The City of London’s Basement Flooding Grant is one of the most generous municipal homeowner programs in Ontario, offering up to $4,000 or more to upgrade your home's drainage. (Need a refresher on the basics? Read our complete London Ontario Basement Flooding Grant Guide first).
But there is a catch: the program is heavily wrapped in bureaucratic red tape. The Sewer Engineering Division processes hundreds of applications, and they have zero tolerance for homeowners or contractors who skip steps.
If you are planning to install a backwater valve or disconnect your weeping tiles, avoid these three fatal mistakes that will result in the immediate cancellation of your funding.
Reason #1: You Started Construction Too Early
This is the number one reason grants are denied in London. The Basement Flooding Grant Program is strictly not retroactive.
If your basement floods during a heavy spring storm, your first instinct is to call an emergency plumber to fix the issue immediately. Many contractors will tell you, "We can do the work today and you can apply for the city grant tomorrow." Do not listen to them.
By-law A.-7562-160 explicitly states that you must submit your application, provide your itemized quotes, and receive a formal, written "Grant Approval Letter" from the City before any construction commences. If an inspector finds out that the concrete was cut before your approval date, your application will be instantly voided, leaving you to pay the entire bill.
Reason #2: Your Plumber Skipped the Permits
Some contractors will offer you a "cash deal" or promise to finish the job faster by skipping the municipal permit process. In the context of the Flood Grant, this is financial sabotage.
The City of London is paying you to ensure your home meets the modern Ontario Building Code. Therefore, a City of London Plumbing and/or Building Permit is a non-negotiable requirement. Furthermore, you must have a City Building Inspector physically visit your home to inspect the backwater valve or sump pit while the work is still exposed.
If your contractor installs the equipment and pours new concrete over it before the city inspector can sign off on it, the City will not issue your grant cheque.
📍 Contractor Red Flags: A reputable London drainage contractor will handle the permit and inspection process for you. If a plumber asks YOU to pull the permit, or suggests skipping it altogether, fire them.
Reason #3: Non-Itemized Quoting
When you submit your initial application, you must provide written quotes from a licensed plumber. (If the job is between $5,000 and $10,000, you need at least two quotes; over $10,000 requires three).
However, the City will immediately reject generic, lump-sum quotes.
Because the grant has specific maximum payouts for different devices (e.g., $1,800 for a valve, $4,000 for a sump pit), the City demands that every quote be strictly itemized. The quote must clearly separate the labor costs from the material costs for each individual device being installed. If the math on the invoice is lumped together, your application goes straight to the back of the line.
Secure Your Funding the Right Way
Navigating city hall doesn't have to be a nightmare, provided you follow the rules in the exact order they are written. We have created a foolproof, step-by-step checklist to ensure your application gets approved on the first try.
👉 Download the Free London Flood Grant Application Checklist Here