Inspect
Drain camera inspection
HD video of what is inside your drain and sewer lines, with faults located from the surface, so repairs start from evidence.
Inspect · Drainage services Find the path before anyone digs.
Water shows up at the lowest point it can reach, rarely where it got in. So we don't start with the wet spot — we check the grade, the window wells, the foundation, the perimeter drain and the plumbing until we've found the actual way in. You get written findings with photos and video, and a straight answer: what it is, what fixes it, and whether it's something your insurer needs to hear about.
Signs worth a look
Any of these is worth a look before anyone touches a wall:
- A wet floor or wall, damp or cold foundation walls, or standing water
- Efflorescence, the white mineral deposit on concrete, which shows water has moved through but not which way
- Peeling paint, bubbling drywall, mould or a musty smell that will not clear
- Water that shows up after heavy rain
- Visible foundation cracks, even with no water near them yet
- A sump pump that runs more than it used to
- Humidity that stays above 50% between rains, even with a dehumidifier running. A basic hygrometer will show it
- A crawl space or storage room that never dries between rains
Not sure the signs point to drainage at all? Our guide on signs your perimeter drains are failing covers the pattern.
Where water gets in
Water shows up at the lowest point it can reach, which is rarely where it entered. A stain at the foot of a basement wall can start in the yard, at a window well, at the drain beside the footing, in the wall or in a pipe inside the house. Each calls for a different repair, so we trace the path first. Four routes from outside:
- Surface water at the wall. The ground has settled back toward the house, a downspout empties at the base of the wall, or a patio sheds into the gap beside the foundation. The drain below may be sound and simply overloaded. We look for ground that falls toward the wall and a downspout that ends beside it. The tell: water within minutes of heavy rain that dries out quickly.
- A window well with nowhere to drain. The well drain was never connected, or it joins a perimeter drain that has since failed, so the well fills and water finds the window frame. A wet gravel floor or a drain that does not take water shows it. The tell: water at one window only, and gravel that stays wet long after the rain stops.
- A failed perimeter drain. The pipe beside the footing is silted up, root-filled or collapsed, so groundwater builds up against the foundation and works through the wall. The camera shows silt, roots or a section that has closed off. The tell: water that arrives after sustained rain rather than at once, and is worst on one side of the house. Fixing it is perimeter drainage repair.
- Groundwater pressure at the wall. When groundwater rises above the underside of the slab, it can push up through the seam where the floor meets the wall. Seepage along the floor edge with no staining higher up points to the seam. Walls and floors under groundwater pressure come under Articles 9.13.1.1 and 9.16.3.2 of the BC Building Code 2024. A crack lets water straight through the concrete. A damp line along a visible crack points to the crack, which is foundation crack repair.
If water is coming in now, call or text (604) 210-3892.
The order we rule causes out
A leak that appears every November after the first hard rain points somewhere different than one that shows up whatever the weather. At Drainage Pro we diagnose before we excavate, so the visit starts with your history and follows the water.
- We talk through the symptoms, the timing and the history of the problem with you.
- We walk the outside and check the grading and the drainage around the house.
- We run a camera through the accessible drain lines. How that works is on our drain camera inspection page.
- We check the inside for moisture and cracks.
- You get written findings with photos and video, a clear recommendation and practical options. On average, a comprehensive visit takes between 1.5 and 2 hours.
Covered by our Built Better Warranty.
See details of the Built Better WarrantyInsurance and a wet basement
Whether a wet basement is covered usually comes down to one question: what caused it. Water that worked in slowly through the ground over many rains is treated very differently from a pipe that let go on a Tuesday. The adjuster needs the cause before anything else moves, and so do you.
That is the part we do. Insurers and restoration companies across Metro Vancouver call us to determine causation: we trace the water, camera the drain lines, and write up what failed and why, with photos and video. The report is written to be read by an adjuster, not just by you.
We also help you through the claim. Most drainage and foundation water damage is not covered, and we'll tell you early if yours is likely to fall on that side of the line. If it is covered, we'll tell you what the adjuster will ask for and what to send. If part of it is covered and part isn't, we'll explain where the line sits so there are no surprises later.
If the answer is a drainage or foundation repair, we do that too. Same company, same photo record, start to finish.
If a claim is already open, bring us in before the first repair quote and before anything is torn out — once the evidence is gone, the cause is a guess. The Insurance Bureau of Canada's guidance on flood and water damage covers the general rules; we cover your house. Call or text (604) 210-3892 and tell us the claim is open.
