Window Wells
New or replacement basement window wells, drained to the footing as the Building Code requires.
About $1,600–$3,800 per well with drainage (published Ontario contractor pricing, 2025–26; yours will differ).
Find a Waterproofing ContractorAbout Window Wells
A window well holds the soil back from a basement window that sits below grade. The Building Code says every window well "shall be drained to the footing level or other suitable location" (O. Reg. 163/24, 9.14.6.3), so a well with no drain is the first thing to ask about.
The City lists windows among the ways overland water gets into a house, advises sealing window wells, and does not provide its Compassionate Grant for basement flooding "due to a foundation crack or leaking window well".
Replacing a well at an existing window is not named on either of the City's permit lists. A new window where there was none before, or an enlarged or relocated window, is on the permit list. Digging for a well needs a free locate request first.
Published Ontario contractor pages put a window well with drainage at about $1,600 to $3,800 per well.
What This Work Covers
- Well drained to the footing level
- Well size and material stated in the quote
- Ground sloped away from the foundation (City advice)
- Locate request before digging
- Permit asked about where the window is new or enlarged
Popular For
What this work costs
Common questions about window wells
- What price range do published Ontario pages give for window wells with drains?
- What should a quote say about window well drainage in Kanata?
- Window well replacement quote in Westboro: what should it include?
- Does Ottawa's Compassionate Grant cover flooding from a leaking window well?
- New window well with a drain in Findlay Creek, how much?
- Is the 1.2 metre sump discharge distance an Ottawa rule or advice?
- Can a window well drain into my sump in Barrhaven?
- Who looks after a sump pump in an Ottawa home?
Other Waterproofing Services
Exterior Foundation Waterproofing
Digging down the outside of the foundation to the footing and putting a membrane or coating on the wall, with new drain tile at the bottom where it is replaced.
Interior Drainage & Sump Systems
A drain channel cut in along the inside of the basement floor that carries seepage to a sump pit and pump, without digging outside.
Weeping Tile Replacement
Replacing the drain pipe at the base of the foundation that collects groundwater, laid to the Building Code's size and stone rules.
Foundation Crack Injection
Sealing a leaking crack in a poured concrete foundation from the inside by injecting it, priced per crack.
Sump Pumps & Battery Backup
New sump pits, pump replacement and battery backup pumps, with the City permit and the protective plumbing rebate in view.
Backwater Valves
A normally open valve on the sanitary or storm drain that closes when the sewer backs up, installed under a City permit as part of a flood plan.
Structural Foundation Repair
Repairs to a foundation wall or footing that carries load, which the City lists as building permit work.
Ready to Get Started?
Tell us about your window wells job and we'll send it to local waterproofing contractors in Ottawa. They reply by email.