Our window well contractors repair, replace and install window wells with a direct footing drain connection on every job. That last part is what most competitors miss. Patching a well or dropping in fresh gravel without connecting the drain to the weeping tile at the footing produces a well that fills and floods again in the next storm. We fix the cause, not just the symptom.
At DrainCom, we install, repair and service backwater valves daily. We assess your drain layout, specify the correct valve type, complete the plumbing connection to code and test the mechanism before we leave. We also manage your rebate application from start to finish so you recover every dollar available.
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We provide the complete range of window well repairing services for residential and commercial properties. Every repair is assessed on-site. We do not quote work we have not inspected.
Basement window well repair covers the full scope of failure conditions: corroded or buckled steel liners, separated liner joints, deteriorated frame-to-wall seals, inadequate gravel fill, absent or clogged drainage and window wells that have settled away from the foundation wall, creating a gap at the seal.
We excavate to the correct depth, restore or replace the liner, repack with clean drainage gravel, reconnect the drain to the footing weeping tile and reseal the well-to-wall junction. Every baseline repair includes a drain function test before the excavation is backfilled.
The drain at the base of a window well must connect directly to the footing weeping tile system or discharge to a safe exterior point. When that connection is absent, broken or blocked, the well becomes a bucket. Rain fills it. Water has one place to go: through the window.
Window well drainage repair near me is one of the most searched issues we respond to after a rain event. We camera-inspect the drain line from the well base to the connection point at the footing, confirm what has failed and repair or replace the drainage pathway. Gravel is replaced after the drain is confirmed to be functional.
The physical drain fitting at the base of the well is a separate failure point from the drain line. Drain covers crack. Drain fittings separate from the well base. Roots invade the drain pipe at a shallow depth. Soil migration from a poorly graded well washes into the drain opening and blocks it over one or two seasons.
We replace the drain fitting, clear the line and, where root intrusion is found, treat the affected section before reconnecting the system to the footing drainage.
Older homes often have concrete window wells rather than steel or aluminum liners. Concrete well repair involves sealing active cracks in the well walls with hydraulic cement or epoxy injection, restoring the internal waterproofing coating where it has deteriorated and repairing the joint between the well base and the foundation wall.
Concrete window well repair also frequently involves addressing efflorescence on the interior well surface, which indicates chronic moisture movement through the concrete. We address the drainage failure causing the moisture before applying any surface treatment.
Steel liners corrode through from the outside in. Galvanized steel wells installed in the 1970s and 1980s are routinely at or past the end of their service life. When the liner has rusted through, separated from the wall or deformed under soil pressure, repair is not viable. Replacement is the correct call.
We remove the failed liner, excavate to the correct depth, install a new steel, aluminum or polycarbonate liner correctly sized to the window opening, repack with clean drainage gravel and reconnect the drain system. Window well replacement near me searches consistently land on this page because the work requires licensed excavation and drain connection, not a hardware store liner drop-in.
New window well installation is required when a basement window exists with no well, when a finished basement conversion creates a new below-grade window opening, or when a window is enlarged, and the existing well is undersized for the new opening.
Proper window well installation requires excavation to at least six inches below the window sill, a correctly sized liner anchored to the foundation wall, a minimum six-inch layer of clean drainage gravel and a drain connection to the footing weeping tile system. A cover is installed to prevent debris from filling. We size and specify the complete system on the first visit.
receive. Maintenance includes clearing the cover of debris, inspecting the gravel surface for soil contamination, testing the drain by filling the well with water and observing drainage rate, checking the liner-to-wall seal and confirming the window frame seal is intact.
Gravel that has become clay-contaminated loses its drainage capacity and must be replaced. A well that drains slowly during a maintenance test will flood during a storm. We catch these conditions before they produce a water event inside the basement.
The repair cost depends on the failure type, access conditions, well size and depth, and whether drain reconnection to the footing weeping tile system is required. A cover replacement is one hour of work. A full excavation, liner replacement, and drain reconnection on a deep well is a half-day job.
| Service | Price Range (CAD) | Notes |
| Window well repair (drainage, sealing, regrade) | $500 to $1,500 | Depends on access and scope |
| Window well repair (regular; up to 48" wide, 4 ft deep) | From $1,900 | Excavation, drain reconnection, and gravel |
| Window well repair (large; up to 60" wide, 9 ft deep) | Up to $3,500 | Extended excavation, full drainage system |
| Window well drain repair and reconnection | $400 to $1,200 | Connecting the drain to the footing weeping tile |
| Window well replacement (new liner, cover, drain) | $800 to $2,500 | Steel, aluminum or polycarbonate liner |
| Window well installation (new; no well currently) | $1,200 to $3,000 | Excavation, liner, drain, cover |
| Window well cover installation | $150 to $400 | Polycarbonate dome or flat cover |
All prices are approximate and based on standard residential conditions. Written quotes are provided after a free on-site inspection. We do not quote window well repair costs over the phone or based on photographs. The drain connection condition is only confirmed by excavation.
