Inspect
Strata drainage assessment
Condition-rated drainage reports for strata councils and property managers, with footage or a site observation behind every rating.
Maintain · Drainage services A basin only works while it still has room underneath.
Catch basin cleaning empties the sump below the outlet pipe, the space that traps leaves, grit and silt before they reach your drain line, and checks the outlet pipe. A full sump usually gives no warning at the surface. We clean basins on houses and on strata parking areas and parkades in Vancouver and on the North Shore.
The failure that produces no symptom
A catch basin takes surface water from a driveway, a yard or a parking area and passes it to the storm line. A perimeter drain is a different system. It sits outside the foundation wall beside the footing and carries groundwater away so it cannot build up against the foundation.
Below the outlet pipe, a basin has a sump: a space built to catch leaves, grit and silt before they reach the line. It works only while the sump has room. Once the sediment reaches the outlet, the basin stops trapping and the debris goes on into the drain line. Usually nothing changes at the surface, which is why this failure gets missed. We lift the grate and, where there is access, run a camera check of the outlet. Then we look for four conditions.
- Sump filled to the outlet. The space below the outlet is full, so the basin passes material on instead of trapping it. We see sediment at or above the bottom of the outlet pipe and no clear water beneath it.
- Material in the outlet pipe. A sump that has overtopped pushes solids into the outlet. The camera shows sediment lying in the pipe beyond the chamber. The basin keeps draining slowly after the sump is emptied, because the pipe needs jetting, not more vacuuming.
- Raised or cracked frame, or a settled chamber. The frame sits above the paving, or the paving beside it has settled so it falls away from the grate, and water runs past the basin instead of into it. Or the chamber itself cracks or settles. A wet patch beside a dry basin, cracked concrete or a rocking grate are the tells. This is repair work. We report it, and it is not part of the clean.
- Roots at the outlet connection. Roots find the joint where the basin meets the line. The camera shows them at the joint, and the basin may back up in moderate rain, not only in heavy rain.
Signs your catch basins need cleaning
A full sump usually gives no warning of its own. These can, and each is worth a look.
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Standing water after a normal rain.
Ponding in a parking area or driveway, not just after a downpour. -
Overflow at the grate.
The basin spills over instead of draining down. -
A sour or stagnant smell.
Noticeable near a basin or an area drain. -
Sediment or leaf litter near the rim.
Built up close to the grate. -
A parkade drain that backs up.
Watch for it during wash-down. -
Ponding over a leaf-matted grate.
It clears as soon as someone rakes it. Worth clearing, but it says nothing about the sump below. -
No record of the last clean.
Nobody knows when the basins were last emptied.
If water is coming in now, call or text (604) 210-3892.
Priced by the basin
The scope comes from the site, not from a flat rate. Six things move it.
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How many basins there are.
If you do not know how many basins you have, we walk the site and count them before quoting. -
How full each one is.
A fuller sump means more to remove. -
How easily each basin can be reached.
Tight or blocked access changes how the work is set up. -
Whether the outlet needs a camera check or only a flush.
The camera shows whether debris has already reached the line. -
Parkade or trench drains in the scope.
Those are scoped alongside the basins. -
What the clean turns up.
Jetting the outlet run and frame or grate repairs are quoted separately from the basin clean.
Tell us how many basins there are and we will price it. Send a basin count and photos, or book an inspection if you want us on site first. The scope and price are in writing before work starts.
Covered by our Built Better Warranty.
See details of the Built Better WarrantySet by what washes in, not by the calendar
A sump fills with whatever washes into it. Leaf cover, grit from vehicles on a ramp, bare ground beside the paving and construction nearby can all fill it faster. A newer paved site with no trees overhead fills it slowly. On a treed North Shore lot, a sump can fill in a single season, and once it is full the debris goes straight through into the drain line.
Rain sets the timing. Environment and Climate Change Canada's 1981 to 2010 normals for the N Vancouver 2nd Narrows station show precipitation rising through the autumn to a peak in November. On most properties that makes late summer or early fall the time to clean, before the leaves come down and the heavy rain starts. Some owners book a clean every year ahead of the fall and winter rain. On a heavily treed site, a second visit once the leaves are down can be worthwhile.
