★★★★★ 
Guide ·
Clay, concrete, Big-O or PVC: what is around your foundation?
Clay, Big-O and PVC drain tile look similar underground but fail differently. Learn how to identify your drain tile type and what each means for repairs.
North Vancouver · West Vancouver · Vancouver · Burnaby Perimeter drainage specialists
We find the cause of a wet basement with a camera before anyone digs, replace the drainage that failed, waterproof the wall while the trench is open, and put the ground back. One crew, one contract, and a workmanship warranty of up to 10 years, in writing.
Start here
Most drainage problems show up somewhere else first
A wet basement is a symptom. So is a slow floor drain, a musty crawlspace or a sump pump that never stops. The fault is almost always somewhere you cannot see it, and the cheapest way to find it is to look before anyone digs. Start with what brought you here and we will work back to the cause.
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Water in the basement after heavy rain
A puddle by the wall, damp drywall, or flooring that lifts every November when the rain settles in.
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A musty smell that never clears
Damp air, white efflorescence on the concrete, or a crawlspace that stays wet long after the weather dries out.
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A floor drain backing up
Drains that gurgle, clear slowly, or push water back into the basement when the storm system is loaded.
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Water pooling against the foundation
Ground that stays soggy beside the house, a low spot that holds water, or downspouts with nowhere to go.
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A foundation crack that weeps
A line in the wall that darkens or drips during a storm and dries out again once the ground drains.
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A sump pump that never rests
A pump cycling in dry weather, running constantly through a storm, or a basement with a history of pump failures.
Not on the list? Tell us what you are seeing and roughly when it started. If the answer is that your problem is a blocked downspout and not your perimeter drains, we would rather say so on the phone than sell you a trench.
Solutions by stage
Every stage of the work, handled by one crew
We are organized around the four stages of a drainage job: find the fault, fix the cause, protect the wall while the trench is open, then keep the system clear afterwards. The same crew does all four, so nothing is lost in a handover between trades and nobody is waiting on a subcontractor you never hired.
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Inspect
Diagnose the problem
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Repair
Fix the cause
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Protect
Waterproof and restore
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Maintain
Prevent future failures
Buying a home
Uncover what the home inspection didn’t tell you
A standard home inspection stops at what can be seen. It says close to nothing about the condition of a pipe buried at footing depth, and on a Metro Vancouver house that pipe is one of the more expensive things on the property to replace.
A drainage inspection changes the conversation before subjects come off. You get camera footage of the actual line, the route and depth marked on the surface, and written findings you can hand to your agent. If the drains are sound you buy with one less unknown. If they are not, you are negotiating with evidence instead of a guess. We work to subject-removal timelines, so tell us the date when you call.
- camera inspections completed
- 984 camera inspections completed
- feet of perimeter drainage replaced
- 68,000+ feet of perimeter drainage replaced
- repair exposure identified for buyers
- $4.8M repair exposure identified for buyers
Company figures since 2017, supplied by Drainage Pro.
What we put back
Six layers do the work
A perimeter drain isn’t just a pipe. It’s a system built in layers on and against your footing, and every layer has a job. Leave one out and the rest fail early. Below is everything that goes back in the ground on a full replacement, in the order it goes in.
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Wall restoration
The foundation wall is power washed, repaired and parged with structural mortar, giving the coatings a sound surface to bond to.
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Damp proofing and waterproofing
Damp proofing from grade to footing on every job, and waterproofing where the wall requires it.
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Perforated perimeter pipe
Rigid perforated PVC at footing level, below the basement slab, so groundwater is intercepted before it reaches the wall. Sloped to the discharge, with cleanouts for future camera inspections.
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Washed drain rock
Clear, washed rock around the pipe gives water somewhere to go. Pit run or native soil packs down and chokes the line within a few winters.
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Separate roof water line
A solid pipe carries downspout water straight to the discharge, so it never runs through perforated pipe beside your foundation. Most older homes have only one pipe doing both jobs.
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Catch basin or sump discharge
Everything the system collects passes through a catch basin or sump, where silt and debris settle out, before it flows to the municipal storm connection. Existing catch basins are cleaned and tested, and the full system is flow tested to the connection.
The process
How a job actually runs
Nine stages, one contract. When drainage work fails, it’s usually at the handover between trades, so we run every stage under one project lead and own every handover. A full replacement and a single failed section follow the same order. The only difference is how far around the house the trench goes.
