Manage drainage on your property
Protect your home and prevent flooding with good grading and drainage.
Good grading (how your yard slopes) and drainage (where the water goes) move water away from your home.
Learn how grading and drainage work.
On this page:
- Your responsibilities as a homeowner
- Maintain your property year-round
- Direct water safely
- Plan before you make changes
- Manage standing or excess water
- Report a drainage issue
Your responsibilities as a homeowner
You’re responsible for keeping the ground around your property sloped so water drains away from your home and doesn’t cause flooding on nearby properties.
If changes you make to your yard cause water pooling or flooding, it’s your responsibility to fix the problem.
Some property changes are regulated by permits or bylaws. For example, pool or shed construction may require a permit, and drainage issues may fall under the Property Standards Bylaw.
Maintain your property year-round
Keep your yard features in good condition so water can drain properly:
- keep your property graded so water flows away from your foundation
- keep grassy channels (swales) and drains clear of debris
- make sure fences, landscaping, pools and gardens don’t block water flow
- keep fences at least 15 cm (6 inches) above the bottom of a swale so water can pass under
- shovel snow in early spring so melting water can drain away
Avoid filling or blocking swales with concrete, rocks, soil or plants. This can cause water to back up on your property or your neighbour’s.
Direct water safely
Direct rain and melting snow away from your home, but not onto a neighbour’s property or onto sidewalks, roads or parkland.
Make sure to:
- make sure downspouts and sump pump outlets drain onto your own property, not a neighbour’s
- build patios and walkways at least 0.6 m (2 feet) from property lines or swales
- avoid paving large areas with materials that prevent water from soaking into the ground
Plan before you make changes
Talk with your neighbours and plan ahead before starting new projects that could affect water flow:
- discuss any work that could affect how water drains between your properties
- get advice from a qualified expert before changing the slope of your yard or adding hard surfaces
- don't use a fence as a retaining wall – walls over 1 m tall need a building permit
- avoid building raised gardens or patios that block water flow
Manage standing or excess water
Use landscaping and regular maintenance to reduce pooling water near your home:
- add gardens, rain barrels, or permeable surfaces to soak up rainwater
- keep drains and swales clear to prevent pooling
- check that your yard still slopes away from your foundation
- don’t dump anything other than water on your yard – it can block drainage and damage soil health
You may be eligible for a stormwater credit if you manage rainwater on your property. Learn more on the stormwater credit page.
Fix or report a drainage issue
If you have flooding or water pooling on your property, learn what to do and when to contact the city.