Perimeter drains: Water in the basement every time it rains hard
Around the base of your foundation there's a ring of perforated pipe called drain tile. It collects groundwater and carries it away before it can reach the basement. When that pipe fills with silt or roots, or a section collapses, the water comes inside, and we clean or repair the line to get it draining again.
- Open 24/7
- Free estimates
- Average arrival about 60 minutes
- Open 24/7 Call or text any time
- Average arrival about 60 minutes Across our service area
- Free estimates You know the cost before work starts
- Licensed & insured For homes and businesses
- 8+ years of experience Local to the Lower Mainland
In short
DrainX Plumbing Ltd. is a 24/7 plumber in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, out to Langley. We clean and repair the drain tile around your foundation when it clogs or collapses and water gets into the basement. Call or text 778-794-1234. Average arrival is about 60 minutes, and estimates are free.
Last updated
What to watch for
Signs it’s time to call
- Damp patches or puddles along the basement walls after heavy rain
- Water pooling against the foundation outside
- A musty smell or white powdery marks low on the basement walls
- A sump pit that stays dry in a storm when it used to fill
- Downspout drains overflowing at ground level
What we do
How we handle it
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Step 1: Look inside the drain tile
We find an access point and run a camera through the line. It shows us if the pipe is only dirty or if a section has broken.
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Step 2: Flush out silt and roots
A clogged line that's otherwise sound gets cleaned with the hydro jetter. It washes the silt out and cuts through roots so water can flow again.
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Step 3: Repair a collapsed section
Where the pipe has crushed or come apart, cleaning won't help. We dig down to that section and replace it.
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Step 4: Check where the water ends up
Drain tile has to empty somewhere, usually a sump or a storm connection. We check that the outlet is clear, because a blocked outlet backs up the whole run.
What it costs
There’s no price list, because every job is different. Some jobs are a flat rate and others are quoted after we take a look. Estimates are free, and we explain the cost before any work starts.
Our work is covered by warranty. Coverage depends on the service, and we go over it with you when you book.
Offers on now
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$50 off your first service
Conditions apply. Call for details.
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5% off for seniors
Conditions apply. Call for details.
Mention the offer when you call: 778-794-1234
What causes it
Drain tile clogs slowly. Fine silt washes in through the perforations with the groundwater and settles along the bottom of the pipe. Tree and shrub roots find the same openings and grow toward the moisture.
Older houses often have clay or concrete tile laid in short sections. Over the decades those sections shift apart or crush under the weight of the soil, and one gap is enough to block the run.
Leaves add to it where downspouts empty into the same line. With winters as wet as ours, a partly blocked drain can cope for months and then give up in the first long storm.
Perimeter drains: common questions
What is a perimeter drain?
It's a perforated pipe buried around the outside of your foundation, down near the footing. People also call it drain tile or weeping tile. Groundwater seeps into it and runs off to a sump or storm connection, which keeps it from building up against the basement wall.
How do I know if my drain tile is clogged or collapsed?
From inside the house you can't tell, because both give you the same wet basement. A camera through the line shows which one it is. That matters, since a clog can be cleaned out while a collapse has to be dug up and repaired.
Do perimeter drains need regular cleaning?
They benefit from it. Silt and roots build up slowly, and a line that gets flushed now and then is less likely to block during the wettest week of the winter. How often depends on your soil and the trees around the house, so we'll suggest an interval after seeing inside.
Is water in the basement always a perimeter drain problem?
No. It can also be a sewer line backing up. Clear water along the walls after rain points to drainage. Dirty water rising from a floor drain points to the sewer.
Guides on perimeter drains
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Heavy rain in the Lower Mainland: how to keep water out of the basement
A rainy season checklist for Lower Mainland homes: gutters, downspouts, perimeter drains, street drains, sewer backups and what home insurance covers.
Updated
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What is a perimeter drain? Signs of failure and cleaning
A perimeter drain, or drain tile, carries groundwater away from your foundation. Learn the signs it's blocked, how it's cleaned and how often to check it.
Updated
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Sewer camera inspection before buying a house in BC
Why a sewer scope is worth booking before you buy, what the camera finds, which houses need it most and what a good inspection report includes.
Updated
Google reviews
What customers say
5.0 out of 5 on Google
From 23 reviews, as of November 2026
What reviewers mention
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Fair prices
Reviewers often say the price was reasonable. A couple say it came in well under what other plumbers had quoted.
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Quick to come out
Several mention the plumbers arriving when they said they would. Others describe a same-evening visit, and a call-out at short notice on a holiday.
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Careful, clear work
The work is described as thorough, tidy and professional. Reviewers mention clear explanations, upfront pricing and no pressure to buy more.
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Fixed what others couldn't
Two reviewers say DrainX solved a problem other trades had not. Several say they would hire DrainX again, and one already has.
A summary, in our own words, of the reviews on our Google profile as of November 1, 2026. The reviews themselves are on Google.
Reviews shown as written on Google.
Service area
Where we do this work
Need a plumber? Call or text us.
Tell us what’s going on and we’ll take it from there.
Open 24/7 · Free estimates · Average arrival about 60 minutes