Floor Drain Cleaning, Repair & Installation in Toronto & the GTA

A floor drain only does its job when it's clear and holding water. When it backs up or starts to smell, that's a problem you don't want to ignore. Expert floor drain cleaning, repair, and installation near you. Free inspection.

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DrainCom is the

No. 1 Rated

choice for licensed and insured basement waterproofing services in Mississauga, Canada.

Your floor drain sits at the lowest point in the basement. So when the line backs up, it shows up here first. We clear the clog, fix the dried-out trap or broken primer behind the smell, and find out what caused it. A camera tells us if it’s a quick blockage or the main line. No guessing, no digging up the yard to find out.

20+ years on GTA floor drains, including older homes still tied into the combined sewer. Licensed, insured, same-day, fully-stocked trucks and a 25-year transferable warranty on every job.

Call us at 905-238-6800

for a free floor drain inspection and quote, or fill out the request form at the top of this page.

What Homeowners Say About DrainCom

Floor Drain Services We Provide

We handle every floor drain in the home basement, laundry room, mechanical room, garage. Every job starts with finding the cause. We do not recommend work you don’t need.

Floor Drain Cleaning

The most common call. Silt, debris, and grime build up in the drain and the line until water backs up. We clear the drain with an electric snake or high-pressure flushing, then camera the line to confirm it’s clear and that the backup wasn’t coming from the main.

Floor Drain Repair

A floor drain that won’t hold water or drains slowly often has a cracked pipe, a failed seal, or a broken connection below the grate. We find the fault and repair it, so the drain works and stays sealed against sewer gas.

Trap & Primer Repair

The trap holds a little water that blocks sewer gas and a primer line keeps that trap topped up. When the trap dries out or the primer fails, smells come up. We repair or install the trap and primer so the water seal holds and the odour stays out.

Floor Drain Backup Prevention

Floor drains are where basement backups surface in a heavy rain. We assess the line, clear what’s blocking it, and recommend the right protection ,often a backwater valve ,so storm water and sewage can’t push back up through the drain. Much of this work qualifies for a city rebate.

New Floor Drain Installation

Adding a drain to a basement, laundry room, or mechanical room near a hot water tank? We install a new floor drain to code, properly trapped, vented, and connected so any water on the floor goes where it should.

Drain Camera Inspection

When a floor drain backs up, a waterproof camera shows us why there is a clog, roots, a cracked pipe, or a blocked main line instead of guessing. You see it too, and we quote the right fix from there.

Floor Drain Service Cost

Service	Price Range (CAD)	Notes
Floor drain cleaning (snake or flush)	$200 to $450	Single drain, accessible cleanout
Trap & primer repair	$300 to $700	Stops sewer-gas odour
Floor drain repair	$400 to $1,200	Cracked pipe, failed seal, or connection
New floor drain installation	Quoted on inspection	Depends on location and connection
Drain camera inspection	$250 to $500	Often credited toward the work
Backwater valve (backup protection)	$2,200 to $3,500	May qualify for city rebate

All prices are approximate and based on standard residential conditions. Written quotes are provided after a free inspection. We give you the price upfront ; no surprise charges.

Pricing note: A backed-up floor drain is sometimes a main-line problem, not the drain itself. The camera tells us which. If the backup is coming from a clogged or broken main, that’s a different job — we’ll show you on screen and explain your options instead of just clearing the floor drain and leaving the real cause.

What Is a Floor Drain and How Does It Work?

A floor drain is a drain set into the lowest point of a basement, laundry room, or mechanical room that collects water from the floor and carries it to your home’s drainage system. Grate on top, trap below, pipe to the main line.

The trap is the part that matters: a curved bend that holds a little water. That water is a seal: it lets the drain work but blocks sewer gas from coming up. A primer line keeps the trap topped up so it doesn’t dry out. Trap full, line clear, and the drain does its job without you ever thinking about it.

Why Does My Floor Drain Smell? (Sewer Gas & Dry Traps)

A floor drain that smells like sewage almost always has a dry trap. The trap holds water that blocks sewer gas when it evaporates, the gas comes straight up.

It happens in drains that rarely get used, or when the primer line that refills the trap has failed. Quick test: pour a bucket of water down it. Smell gone? The trap was dry. Smell back in a few days? The trap’s drying out again is a broken primer or a venting issue and that needs a proper fix. A persistent smell can also mean a cracked pipe, so it’s worth an inspection.

