, never franchised, never acquired. The Lifetime Transferable Guarantee becomes a core part of every job.
Amber Pirog Leads the Fourth Generation
Amber Pirog, Frank III's daughter, serves as CEO. Her cousin Mark Michael serves as Director of Operations. Together they manage a company that has completed more than 4,000 jobs across Maryland without ever hiring a commissioned salesperson.
Why It Matters
What 73 Years of Family Ownership
Actually Means
These are not marketing positions. They are structural decisions that a family-owned company makes — and a PE-backed franchise cannot replicate.
No Commissioned Salespeople. Ever.
In 73 years, Oriole has never employed a commissioned salesperson. The inspector who visits your home is paid to diagnose accurately — not to close you on the largest system. That is a structural decision built into this company from day one.
A Guarantee That Transfers When You Sell
Our Lifetime Transferable Guarantee moves with the property — not the person. When you sell your Maryland home, the new owner inherits the warranty. No national franchise offers that. It is only possible because we intend to be around to honor it.
Maryland-Built, Maryland-Specific
Piedmont clay. Chesapeake water tables. Maryland freeze-thaw cycles. OBW systems are engineered for these specific conditions — not adapted from a national template built for a different climate and a different soil type.
The People Who Quote Are the People Who Work
Oriole does not use subcontractors for waterproofing or foundation work. The crew that shows up was trained in-house and is accountable to the same family that has been in this county since 1953.
The Team
Who Runs Oriole Today
Two members of the Pirog family — the fourth generation — lead the company their great-grandfather founded.
Amber Pirog
Chief Executive Officer · Fourth Generation
Amber leads Oriole as the fourth member of the Pirog family to run the company her great-grandfather Frank Sr. started in 1953. She oversees operations, client relationships, and the direction of a business built on reputation rather than advertising spend.
Mark Michael
Director of Operations · Pirog Family
Mark is Amber's cousin and Director of Operations at Oriole. He manages job scheduling, crew coordination, and quality assurance — the work that keeps 4,000+ job histories honored and new customers receiving the same standard as the first ones.
Oriole will review and approve team photos before site launch. This page is a working draft.
See Our Work
OBW in Action
Over 17 videos on our YouTube channel — from company overviews to job-site walkthroughs of real Maryland waterproofing and foundation repair projects.
Company Overview
Maryland's Oldest Basement Waterproofing Company
An introduction to Oriole Basement Waterproofing — who we are, what we do, and why Maryland homeowners have trusted the Pirog family since 1953.
View All Videos on YouTube →How Does Basement Waterproofing Work?
Why is Basement Waterproofing Necessary?
Can You Waterproof a Basement?
Work With Maryland's Original.
Free inspection. Written quote same day. No commissioned salespeople — true since 1953.
Family-owned since 1953 · Joppa, MD · MHIC #4247