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Step 1: Camera diagnosis
A camera goes down the line before anyone digs. You watch the same footage we do, and the scope comes from what is actually in the ground rather than from a guess at the curb.
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Step 2: Scope and price in writing
You get the findings, the plan and the number in writing before we book the work. Anything that changes on site gets approved by you, not assumed by us.
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Step 3: Permits where required
We arrange permits and inspections where required. Each municipality has its own rules.
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Step 4: Excavation
We open the trench to footing depth, working around the trees, walls and hard surfaces that can be saved. If something can’t be, we tell you before we dig, not after.
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Step 5: New drainage
We install a two-pipe system: perforated perimeter drain to collect groundwater, and a separate solid line for roof water, so roof water never runs through perforated pipe beside your foundation. Most older homes have only one pipe doing both jobs.
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Step 6: Foundation wall repair
With the trench open, we power wash the foundation wall, restore and parge it, then damp proof it and waterproof where required. It’s the only time the wall is exposed without paying for a separate excavation.
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Step 7: Backfill and compaction
We fill and compact the trench to your contract’s specification so the ground doesn’t settle later. Concrete, asphalt and landscaping can be restored under a Phase 2 contract, so you can decide once the drainage is in and you can see what needs putting back.
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Step 8: Handover record
We photograph every stage, especially the work that ends up buried. The full photo record and the location of every cleanout are yours to keep, so anyone who inspects or works on the system later knows exactly what’s in the ground.
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Step 9: Warranty
The work carries our workmanship warranty of up to 10 years, in writing: 10 years on full replacements, 5 years on sectional replacements and 2 years on spot repairs. The report stays on file so the next inspection has something to compare against.
Service areas
Four cities, one North Vancouver yard
We are based in North Vancouver and work in all four cities. Each municipality has its own rules about permits, inspections and how a perimeter drain may be connected, so we keep a page for every city we serve.
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Drainage contractor in North Vancouver
Our yard is here. Steep lots, shallow rock and a lot of houses still running the drain tile they were built with.
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Drainage contractor in West Vancouver
Rock and slope on large properties, where surface water and groundwater tend to reach the foundation together.
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Drainage contractor in Vancouver
Character homes on flat lots with tight side yards, older clay pipe, and storm connections worth checking first.
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Drainage contractor in Burnaby
Hillside streets and post-war housing, where the grade and the storm connection often matter more than the pipe.
What clients say about working with us
Reviews clients have left for us on Google, reproduced word for word.
Drainage Pro has been great to work with throughout our perimeter drainage project. Dean has been professional, responsive, and easy to communicate with throughout the process. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone needing perimeter drainage or waterproofing work done.
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.
The service is above and beyond. Not only did they come last minute but they showed me the problem and how to repair it in the future. On time and much better price then I was quoted at other businesses.
I have been using them for quite some time and I am very happy with them. Super simple to deal with, reliable and fair price. Always do what they say and arrive on time. They go above and beyond
Great experience overall. It started with a quick return to my request for service. Easy to deal with and professional work completed. Highly recommend.
Exceptional service. Top notch work, reliable service, trustworthy people.
Very well experienced and helpful people. They looked after a restoration project for me from start to finish. Great results!
Came when he said and fixed the problem.
Resources
Read up before you spend money
Our guides are written by the crew that does the digging: what a perimeter drain is, how to tell when yours has failed, and what actually moves the cost of putting it right on a Metro Vancouver property.
Guide ·
Why a home inspection tells you almost nothing about what's underground
A standard home inspection cannot evaluate buried perimeter drains. Here is what a drainage inspection covers before you remove subjects in Vancouver.
Guide ·
How much does perimeter drain replacement cost in Vancouver?
Perimeter drain replacement cost depends on footprint, excavation depth, soil and access. Here is what drives the price and how a quote gets built.
Get started
Book an inspection
Tell us what is happening and we will work out the right place to start. We confirm your appointment by phone within one business day, and we answer the phone seven days a week when water is moving.
Photos help more than anything you can type. Text pictures of the wet area inside, the outside wall closest to it, and your downspouts to (604) 210-3892 and we will often know what equipment to load before we leave the yard.
Already have a diagnosis? Request a quote instead.
Thanks, we got it
Your inspection request is in. We read every one ourselves and we will call to confirm a time within one business day. Check your email for a copy.
Photos help more than anything else. Text pictures of the wet area and the outside wall nearest to it to (604) 210-3892.