Signs Your Floor Drain Needs Service

Catch these early and you avoid a basement backup later.

Water backing up out of the floor drain, especially in heavy rain
A sewer-gas or rotten smell coming from the drain
Water bubbling up in a nearby tub, shower, or sink when you run water a sign the line is blocked
The drain emptying slowly or not at all
A floor drain that’s always dry (the trap isn’t holding water)
Visible debris, silt, or staining around the grate
An older home where the floor drain ties into the combined sewer

If the drain backs up or smells, the water seal or the line needs attention. We find out which and fix the cause.

What Causes Floor Drain Problems in the GTA?

Most floor drain trouble comes down to a few causes and each points to a different fix.

Silt and debris buildup

dirt, lint, and grit collect in the drain and line until water can’t pass

A dry trap

the water seal evaporates in a little-used drain, letting sewer gas in

A failed trap primer

the line that refills the trap stops working, so the trap keeps drying out

Improper venting

poor venting pulls the water seal out of the trap and causes gurgling and odour

Tree-root intrusion

roots block the line the floor drain connects to, common in older neighbourhoods

Main-line backups

when the main is blocked, the lowest drain in the house backs up first

Combined sewers

in older Toronto areas, the foundation drain and weeping tile may still tie into the sanitary line through the floor drain, so a heavy rain can flood the basement

If your floor drain backs up every big storm and the home is older, the combined sewer and the main line are the likely cause. Clearing the grate alone won’t fix it.

Floor Drains & Basement Flooding , Protect Your Home

Your floor drain is the lowest open point on the sewer line so it’s where a backup shows up first. When a storm overloads the city sewer or the main line blocks, water pushes back up through it and floods the basement.

The fix is a backwater valve. It lets water drain out, then slams shut when the flow reverses ,so sewage can’t come back up. We assess your line, install the right protection, and handle the paperwork. Best part: it may qualify for a city rebate of up to $3,400. (More: Basement Flood Prevention and Backwater Valve Installation.)

How Long Does Floor Drain Service Take?

If your floor drain backs up every big storm and the home is older, the combined sewer and the main line are the likely cause. Clearing the grate alone won’t fix it.

Top Rated Waterproofers just a call away!

Business Hour:
Monday to Friday: 8a.m -9p.m
Saturday and Sunday: 9a.m – 2p.m

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my floor drain smell like sewage?

The trap under the drain has dried out. That trap holds water that blocks sewer gas ;when it evaporates, the smell comes up. Pour a bucket of water down the drain; if the smell clears, the trap was dry. If it keeps coming back, the primer line or venting needs fixing.

What is a floor drain trap and why does it matter?

The trap is a curved section of pipe that holds a small amount of water. That water is a seal that lets the drain work while blocking sewer gas from rising into your home. If the trap is dry or broken, gas gets in which is why a smelly floor drain always comes back to the trap.

Why is my floor drain backing up?

The floor drain is the lowest point in the house, so it’s the first place a blocked line backs up. It could be a clog in the floor drain itself or a blockage in the main line. We run a camera to tell which, then clear the right one.

Why does my floor drain back up when it rains?

In many older Toronto homes, the storm and sanitary sewers are combined, so a heavy rain overloads the line and pushes water back up through the lowest drain your floor drain. A backwater valve stops that, and the work may qualify for a city rebate.

How do I stop my floor drain from flooding the basement?

A backwater valve is the fix. It lets water drain out normally but closes when flow reverses, so storm water and sewage can’t come back up the floor drain. We assess your line and install the right protection.

How do I keep my floor drain from drying out and smelling?

Pour a bucket of water down any rarely-used floor drain every couple of months to keep the trap full. If it still dries out and smells, the trap primer has likely failed and should be repaired so it refills the trap automatically.

Can you install a new floor drain in my basement?

Yes. We install new floor drains in basements, laundry rooms, and mechanical rooms properly trapped, vented, and connected to code so any water on the floor drains where it should.

Do you offer free floor drain inspections?

Yes.a free, no-obligation inspection and written estimate across Toronto and the GTA. We give you the price before we start, with no surprise charges.

How do I find floor drain services near me?

Check the service area list on this page for your city. We cover communities across the GTA. Call 905-238-6800 or 416-989-5757, or submit the contact form at draincom.ca. We confirm same-day availability for most service areas.