A Guide to London’s Basement Flooding Grant Program

It’s no mystery that London and the surrounding areas are prone to flooding issues. In a 2018 Flood Risk Appraisal, it was noted that 6% of London properties are at a high-risk of flooding. They identified that London is exposed to 6 different sources of flooding, with tidal flooding hitting a record high recently in 2013/2014, triggering an investigation from the Environment Agency. An estimated 10,000 properties are at risk of sewer flooding.

While they have begun to implement a 20-year action plan, residents can’t wait 20 years if their basement could flood tomorrow! Thankfully, the City has an answer for that too: London’s Basement Flooding Grant Program.

Residents, as well as Condominium Corporations and Non-Profit Housing Co-Operatives can receive a grant which will cover up to 90% of the cost to protect your basement from flooding.

Below you’ll find the summarized eligibility requirements, and step by step how to apply.

Info, Eligibility and Requirements

The grant program services the following:

Residential homeowners, Condominium Corporations for units and for residential purposes, and Non-profit Housing Co-Operatives, with residential buildings built prior to 1985 who may have experienced basement flooding or who are in an area likely to experience basement flooding.
Residential homeowners who have experienced significant sump pump surface discharge issues including but not limited to: surface erosion, icing on city sidewalks and/or streets, and who lack suitable discharge alternatives on their property.

They provide grant funding up to 90% of the project cost, or up to a maximum amount depending on the work that was done. They get pretty specific. For example, you can receive up to $3,100 to disconnect from the existing footing tiles that are connected to the sanitary storm system inside the basement and redirect to an approved sump pump and pit. Then, you can receive up to $3,900 for the same work except the footing tiles or storm building sewer is outside of the basement. Take a look at the By-Law, linked below, for full details on what they cover and how much.

To apply, you must be the owner of one of the property types we listed above, and may not have started any construction work regarding basement flooding prevention prior to applying.

Residents can also apply for a city loan after they have been approved for a grant so long as their property taxes have been paid in full at the time of the application and throughout the loan process, and all registered owners complete and sign the loan agreement.

Grant approvals are valid for 6 months for residents and 9 months for Condominium Corporations and Non-Profit Housing Co-Operatives. If the work isn’t finished and the final invoices aren’t submitted to the city within this time, the grant will expire.

Permits are required before any contactor work can start. Most contractors should be able to help you with this process and do it on your behalf if necessary.

How to Apply as a Resident

Step 1: Complete the application form provided by the City Engineer. It cannot be found online. Email sewers@london.ca or call 519-661-249 ext. 5489 for assistance.

Step 2: You must have quotes for the work:

At least 3 quotes if the work is more than $10,000.
At least 2 quotes if the work is $5,000 – $10,000.
At least 1 quote if the work is less than $5,000.

The quotes must detail what work is to be done and separate costs out for each portion of the construction work.

Step 3: You or the contractor must arrange for a City Inspector to swing by and perform an inspection with respect to the work approval permit and or building/plumbing permit. Then you or the contractor attain the permits from the city.

Step 4: The work is completed. Then, the final invoice sent by the contractor must be sent to the City within 6 months of being approved for the grant.

How to Apply as a Condominium Corporation or Non-Profit Housing Co-Operative

Step 1: The City Engineer must pre-screen the property to determine its eligibility. Email sewers@london.ca or call 519-661-249 ext. 5489 for help in setting this up.

Step 2: Once pre-screened, the City Engineer will provide the application for the grant program.

Step 3: The you must retain a Consulting Engineer to complete an engineering report. The grant covers a maximum of $3,600 for the completion of the engineering report.

Step 4: Ensure the engineering report specifically addresses:

The basement flooding risks.
Recommends preventative measures to reduce basement flooding.
The selected units where the work is proposed.
Identify ongoing maintenance requirement.

Step 5: This first draft of the engineering report is given to the City to review. They make some report comments and send it back to the Engineer Consultant Firm you retained. They make some adjustments and have the finalized engineering report sealed by a Professional Engineer, then provided back to the City.

Step 6: You or the Consulting Engineering Firm must collect multiple quotes from licensed contractors for the work outlined in the report and provide them to the City, including applicable permits. The quotes must detail what work is to be done, to which units, and separate costs out for each portion of work.

Step 7: The City reviews the quotes then provides a grant approval to you outlining what they’ll cover.

Step 8: Permits are attained by either you or the contractor. These permits must be inspected by the City before the work starts.

Step 9: The work is completed. Within 9 months of grant approval, you must submit the final invoice from the contractor. You must also submit the final invoice from the consulting engineering firm for the Engineer Reports, as well as confirmation that the work was done in accordance with the report.

We Know It’s Not Easy

We get it, the city has a lot of hoops to be jumped through to receive the grant. But this process is not as hard as dealing with a flooded basement and losing your belongings. If you take the time to see the process through, you could save a lot of money and peace of mind.

We at Supreme Basement Solutions offer only the best advice, solutions, and products to our customers, because we treat every home like our own. If you want to speak to an expert about more details, we encourage you to chat with us. Shoot us an email at info@new.supremebasements.com, or call us at (519) 946-0363.