Does a finished basement raise the cost of an interior drain in Orleans?

Published 2025–26 prices for an interior drain and sump system run about $70 to $150 per linear foot of wall, with some published Ontario contractor pages showing a range from $50 to $230. Whether your basement is finished is one of the factors that affects where your quote lands within that range.

Ask each contractor to spell out what the price assumes about what is finished along the walls, what comes out, and whether anything is put back.

A few other things affect the cost for your specific job:

• wall length being drained
• whether a new sump pit is needed or an existing one is used
• whether battery backup is included with the pump
• what is finished inside and how much of it must come down

The sump pit itself has its own price range. Replacing a pump in an existing pit runs about $500 to $1,200; a new pit adds about $500 to $1,500; a pump with battery backup is about $2,000 to $4,000 for the pump portion. Ask each contractor whether those are included in the per-foot price or quoted separately.

On the permit side, the City of Ottawa says a building permit is required to install a sump pit and pump as protective plumbing. Whether the interior drain channel itself falls under "drain tile replacement" on the permit list is not stated, so ask the City's Building Code Services before work starts.

Ask each contractor for a written breakdown showing the wall length being quoted, what demolition and patching is included, and whether the sump pit and pump are part of the price or a separate line.