Catch Basin & Yard Drainage Cost in Toronto: 2026 Guide

If you have standing water in your Toronto backyard after every rainstorm, or a soggy patch that kills the lawn no matter what you plant, the fix is yard drainage. The standard solution is a catch basin tied into a discharge line, sometimes paired with a French drain and regrading. In Toronto and across the GTA in 2026, a single residential catch basin runs $1,800 to $3,500 installed. Full yard drainage systems range $4,500 to $12,000. We are OCM Excavation & Construction. Call 416-317-3090 for a site-specific quote.

What Catch Basin and Yard Drainage Costs in Toronto for 2026

Honest GTA pricing for the most common configurations we install:

• Single plastic catch basin, 20 to 40 ft discharge line, splash pad outlet: $1,800 to $3,000.
• Single precast concrete catch basin, same line length: $2,500 to $3,500. Concrete lasts longer in heavy clay.
• Two-basin system with 60 to 80 ft of 4-inch PVC, soak pit discharge: $4,500 to $7,500.
• Full perimeter yard drainage with 3+ basins, French drain, and 100+ ft of pipe: $7,500 to $14,000.
• Adding regrading to direct surface water: $1,200 to $4,000 depending on yard size.
• Discharge to city storm sewer (where permitted): Add $2,000 to $6,000 for road-cut, permit, and restoration.

Our published basement waterproofing cost guide covers the foundation-side numbers if your drainage problem is also flooding the basement.

What Drives the Price

Discharge Location

The single biggest cost variable is where the water ends up. A splash pad in a low corner of your yard is cheap. A soak pit (a buried gravel reservoir) is mid-range. A connection to the municipal storm sewer requires a permit, a road-cut, and city engineering review, which doubles the project cost on most Toronto residential lots.

Pipe Length

4-inch PVC drain pipe installed at proper depth (below the 4-foot Toronto frost line) costs roughly $35 to $60 per linear foot all-in including labour, gravel, and backfill. Longer runs add up fast. A catch basin at the rear corner of a 100-foot deep lot draining to a soak pit at the front means 100 feet of buried pipe.

Number of Inlets

One catch basin handles one low point. If your yard has multiple low spots, multiple downspouts, and a patio that floods, you need multiple inlets feeding one discharge line. Each additional inlet adds $700 to $1,500 to the system cost.

Basin Material

Plastic catch basins (HDPE, NDS, or similar) cost $80 to $250 in material. Precast concrete basins cost $300 to $700 in material. Plastic is fine for light residential use. Concrete is required if a vehicle could ever drive over the basin or if heavy equipment will be on the lawn.

Access and Existing Hardscape

Cutting through an existing concrete patio to install a basin is expensive. Pulling up flagstone, saw-cutting interlock, or tunneling under a deck all add labour. Add $1,000 to $4,000 if the drainage route runs through finished hardscape.

How a Toronto Catch Basin Install Actually Works

1. Diagnose the problem. Walk the yard during or after a rain. Mark low spots, downspout outlets, and where water travels.
2. Design the system. Pick basin locations, pipe routing, slope (minimum 1% fall), and discharge point.
3. Ontario One Call locates. Mandatory and free, takes 5 business days.
4. Excavate. Trench the pipe route to 4 feet minimum (below Toronto frost). Dig the basin pits.
5. Install basin and pipe. Set the basin on a gravel base, connect 4-inch SDR-35 PVC, slope to discharge.
6. Discharge install. Build the soak pit, splash pad, or storm-sewer connection.
7. Backfill and restore. Compacted backfill in lifts. Topsoil and sod or seed on top. Cleanup.

Toronto Basement Flooding Subsidy: What is Covered

The City of Toronto runs the Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program under Chapter 681. The program was expanded in late 2025. For work completed on or after November 12, 2025, the property cap is $6,650 in total subsidies. Eligible components:

• Backwater valve: Up to $1,600 per device, maximum 2 devices.
• Sump pump installation: Up to $2,250.
• Battery backup for sump: Up to $300.
• Plumbing assessment: Up to $500.
• Foundation drain severance and capping: Up to $400.
• Reimbursement rate: 80% of invoiced cost per component, up to the cap.

A standalone yard catch basin is not on the eligible list, but a sump pump tied to your catch basin discharge and a foundation drain disconnect during the same scope often are. Talk to your installer about bundling subsidy-eligible components into the quote. The program is administered by Toronto Water and applications go in after work is complete with invoices. Always verify current eligibility at toronto.ca because the program updates.

