How do I compare two interior drain quotes for my Barrhaven basement?

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 figures ranging from $50 to $230. If two quotes land far apart, check whether they describe the same scope before comparing the prices.

The first thing to check is what each quote actually covers. An interior drain channel cut into the slab, a sump pit, and a sump pump are three separate items, and a quote can include all of them, some of them, or just one. Ask each contractor to break the price down so you can see what you are paying for each piece. Key things that shift the number: whether the drain runs along one wall or the full perimeter, whether a new sump pit is being dug or an existing one is being used, and whether a battery backup is included with the pump.

What to read carefully in each quote

• The length of drain channel in linear feet, and which walls it covers.
• Whether a sump pit is new construction or existing, and its dimensions. Ontario's Building Code (9.14.5.2) sets minimums of 750 mm deep and 0.25 m² in area, with a cover that resists removal by children and is airtight.
• Where the sump discharges. The Code (9.14.5.1) requires discharge to a sewer, a drainage ditch, or a dry well meeting specific conditions. The City advises pumping to the ground at least 1.2 m from the foundation.
• Whether a battery backup pump is included.
• Who pulls any required permit. Ask each contractor whether the City requires a permit for the specific scope they are quoting, and who is responsible for getting it.
• Whether a licensed plumber does or signs off the plumbing connections. Plumber is a compulsory trade in Ontario; you can check the Skilled Trades Ontario Public Register.
• Ask each contractor for their insurance details in writing, and ask for a WSIB clearance certificate.

On the contract itself, the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 requires that a direct agreement over $50 be in writing, include a fair description of the work with itemized prices and start and completion dates, and give you 10 days to cancel after you receive the written copy. If either quote is an estimate, the supplier cannot charge more than 10 per cent over it.

One practical check: ask both contractors to describe in writing exactly where the water is coming from and what their system addresses. The City lists three ways water enters a basement, and a contractor or plumber has to look at the house to say which applies to yours. If one quote addresses a different source than the other, you are not comparing the same job.

When you set the two written quotes side by side, line up the wall lengths covered, confirm whether each includes a new pit or uses an existing one, and check where each one discharges, so you are comparing the same job.