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Field guide for Burlington owners

Basement Flooding Subsidies in Burlington

Public money is often available to help Burlington homeowners protect their basements from flooding. The catch is that each program has its own rules, and the order you do things in can decide whether you qualify.

  • Steps you can safely take yourself
  • What it looks like in Burlington houses
  • When to put the wrench down and phone us
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The short answer

Halton Region, which runs the water and wastewater systems serving Burlington, has offered a basement flooding prevention subsidy for several years. It has covered part of the cost of work such as installing a backwater valve, disconnecting downspouts from the sewer, disconnecting foundation drains and adding a sump pump. Amounts, eligible work and deadlines change from time to time, so treat any figure you hear from a neighbour as out of date until you have checked the Region's current terms yourself.

Homes in Waterdown and Westdale fall under the City of Hamilton instead, which has run its own protective plumbing grant program with separate rules.

Key point

Public money is often available to help Burlington homeowners protect their basements from flooding.

Step by step

  1. Confirm who serves your address. Burlington addresses are Halton Region for water and sewer. Hamilton addresses go to the City of Hamilton.
  2. Read the current program terms. Look for what work is eligible, the maximum amount, whether pre-approval is required and what documents you will need.
  3. Ask whether an inspection or assessment comes first. Some programs have required a review of the property, or a camera inspection of the drain, before work starts.
  4. Get a plumbing permit where needed. A backwater valve on the main drain normally requires one from the City of Burlington's building department, and subsidy programs usually expect proof that the work passed inspection.
  5. Keep every record. Itemized invoices, permit numbers, inspection sign-offs and before-and-after photos are commonly requested.
  6. Apply within the deadline set after the work is finished.
Order matters: if a program requires pre-approval and you start the work first, you may lose eligibility. Read the application rules before booking any contractor, including us.

Have this ready when you call

  • Which fixture, which floor
  • Whether the main is closed
  • Rough age of the house and heater
  • Any past floods or drain work

What to ask the Region or the City

  • Is the program open, and is there a cap on the number of applications this year?
  • Which pieces of work are covered, and at what share of cost?
  • Do I need approval before work starts?
  • What paperwork must the plumber provide?
  • Does the program require a licensed contractor, and does my own labour count?
  • Is there separate funding for downspout disconnection or weeping tile work?

First move in a leak

Close the main shut-off, open a low tap to drain pressure, then call (365) 464-5184.

The moment to phone us

Phone us after you have read the program rules and want a quote that lines up with them. We can camera the main drain, explain where a valve would go, and break down the invoice in the way the application asks for. If your basement has already flooded, deal with the immediate damage first; our page on basement flooding repair covers that stage. For the valve itself, see backwater valve installation.

Burlington specifics

Interest in these programs jumped after the storm of August 4, 2014, when close to 200 millimetres of rain fell on parts of the city in a single day and thousands of basements took on water. Older neighbourhoods with combined or overloaded systems were hit hardest. Our article on lessons from the 2014 flood looks at what changed afterward.

Insurance is a separate matter. Many insurers ask whether a home has a backwater valve, and some adjust sewer backup coverage depending on the answer. Keep the permit and invoice with your insurance papers.

Subsidies cover only part of the picture. Downspouts that discharge onto the lawn away from the foundation, grading that slopes away from the house and a working sump pump all reduce risk too, and several cost little. Our basement flooding prevention guide walks through them.

Questions we hear

Does Halton Region pay for the whole backwater valve?

Programs have generally covered a portion of the cost up to a set maximum. Check the Region's current terms for the exact share.

Is a retroactive application possible once the work is finished?

Some programs accept applications after completion, while others require approval first. Confirm before any work begins.

Does Waterdown qualify for Halton's subsidy?

No. Waterdown is in the City of Hamilton, which runs its own program.

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