Sump pumps and backwater valves in Richmond Hill and York Region
Two pieces of equipment stand between a heavy storm and your basement floor. Most people find out theirs was not working on the night it mattered.
Call (416) 939-0011 Or ask for a callback
Richmond Hill will pay up to $1,500 toward a backwater valve. It needs a building permit before the work starts and an inspection after, and it requires a licensed contractor. If you are going to do this, doing it in the right order is the difference between being reimbursed and not.
Richmond Hill Backwater Valve Subsidy Program, verified August 2026.
What we handle
- Backwater valve installation
- Sump pump failures
- Pumps running constantly
- Planned pump replacement
- Battery backups
- Frozen discharge lines
- Backwater valve inspection and cleaning
- Alarms
- New sump pits
- Weeping tile severance
- Sewage ejector pumps
What it usually turns out to be
The things people describe on the phone, and what each one normally means.
How do I know if my sump pump is working?
Pour a bucket of water into the pit. It should start, clear it, and stop. If it runs and does not clear, or does not start, it is not going to help you in March.
Why is my sump pump running constantly?
Either the float is stuck, the check valve has failed and it is pumping the same water round in a circle, or there is genuinely that much water arriving. The three have very different answers.
What is a backwater valve and do I need one?
It closes the sewer line when the city main surcharges, so that what is in the street does not come up through your basement drain. If your street has flooded before, you need one.
Will insurance cover a flooded basement?
Sewer backup coverage is usually an add-on rather than standard, and insurers have been raising deductibles specifically for it. Worth reading your policy before the storm rather than after.
What happens when the power goes out?
The pump stops. Storms that flood basements are also the storms that take the power out, which is the entire argument for a battery backup.
What affects the cost
Both jobs are quotable in advance because they are planned work rather than emergencies. What moves the price is the state of the existing pit or line, whether concrete has to come up, and the permit.
Related services
Ask for a callback
Leave your number and what is going on. If water is running right now, call instead, that is faster.