Pricing note: The most common reason a window well repair quote comes in higher than expected is the discovery of an absent or failed drain connection to the footing weeping tile. This adds excavation depth and drainage material to the scope. We identify this risk during the inspection and quote it upfront.
A window well is a curved or rectangular retaining structure installed around a below-grade basement window to hold back soil and allow light and emergency egress access. Without a window well, soil would cover the window opening entirely.
A functioning window well has three components working together: a correctly sized liner anchored to the foundation wall, a drainage layer of clean clear gravel at the base and a drain connection that directs collected water away from the foundation to the footing weeping tile or a discharge point. When any one of these fails, the well becomes a water collection point against the foundation.
Failure happens through several pathways. Steel liners corrode over 20 to 30 years. Liner joints separate under freeze-thaw soil movement. Gravel becomes contaminated with clay fines over time and loses its drainage capacity.
Window well flooding is a common occurrence, particularly in the 1960s to 1990s housing stock that makes up a large proportion of the region’s residential properties. Understanding the specific cause determines the correct repair.
If your well fills during every significant rain event and drains slowly or not at all, the drain is blocked, absent, or disconnected. This is not a gravel problem. Adding gravel to a well with a failed drain produces a prettier version of the same failure.
The decision between repair and full replacement depends on the liner condition, the drain system status and the age of the installation. Here is how we assess it:
the liner is structurally sound with no corrosion through or major deformation, the failure is limited to drain blockage, gravel contamination or liner-to-wall seal failure, and the liner size is correct for the window opening
the steel liner has corroded through or delaminated, the liner has deformed under soil pressure and no longer holds its shape, the liner is undersized for the window opening and cannot be extended, or the liner joint separation is extensive and cannot be sealed reliably
no well currently exists, a new below-grade window is being cut, or the existing well is so deteriorated that the liner cannot be salvaged even partially
We make this determination during the free inspection and do not recommend replacement when repair is viable, or recommend repair when the liner condition makes replacement the more economical long-term choice.
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Two to four hours. Drain is cleared through the surface opening, gravel is removed and replaced, drain function is tested.
Four to eight hours. Excavation to footing depth, drain inspection and reconnection, liner reseating and resealing, gravel replacement, and backfill.
One full day. Excavation, liner removal, new liner installation, drain connection, gravel, and cover.
One full day, including wall anchoring, drain connection to weeping tile, and backfill.
All window well repair and installation work is completed with minimal disruption to the surrounding landscaping. We protect adjacent planting during excavation and restore the surface on completion.
Business Hour:
Monday to Friday: 8a.m -9p.m
Saturday and Sunday: 9a.m – 2p.m
The drain at the base of the well is either blocked, absent or disconnected from the footing drainage system. Adding gravel will not solve this. The drain must be cleared, inspected and confirmed connected to the weeping tile at the footing.
Clear drainage gravel, typically 3/4 inch clear stone, is the correct fill for a window well. It drains freely, resists compaction and does not retain clay fines. Pea gravel is too fine and compacts. Crushed stone with fines retains water. Decorative stone provides drainage but is rarely deep enough.
Yes, and this is the most frequently skipped step in both original construction and amateur repair. A window well drain that terminates in soil rather than connecting to the footing weeping tile system stops functioning when the surrounding soil saturates during a storm.
If the steel liner is rusted through, deformed under soil pressure or has separated significantly from the foundation wall across multiple joints, replacement is the correct choice. Rust staining on the interior surface is cosmetic and does not indicate failure.
Clearing debris from the drain cover and replacing surface gravel are tasks a homeowner can manage. Anything that requires excavating to footing depth, replacing the liner, reconnecting the drain to the weeping tile or resealing the liner to the foundation wall requires professional window well contractors with excavation equipment.
A window well must extend a minimum of six inches below the bottom of the window sill to prevent water from sitting at window level during a rain event. The well should also extend approximately two to four inches above finished grade to deflect surface runoff.
A cover is strongly recommended. An uncovered well accumulates leaves, organic debris, and soil within a season or two. That material compacts over the drain opening, blocks drainage, and accelerates gravel contamination.
Check the service area table on this page for your city and postal code. We cover communities across Ontario. Call 905-238-6800 or 416-989-5757, or submit the contact form at draincom.ca. We confirm same-week availability for most service areas.
905-238-6800