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Get matched with local waterproofing contractors. See the Building Code minimums, which jobs need a City permit, and what the City's rebate covers before anyone digs.
Free matching. No phone number needed; contractors reply by email. We do not inspect, license or screen the contractors we forward requests to.
Tell us what was damaged (drywall, flooring, insulation, trim) and roughly how much, and we will pass your request straight to a local contractor who does flood damage repairs.
Water still coming in? Need emergency plumbing services in Ottawa →
The minimums a quote should be measured against. Whether a wall gets dampproofing or waterproofing turns on hydrostatic pressure, and the Code gives no number for that, so ask the contractor which one the quote covers and why.
| Marker | Requirement | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dampproofing: finished ground to top of footing | 9.13.2.4 |
| 2 | Waterproofing instead, where hydrostatic pressure occurs | 9.13.3.1 |
| 3 | Block walls: at least 6 mm parging, coved over the footing | 9.13.2.3 |
| 4 | Drain tile at least 100 mm, top below the slab | 9.14.3.2, 9.14.3.3 |
| 5 | At least 150 mm of clean stone over top and sides | 9.14.3.3 |
| 6 | Slab at least 75 mm on at least 100 mm of granular | 9.16.4.3, 9.16.2.1 |
| 7 | Sump pit at least 750 mm deep and 0.25 m², airtight child-resistant cover | 9.14.5.2 |
| 8 | Discharge: union, then check valve, pumped above grade | 7.4.6.3 |
| 9 | Window well drained to footing level | 9.14.6.3 |
| 10 | Ground graded so water does not collect at the wall | 9.14.6.1 |
Pick the place it shows up to see what the City says about it and who to ask.
What the City saysThe City says snowmelt and heavy rain can leak through cracks or joints in basement walls or floors.
Who to askA waterproofing contractor, for exterior work or an interior drain and sump.
Read Exterior Foundation Waterproofing · Interior Drainage & Sump Systems
Get quotes for thisWhat the City saysThe City lists cracks as a way groundwater gets in, advises sealing cracks, and does not give its Compassionate Grant for flooding from a foundation crack.
Who to askA waterproofing contractor who does crack injection. If the crack is part of a structural problem, ask the City about a permit first.
Read Foundation Crack Injection · Structural Foundation Repair
Get quotes for thisWhat the City saysThe City lists windows as a way overland water gets in and advises sealing window wells. The Building Code says every window well is drained to the footing level or another suitable location.
Who to askA waterproofing contractor who installs window wells and their drains.
Read Window Wells
Get quotes for thisWhat the City saysThe City names sewer surcharging, the sewer backing up through the lateral, as one cause of basement flooding, and says flood water may contain sewage. It also says that if no water comes up through your drain when you run water, the problem is likely groundwater.
Who to askA licensed plumber or a contractor who installs backwater valves; a valve needs a City permit.
Read Backwater Valves
Get quotes for thisWhat the City saysThe City lists failed foundation drains or sump pumps among the things a backwater valve will not stop. Ontario advises testing sump pumps and installing a backup power system such as a battery backup.
Who to askA contractor or plumber who installs sump pumps; a new pit and pump needs a City permit.
Read Sump Pumps & Battery Backup
Get quotes for thisA contractor or plumber has to look at the house before anyone can say why water is getting in. These cards say what the City says and who to ask, nothing more.
Checked September 2026
The City of Ottawa's Residential Protective Plumbing Program rebates protective plumbing devices. It does not cover membranes, crack injection, drain tile or window wells.
| Item | Maximum rebate |
|---|---|
| Building permit (plumbing work only) | 100 per cent of the current fee |
| Indoor sanitary backwater valve (home built before January 1, 2012) | $1,000 |
| Storm backwater valve (home built before January 1, 2004) | $1,000 |
| Outdoor storm backwater valve (home built before January 1, 2004) | $2,500 |
| Sump pump with battery backup power, existing pit | $1,500 |
| Sump pump with battery backup power and a new pit | $3,000 |
The City lists the program as currently under review: check ottawa.ca before you rely on it.
2026 fee schedule: plumbing work only $117 per application; other work $12.75 per $1,000 of the work's value, minimum $117. Designated heritage buildings and buildings in a Heritage District Overlay do not get the exemptions. Questions go to the City's Building Code Services.
A range is shown only where two independent published Ontario contractor price pages agree. Basement finishing is not part of this site.
Plain answers to Ottawa waterproofing questions: the Building Code, drain tile, sump pumps, backwater valves, permits, the City rebate and costs.
The City lists "Damp proofing of existing basements" as work that does not need a permit. "Structural foundation repairs and drain tile replacement" is on its permit list, and the City says a permit is required to install protective plumbing devices such as a backwater valve or a sump pit and pump. Exterior membrane work without tile replacement, and crack injection, are not named on either list: ask the City's Building Code Services before the work starts.
Published Ontario contractor pages for 2025–26 put exterior waterproofing at about $100 to $350 per linear foot of wall, commonly $150 to $250. Interior drain and sump systems run about $70 to $150 per linear foot. These are published figures, not rates: deeper foundations and tight access cost more, and whether the drain tile is replaced changes the scope, so compare written quotes for the same scope.
Ontario's Building Code makes dampproofing the default for a foundation wall below ground where the outside ground is higher than the floor inside, applied from finished ground level to the top of the footing. Waterproofing is required "where hydrostatic pressure occurs" (O. Reg. 163/24, 9.13.3.1). The Code gives no number for that, so ask the contractor which one the quote covers and why it fits your site.
We found no Ontario or City of Ottawa licence for waterproofing contractors. Plumber is a compulsory trade in Ontario, and the province says you cannot engage someone to do compulsory trade work unless they are authorized to do it, so ask who does the plumbing part of a backwater valve or sump job. The Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register is where homeowners can check.
Tell us where the water is getting in and we send it to local Ottawa waterproofing contractors