Is a backed-up drain an emergency?
Water or sewage coming up through a basement floor drain is. Stop running water anywhere in the house, because every fixture drains to the same place, and call (416) 888-1371. A slow sink or tub can wait for a request with a photo.
What will the request form ask about a drain?
Two questions, both optional. Knowing which drain, and whether more than one is affected, tells us which tools to bring.
| Question | The choices |
|---|---|
| Which drain? | Kitchen sink · Bathroom sink · Tub or shower · Toilet · Basement floor drain · More than one |
| How bad? | Slow · Fully blocked · Backing up |
Photos that help. The most useful are the drain, and any water that came back up.
How does a house drain fit together?
The drawing shows the pieces a drain call comes down to: each fixture's trap, the stack that every drain joins and that vents through the roof, the basement floor drain, the cleanout, and the pipe leaving the house for the sewer. Telling us which fixtures are slow, and on which floor, points to which piece is the problem.
Do you do drain work in renovations?
Yes. New bathrooms, kitchens and basements need drain piping laid and connected before the walls close or the floor is poured, like the rough-in below.
Do I need a permit for drain work in Toronto?
For some of it. Toronto Building issues stand-alone drain permits, and lists these 2026 fees for a house (City of Toronto):
| Work | Fee |
|---|---|
| Repairs or replacement of buried piping | $214.79 flat |
| Backwater valves and sumps | $38.67 each |
| New plumbing fixtures, single-family house | $23.20 each |
The full list, and what changes when the work is part of a larger building permit, is in the permits guide. Jackman Mechanical prices each job directly with you; no prices for the work itself are published on this site.