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A homeowner’s guide to Toronto’s basement flooding subsidy
Toronto’s municipal government has helped homeowners pay for flood protection through its Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program. Here’s how the process has generally worked, so you can plan before you call anyone.
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Program rules, amounts and deadlines are set by the City and can change. Always confirm the current details on toronto.ca or by calling 311 before starting. Work done before you’ve confirmed eligibility may not qualify.
What the subsidy has covered
The program has offered partial reimbursement for three kinds of work:
- Installing a backwater valve on the main drain, so a surcharged sewer cannot push back into the basement.
- Installing a sump pump to handle water from the foundation drains.
- Disconnecting and capping the foundation drain connection to the sewer, so an overloaded sewer can’t back up through the weeping tiles.
Each item has had its own maximum amount, with an overall cap per property.
How the process usually goes
- Find out what your home needs. A camera inspection of the main drain, and a look at how your foundation drains connect, show which of the three items apply.
- Get a plumbing permit. The work has required a City plumbing permit, taken out before work starts.
- Have the work done by a licensed plumber.
- Pass the City inspection before the floor is closed.
- Apply for the subsidy with the required documents, typically the permit, the inspection approval, an itemized invoice and proof of payment.
Planning tips
- Bundle the work. If the floor is being opened for a backwater valve, that’s the time to deal with the sump and foundation drains too.
- Ask for an itemized invoice. The program has needed costs broken down by item.
- Keep everything. Permits, inspection records and invoices are also useful for your insurer and when you sell.
- Do it before finishing the basement. Protection is much cheaper to install before flooring and drywall go in.
Beyond the subsidy
Backwater valves and sump pumps deal with sewer backup and groundwater. You can lower your risk further by making sure downspouts discharge onto the ground away from the foundation, grading soil so it slopes away from the house, and keeping window wells clear. Toronto required many homes to disconnect their downspouts from the sewer system years ago; if yours still run into the ground, check whether they’re still connected.
Read more about backwater valve installation and sump pumps.
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