Licensed plumbers install and maintain the backwater valves and sump pumps that keep storm water and sewage out of your basement, tested every year through your plan.
Many older Toronto homes are connected to the city sewer by clay or cast-iron laterals that have been in the ground for decades. Tree roots, cracks and shifting soil narrow them over time. In a heavy storm the municipal system can fill and push water back toward the house, and the lowest drain in the home is where it comes out.
The usual protections are a backwater valve, a sump pump and good drainage around the house. Each one is only useful if it is installed correctly and still works when the storm arrives.
The City of Toronto offers a subsidy toward some of this work, and we can help you apply. Eligibility and requirements are set by the City, so we check them with you before any work starts.
A valve that has been closed for years can stick, and a pump that has never run can fail the first time it is needed. Backwater valve and sump pump tests are part of the spring routine on your maintenance plan, ahead of the storm season, with the results written down so you can see them.
Backwater valves are standard on new homes, and today's sump pumps come with battery backup and high-water alarms. Most older houses need both added.
Members buy a minimum of 60 hours of Home Manager time at $121 an hour, with no monthly fees, and unused hours never expire. Plumbing work is billed through Zebrano as it is done, and you see the scope before it begins. The cost depends on the house, the depth of the lateral and the condition of the existing lines, so we look before we quote.
A backwater valve sits in your home's main sewer drain and closes automatically if the city sewer backs up, stopping sewage from coming up through your basement drains. If your house has basement drains or fixtures and has never had one, it is worth considering, especially in older Toronto neighbourhoods. A licensed plumber can confirm it suits your plumbing.
Yes. The City's Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program covers up to 80% of eligible costs, up to $1,600 per backwater valve and $2,250 for a sump pump, and up to $6,650 per property for work completed since November 12, 2025. Conditions apply, including City-licensed contractors, a building permit for backwater valves and disconnected downspouts. Check toronto.ca for current details.
Yes. A backwater valve needs a building permit, and the City inspects it before it is covered up. The permit and inspection are also required for the City's flooding subsidy. Your plumber pulls the permit and your Home Manager makes sure the inspection happens.
Check and clean it at least once a year, and after a heavy storm, so debris does not stop the flap from closing. Spring, before storm season, is the usual time. It is part of every member's Annual Home Care Plan.
Slowly pour water into the pit until the float lifts and the pump starts, then check the water drains outside and the pump shuts off. Listen for grinding or rattling and make sure the discharge line is not blocked or frozen. A battery backup and a high-water alarm protect you in power cuts, which often come with the same storms.
There are no monthly fees. Members buy a minimum of 60 hours of Home Manager time at $121 an hour, and unused hours never expire. Trade and maintenance work is billed through Zebrano as it is done, on the same invoice, because every home's needs are different.
Your Home Manager keeps the record of what was installed, when it was tested and who did the work, so the protection is still working when the storm comes.
Zebrano - Luxury Home Management. We look after Toronto homes: maintenance, trades, small renovations, refreshes and emergencies. In business since 2001.