Common Toronto and GTA Drainage Scenarios

The Flooded Backyard Patio (East York, Etobicoke, Mississauga)

Concrete or interlock patio holding water after rain. Usually one catch basin at the low corner, 30 to 50 feet of pipe to a discharge, $2,500 to $4,500.

The Soggy Lawn (Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill new builds)

Flat clay lot, no slope, builder grading was minimum spec. Solution is usually regrading plus a French drain plus 1 or 2 catch basins at low points. $5,000 to $9,000.

The Downspout Disaster (downtown Toronto, the Beaches, Leslieville)

Three or four downspouts dumping at the foundation. Solution is buried downspout extensions tied to a catch basin and discharge line. $3,500 to $7,000. Often pairs with foundation drain severance for the Toronto subsidy.

The Driveway River (Oakville, Brampton, Aurora)

Long sloped driveway dumping water into the garage. Trench drain at the garage entry plus a buried discharge line. $3,500 to $6,500 depending on driveway width. See our driveway excavation cost guide for related work.

Why Choose OCM for Yard Drainage Across the GTA

We are licensed and insured for civil drainage work across Toronto and the GTA. Drainage is one of those trades where shortcuts come back to bite you. Shallow pipe, undersized basin, no slope, wrong discharge. All standard cheap-quote mistakes. We do not do them.

• 4-foot minimum pipe depth, every job, no exceptions.
• 4-inch SDR-35 PVC pipe minimum. We do not install corrugated.
• Gravel base under every basin.
• Slope verified with a laser level before backfill.
• Photo documentation of the system before we cover it.

We service Toronto, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Aurora, Newmarket, and King City. See our Toronto excavation services, our Mississauga work, and our Oakville pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a catch basin cost to install in Toronto?

A single residential catch basin installed in Toronto runs $1,800 to $3,500 in 2026, including the basin, frame, grate, gravel base, and tie-in to a 20 to 40 foot drain line. Full yard drainage systems with multiple inlets are $4,500 to $12,000 depending on length and discharge solution.

What is the difference between a catch basin and a French drain?

A catch basin is a precast concrete or plastic box at the low point of your yard that captures surface water and pipes it away. A French drain is a perforated pipe in a gravel trench that collects subsurface water along its length. Most Toronto yards with standing water need both, sized to the problem.

Where can I discharge a catch basin in Toronto?

Toronto rules generally require yard drainage to discharge to a soak pit, rain garden, or splash pad on your own property. Direct connections to the city storm sewer typically require a permit and city engineering review. Discharging to the sanitary sewer is not allowed. Confirm current rules with Toronto Water before you dig.

Can I get the Toronto Basement Flooding Subsidy for catch basin work?

Catch basins themselves are not directly subsidized under Toronto’s Chapter 681 program. However, related foundation drain severance and capping is covered up to $400. Sump pumps tied to the catch basin discharge can qualify for up to $2,250. Total subsidy cap is $6,650 per property. Talk to your installer about subsidy-eligible components.

Why is water pooling in my yard after every rain?

Toronto and most of the GTA sits on heavy clay that drains slowly. Add a flat lot, a paved patio, or a downspout dumping onto a low spot and you get standing water. The fix is some combination of catch basin, French drain, regrading, and downspout extension. Diagnosis matters more than picking one solution off a shelf.

How long does catch basin installation take?

A single catch basin with a short discharge line takes 1 to 2 days. A full yard drainage system with multiple inlets, 100+ feet of pipe, and a soak pit takes 3 to 5 days. We dig, set the basin and pipe, gravel-base everything, and backfill in the same visit.

Do I need a permit for a catch basin?

For a surface-only catch basin discharging within your own yard, no permit is typically required in Toronto. If you are tying into the city storm sewer, modifying foundation drainage, or doing work within municipal road allowance, permits and engineering may be required. We sort the paperwork during the quote.

Will a catch basin freeze in Toronto winters?

Properly installed catch basins with discharge lines below the frost line (typically 4 feet in Toronto) do not freeze and clog. Shallow installations crack and back up every winter. Insist on a properly buried discharge line. We install all our catch basin pipe at 4 feet minimum across the GTA.

Book a Drainage Site Visit

Call OCM at 416-317-3090 for an on-site drainage evaluation. We walk the yard, identify the actual problem, and quote the actual fix. No upsells, no guesswork. Get a free quote here. Also see our topsoil and grading cost guide if regrading is part of the solution.