Toronto will now pay up to $6,650 to flood-proof your basement. Here's whether you qualify.

Program details may change; verify current eligibility at toronto.ca/BFPsubsidy before applying.

On May 1, 2026, the City of Toronto roughly doubled its Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy. The maximum payout went from $3,400 to $6,650 per property, and a few new things are now included.

Before reading further, two quick checks:

1. Do you own the property? You have to be the registered owner (renters and people mid-purchase don't qualify).

2. Are your downspouts disconnected from the City sewer, or do you have a City exemption? That's a hard requirement. The disconnection itself isn't subsidized, but it has to be done before you're eligible for anything else.

   
   

If both are yes, and you don't have outstanding taxes owing to the City, keep reading.

What the rebate pays for

The City reimburses 80% of invoiced cost (labour, materials, and taxes) up to a cap on each type of work. The new caps are as of May 1, 2026:

• Home plumbing assessment: up to $500. A licensed plumber walks through your internal plumbing and tells you what's actually contributing to your flooding risk. If you're not sure which of the following you actually need, start here, it's the cheapest way to find out, and the City pays for most of it. You can only claim this once per property, ever.

  
  

• Backwater valve: up to $1,600 per device. You can claim two if your home has multiple sewer connections, which is uncommon but worth checking on older or larger properties.

  
  

• Sump pump (with alarm): up to $2,250 for one device.

  
  

• Sump pump battery backup: up to $300. New in 2026, and it applies to retrofits on existing pumps, not just new installs.

  
  

• Severance and capping of the storm sewer or external weeping tile connection: up to $400. This cap wasn't increased in the May 2026 expansion; it's the same as the old program.

What each device actually does

The home plumbing assessment is the new one and probably the most useful if you're not sure where to start. A licensed plumber inspects your internal plumbing and tells you what's actually wrong, which is often not what you'd guess. If you're uncertain which device(s) you need, do this first.

A backwater valve is a one-way flap installed in your main sewer line. When the City's sewer overloads during a heavy storm, it stops sewage from flowing backward into your basement floor drains, toilets, and laundry tubs. This is the most useful device for most Toronto homes, because sewer backups cause the worst kind of flooding.

A sump pump sits in a pit at the lowest point of your basement and pumps groundwater away from your foundation before it has a chance to seep in. It addresses a different problem than a backwater valve, water coming in through the foundation rather than up through drains. If your home has a basement and was built before 1980, there's a reasonable chance you need both. A plumber who's done the assessment can tell you which problem you actually have.

The battery backup matters because the storms that flood basements are often the same storms that knock out power. A sump pump with no electricity is just a hole in your floor.

Severance and capping of the weeping tile. In older Toronto homes, the weeping tiles around your foundation drain into the City sewer. Cutting that connection and routing them to a sump pit instead reduces pressure on both systems.

The details that you need to know

You can backdate

The new amounts apply to work completed on or after November 12, 2025. If you had a backwater valve installed last winter and assumed you missed the higher amount, check again.

You have two years now, not one

The City extended the application window from 12 to 24 months after the work was completed. Older completions (before November 12, 2025) still fall under the old one-year rule.

It has to be a City-licensed contractor

Not just any licensed plumber. They need a City of Toronto business licence for the specific work. DIY installations will be rejected automatically, and so will work done by a contractor who's licensed in Mississauga but not Toronto. Ask for their City licence number before they start (you can look them up here).

It's per-property, not per-owner, and there's a lifetime cap on each type of work

If the previous owner already claimed a backwater valve subsidy on the house, you can't claim again for the same device. You can check the property's subsidy history by emailing BasementFlooding@toronto.ca or calling 416-338-7668. This is worth doing before you spend on something that won't be reimbursed.

Processing takes weeks

Expect four to ten weeks from a clean submission to the cheque. Sloppy paperwork is the most common reason for delay: invoices that aren't itemized, no proof of payment, missing permit numbers, missing inspection sign-offs for the backwater valve.

The money is first-come, first-served

The program is generously funded, but the annual pot isn't infinite, and subsidies are issued on a “first-come, first-serve” basis. Filing earlier in the budget cycle is safer than later.

To apply or check your property's history:

• Apply and read the full program details: toronto.ca/BFPsubsidy

• City guidance on preventing basement flooding

• Questions about eligibility or your property's subsidy history: BasementFlooding@toronto.ca or 416-338-7668