Flooded basement in Toronto: what to do, step by step
The order matters more than the effort. What to do before you go down the stairs, who to tell, and why the kind of water decides what can be saved.
Water on the floor now? Call 647-697-7435, answered 24 hours
If your basement floods in Toronto, do not walk into the water until the power is safe. Then stop the source if you can, report the flooding to the City through 311, call your insurer, photograph everything before moving it, and get the water extracted and the structure drying as early as possible.
Water and electricity share a basement. The panel is usually down there, and so are outlets a few inches off the floor, a furnace, a freezer and a tangle of extension cords.
The City of Toronto's basement flooding page says to contact Toronto Hydro to have your power shut off if water has risen above outlets or is near the electrical panel. Do not wade across a flooded floor to reach the breakers yourself.
If there is a smell of gas, leave and call the gas utility from outside. If the water is rising fast or the stairs are wet and dark, stay up top.
The steps, in order
- Make it safe. Power first, as above. Keep children and pets out.
- Stop the source if it is yours. A burst pipe or failed water heater stops at the main shut-off. Rain and sewer water you cannot stop, but you can stop adding to it: the City says that if you suspect a sewer backup, do not use toilets and sinks unless absolutely necessary until it is resolved.
- Report it. The City asks residents to report basement flooding by contacting 311 or submitting a service request online.
- Call your insurer. Do it early. The City's page says to take photos of the damage and keep receipts from emergency repair or clean-up work.
- Photograph before you touch. Wide shots, the water line on the walls and furniture, the source if you can see it, and anything damaged.
- Protect yourself. For clean-up, the City lists full-length clothing, gloves, protective eyeglasses, rubber boots and a mask.
- Get the water out and the drying started. Lift what can be saved onto something dry. Then extraction, and then air movers and dehumidifiers.
The first hour of a water leak covers the shut-off and the photographs in more detail.
Clean water or sewer backup: work out which
Everything after step 7 depends on what kind of water it is.
| Clean water | Sewer or drain backup | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it came from | Supply pipe, water heater, washing machine hose | Floor drain, basement toilet or shower |
| What it looks and smells like | Clear, no odour at first | Dark, cloudy, with an obvious smell |
| Safe to handle yourself | A small amount, with the power off | No. Treat it as contaminated |
| Carpet, underlay, drywall it touched | Often dried and saved if caught early | Generally removed and thrown out |
| What the work involves | Extract and dry | Remove, clean, disinfect, then dry |
Water coming up through the floor drain during heavy rain is a backup, however clear it looks. The City's page suggests considering a professional cleaning company familiar with cleaning sewage contaminated basements, and that is sound advice. Soft things that sat in it, including cardboard, upholstered furniture, mattresses and children's toys, are usually not worth the risk of keeping.
Rain or groundwater seeping through a wall or floor sits in between. It is not sewage, but it has come through soil, and it will keep arriving until the weather changes or the drainage is fixed.
The dry-out, and what it costs
A wet-dry vacuum and a household fan deal with the puddle. They do not deal with the water inside the bottom of the walls, under the flooring or in the slab. A finished basement can look dry in two days and be growing mould behind the baseboards a week later.
Proper drying means lifting what is trapping water and running dehumidifiers and air movers until the structure, not just the surface, is dry. On AllCleaner's published rates a full basement runs $5,000 to $25,000, and where a job falls is mostly about the type of water, how much is finished, and how long it sat. The detail is in what water damage restoration costs in Toronto.
The City's subsidy for stopping the next one
The City of Toronto runs a Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program for registered owners of single-family, duplex, triplex and fourplex homes. At the time of writing, the City's page lists subsidies of up to 80 per cent of the invoiced cost for devices such as backwater valves and a sump pump, each with its own dollar cap, to a maximum of $6,650 per property. Conditions apply, including disconnected downspouts and a contractor licensed by the City, and the City decides eligibility. Check the page for current amounts before you hire anyone.
The program pays toward prevention. It does not pay for cleaning up a flood.
For the clean-up itself, AllCleaner's water damage cleaning and restoration covers extraction, drying and documenting the damage for your insurer. The emergency line is answered 24 hours on 647-697-7435.
Short answers.
- What is the first thing to do when a basement floods?
- Stay out of the water until the power is dealt with. The City of Toronto advises contacting Toronto Hydro to have power shut off if water has risen above outlets or is near the electrical panel. Then stop the source if you can, report it, and photograph everything before moving it.
- Who do I call for a flooded basement in Toronto?
- The City of Toronto asks residents to report basement flooding by contacting 311. Call your insurance company as soon as possible, and call a restoration company to extract the water and start drying. AllCleaner's emergency line is answered 24 hours on 647-697-7435.
- Does Toronto help pay for basement flood prevention?
- Yes. The City of Toronto runs a Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program for owners of eligible homes. It subsidizes devices such as backwater valves and sump pumps, up to a per property maximum listed on toronto.ca. It covers prevention work, not the cost of cleaning up a flood.