When it turns out not to be drainage
It could be a crack in the foundation wall, a broken irrigation line or a split in the water service between the street and the house. All three look exactly like a drainage leak from inside, and the last two put water into the ground beside the foundation every day, rain or shine. The tell is a wet spot that doesn't track the weather — a leak that is just as bad in August as in November is usually one of these. A service line leak can also show up as a wet patch of lawn that never dries, a soft spot in the driveway, or a water meter that keeps turning with everything in the house shut off.
In municipalities with metered water, West Vancouver among them, a split service line costs three times over: the property damage, the repair, and a sizeable bill from the municipality for months of metered water dumped straight into the ground. It can run a long time before anyone connects the wet wall to the water bill.
If you have an issue, we have a solution. Whether it's drainage related, failed waterproofing on a foundation wall, unknown water ingress or a high water bill, we can help.
When the water comes from inside the house
Not every wet basement starts outside. A supply line in a wall, a leaking hot water tank or a laundry drain can wet a floor, and condensation can form where warm air meets cold concrete in a closed-up summer. A sewer backup shows as water at the lowest drain rather than as damp walls, and that one is a sewer line repair question.
The tells are a wet area near plumbing rather than along the foundation, water that is warm, and a leak that is worst in July. Our inspections are led by a Red Seal plumber, so the plumbing gets checked in the same visit instead of by a second trade.
Newer homes that leak early
A house under ten years old shouldn't have a wet basement. When it does, the drain usually isn't worn out — it was installed wrong, buried wrong, or left with the grading and downspouts working against it. We check what happened after the drain went in:
- Grading that has settled, or was never sloped away from the house
- Downspouts connected wrongly, or ending at the wall
- Window wells with no working drain
- Clay or native soil used as backfill instead of drain rock
- A drain pipe crushed or knocked out of alignment during backfill
- Damp proofing or waterproofing that was skipped or applied thin
If the house is still under its new-home warranty, contact the warranty provider first. BC Housing explains home warranty insurance for new homes. If the provider says it isn't a defect, our written findings and camera footage give you something to put in front of them.
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What happens after we find the cause
The repair follows the cause. It might be perimeter drain replacement, foundation waterproofing, foundation crack repair, sump pump replacement, or a combination. We arrange permits and inspections where required.
We work across North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vancouver and Burnaby. Start with an inspection and we'll trace it.
Related services
Repair
Perimeter drainage repair
Spot repair, one side or full renewal, scoped from camera footage of your drain tile and the age of the pipe around it.
Protect
Foundation crack repair
Leaking cracks sealed by injection through the wall, once we know why they opened and whether they are still moving.
Related reading
Guide ·
Signs your perimeter drains are failing
Perimeter drains usually fail quietly. Here are eight signs that show up inside the house first, what each one usually means, and what to do about it.
What clients say about our basement leak detection work
★★★★★ Kind, professional, and prompt. A heartfelt thank you to Dean for his expertise and efficiency with swift service on multiple occasions to improve the condition of our family home.
Questions we get asked
Does it matter when the water shows up during a storm?
Yes. Water that appears soon after heavy rain starts and dries out quickly usually points to surface water or a downspout. Water at one window only points to the window well. Water that arrives after sustained rain, lingers and is worst on one side of the house usually points to groundwater and a drain that is not keeping up. Tell us what you saw and when.
Could the water be coming from inside the house?
Yes. A supply line in a wall, a leaking hot water tank, a laundry drain or condensation on cold concrete can all wet a basement. If the water shows up whatever the weather, or is worst in July, start there. A sewer backup is different again: it shows as water at the lowest drain, not as damp walls.
Do I need to tear out a finished wall before the cause can be found?
Not as a first step. We start with the timing of the water, the pattern of the damp and a check of interior moisture and cracks. If a small opening in a finished wall is the only way to be sure, we ask first.
Should I run a dehumidifier and wait?
A dehumidifier can keep the air drier, but it treats the symptom and tells you nothing about the cause. Damp that arrives with rain is water getting in, and it will keep arriving. Damp that is worst in a closed-up summer may be condensation, which is a ventilation question rather than a drainage one.
Can drywall and flooring hide a basement leak?
Yes. Drywall, insulation, flooring and cabinets can hide moisture for a long time, so staining or mould on a finished surface may mean the damage behind it is further along. Moisture that persists gives mould the conditions it needs, so correcting the source of the water comes first.
My house is fairly new. Why is the basement leaking?
Newer homes can leak early when the drainage failed too soon: poor installation, unsuitable backfill, or grading that was never right. Window wells with no working drain and downspouts that end at the wall are also worth checking. If the house is still under its new-home warranty, contact the warranty provider.
Reviewed
We find the cause before we quote the fix
Tell us the address and what you're seeing — a backup, a wet wall, a smell, a sinking lawn. We'll tell you what the next step is and what it costs, before anyone digs. Not sure yet? Ask us a question first.