When the pipe under the slab has failed
Signs the drain under your basement floor has broken or collapsed:
- Water backs up through the floor drain even after the line has been cleared
- The camera shows a break, a belly or a rotted-out cast iron bottom under the slab
- A sewer smell from the floor, or damp patches on the concrete
- The basement toilet or laundry drains slowly, again and again
Why this job puts people off, and how we handle it
Most homeowners worry about the same things: dust everywhere, a wrecked basement, days without a toilet, and a bill that grows once the floor is open. Here's how we deal with each one.
- Dust. We seal off the work area, protect doorways and floors, and use dust control on the saw. Our customers' reviews mention how clean we leave the site.
- Damage. We cut a neat trench along the line of the pipe, not a crater. The camera locator tells us where to cut.
- Toilets. We plan the work so you have a working toilet for most of each day. On longer jobs we'll tell you which days are tight.
- Surprises. You can't see under a slab until it's open, so we tell you up front what could change and how we'd price it. Nothing extra gets done without your OK in writing.
How the job runs
- Camera and mark. We locate the pipe and mark the cut line on the floor.
- Permit. Pulled before work starts. It's included in the price.
- Cut and dig. Concrete cut along the line, broken out and removed. Soil dug to the pipe.
- Replace. Old pipe out. New ABS in on proper bedding at the right slope, with cleanouts where you'll want them later.
- Inspect. The City inspects the new pipe before it's covered.
- Re-pour. Backfilled, compacted and new concrete poured flush with the floor.
- Clean up. Debris hauled away, site cleaned. You can lay finished flooring over the patch after it cures.
Most jobs take two to four days, including inspection and pouring.
Dreading the "break the floor" quote?
Get a clear plan, a written price and a crew that puts your basement back.
What it costs
The price depends on how much pipe is replaced, how deep it sits, and whether the stack connection is also being replaced. Replacing an old drain under a basement floor in Ottawa is typically around $4,500. The concrete, the permit and the clean-up are all on the written quote.
While the floor is open
Opening a floor is the best moment to add a backwater valve, which the City rebates up to $1,000 for eligible homes, or rough-ins for a future basement bathroom. Doing them now avoids cutting the floor twice.