Two rules are worth knowing. Where runoff from a driveway is likely to accumulate or enter a garage, the BC Building Code requires a catch basin (Article 9.14.6.4). And in the City of North Vancouver, the City maintains storm sewers on public property up to the property line, owners are responsible for the infrastructure from the property line into the property, and the City does not make repairs on private property. Other municipalities set their own rules.
We work in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vancouver and Burnaby.
How we clean a catch basin
We vacuum the sump clear, flush the basin and check the outlet pipe with a camera where there is access. You then know whether debris has already reached the line, instead of guessing. If the basin is cracked or settled, or the grate has failed, we tell you what it needs.
What a basin clean does not include
Three jobs sit outside it. Clearing the outlet run with a jetter is drain cleaning and hydro jetting work, aimed at the pipe rather than the chamber. A broken frame or grate is repair work, so we report it and quote it on its own. A silted storm line is a separate job.
Out of the sump and off the property
We haul the debris away rather than leaving it on site, because material from a driveway or parking area can carry oil. Where it goes, and why it is lifted out rather than flushed down the line, is covered under vacuum truck services.
When you compare quotes, three questions are worth asking any contractor. Does the quote say how many basins it covers? Is the outlet checked on camera or only flushed? Where does the material go?
A record per basin for strata councils
We keep a dated record per basin: what was found, photos where there is structural damage, and confirmation that the outlet was flushed and checked. A council can hand that record to a depreciation report preparer.
Drainage Pro cleans basins as a standalone visit or folded into a scheduled program. If the site has never had a baseline check, a strata drainage assessment is the place to start, before any schedule is set.
Related services
Repair
Drain cleaning and hydro jetting
Drain cleaning for sewer lines and hydro jetting for perimeter drains, with the camera showing what is blocking the line and whether cleaning will hold.
Maintain
Vacuum truck services
Suction from the surface for full sumps, flooded pits and silted lines, with the material taken away rather than flushed downstream.
Related reading
Guide ·
What is a perimeter drain?
A perimeter drain collects groundwater at the footing and carries it away from the foundation. How it works, how deep it sits, and where the water goes.
Questions we get asked
How do I know whether my catch basin needs cleaning?
On your own private basin, look at the outlet pipe in the chamber wall from the surface, with the grate lifted only if you can do that safely. Clear water below the bottom of the outlet means the basin still has room. Sediment at or above it means the basin has stopped trapping material. Never lean in or climb down, and never lift a grate in the street.
Does a full catch basin cause flooding?
Usually not at first. Water keeps draining at the grate while the debris goes on into the drain line, which is why a full sump is easy to miss. The trouble shows up later as a slow or silted line, and sometimes as ponding after a normal rain.
What is the difference between a catch basin and a perimeter drain?
A catch basin takes surface water from paved areas and yards at grade. A perimeter drain sits outside the foundation wall beside the footing and carries groundwater away so it cannot build up against the foundation. They do different jobs and need different maintenance.
Who maintains the catch basin in front of my property?
It depends on which side of the property line the basin sits. In the City of North Vancouver, the City maintains storm sewers on public property up to the property line and does not make repairs on private property. A basin on your own lot is yours to look after. Other municipalities set their own rules, so check with yours.
Can I clean a catch basin myself?
Clearing leaves and litter off the grate is a homeowner job. Emptying the sump is different work. Never lean in or climb down: under WorkSafeBC's rules a basin that looks shallow can still be a confined space. If the sump is full, call a contractor.
Can I spread what comes out of a basin in the garden?
Not if the basin takes runoff from a driveway, a parking area or a road. That material can carry oil, and spreading it puts the same sediment back into the catchment. The City of North Vancouver's drainage bylaw prohibits pollutants such as oil and sediment from entering the drainage system, and other municipalities set their own rules.
When is the best time of year to clean catch basins?
On most properties, late summer or early fall, before the leaves come down and the heavy rain starts. Environment and Climate Change Canada's climate normals show precipitation rising through the autumn to a peak in November on the North Shore. On a heavily treed site, a second visit once the leaves are down can be worthwhile.
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.