Overview: Drain Cleaning Services
When the basement floor drain starts to gurgle, you want two answers fast: where the blockage is, and whose pipe it's in. One slow sink is usually a branch line inside the house. Water rising at the floor drain, or several fixtures acting up at once, points to the sewer line under the lawn.
Before you pay anyone, think about the city. In Toronto, a report to the city gets Toronto Water out to check the city's side of your sewer connection. The report also leaves a record, which matters if you ever file a flood claim against the city.
Once the fix means new pipe, the trade rules kick in. In Ontario, plumbing is a compulsory trade, so the person doing it needs a certificate of qualification or a registered apprenticeship. In Quebec, a plumbing contractor needs a licence from the Régie du bâtiment and membership in the CMMTQ. Digging in Ontario also means a locate request through Ontario One Call. It's free, and it has to go in at least five business days ahead.
Our listings show what each drain company says on its own website. Start with your province, then open your city page to see who covers your street.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a drain back up in the first place?
Grease, hair and wipes cause most blockages inside the house. Out in the yard, roots find the joints in old clay or cast iron sewer pipe and keep growing. Heavy rain is a different problem. When the city sewer fills up, water can push back up through a basement floor drain even though your own pipe is clear. That calls for a backwater valve, not a drain cleaner.
Do I need a backwater valve in my basement?
If you have plumbing below street level, it's worth asking. A backwater valve lets water flow out but closes when the city sewer pushes back. Montreal requires one on the drains of basement fixtures such as toilets, showers, washers and floor drains. Elsewhere, ask your city what its bylaw says and whether you need a permit. Keep the valve easy to reach, because a jammed flap protects nothing.
When is a camera survey worth paying for?
Whenever the same line keeps blocking, before you buy an older house with big trees out front, and always before anyone quotes digging. In Toronto, report it to the city first. Toronto Water runs its own camera through the city's section and tells you which side the problem is on. Ask your contractor for the video file with distance markings, so a second company can see exactly what the first one saw.
Who owns the pipe between the house and the main?
Usually you own part of it and the city owns the rest. In Toronto, your share runs from the house to the property line, and the city's runs from there to the main. In Montreal, owners answer for the pipe out to the service box between the building and the main. Some neighbours share a single connection, so check yours before a dig gets quoted.
Can a sewer line freeze in a Canadian winter?
It can, though a line buried below the frost rarely does. Trouble shows up in shallow runs, under driveways where the snow gets cleared off, and in pipes through unheated crawl spaces or garages. A slow trickle down a half blocked line can freeze in place. A crew can clear the ice with hot water or steam. Ask why it froze, or you'll be calling again next January.
