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Industrial + Commercial + Residential P.Eng Stamped $5M Insured
Lakeshore Etobicoke home with exterior excavation, pumps and new waterproof membrane
Serving Mimico to Humber Bay

Underpinning and Excavation in Etobicoke, Engineered for a High Water Table

Pro Excavation Toronto provides residential, commercial and industrial excavation throughout Etobicoke, backed by 22+ years combined Toronto excavation and underpinning experience. The district runs from the lakeshore villages of Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch up through the Kingsway and Islington to the Humber River valley. The south end has a high water table that floods basements every spring; the north end has Tudor-style detached homes and infill rebuilds. Both need excavation planned around water.

  • Site visit within 48 hours
  • Permits via Toronto Building, Etobicoke Civic Centre
  • P.Eng stamped, $5M + WSIB
  • 24h emergency water + sewer
Request a Free Site Visit Call (647) 277-2002
22+
Years
1
Case studies here
4h
Emergency
Fixed-Price Proposal

Book a Free Site Visit

Site visit in 48 hours. Written quote on letterhead in 24 hours after that. Fixed-price. P.Eng stamped where required.

No obligation. Written quote on letterhead before any contract.

  • 22+
    Years Combined
  • 100%
    P.Eng Stamped
  • 24h
    Written Quote
  • $5M
    Liability + WSIB
  • 4h
    Emergency On-Site
What Goes Wrong

Wet Basement in Etobicoke? Fix the Water First

Lakeshore basement that takes on water every spring

Water seeps in at the floor joint each spring melt, the sump runs constantly, and a big storm pushes sewage back up the floor drain.

Why it happens here: Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch sit on low ground below the old Lake Iroquois shoreline, close to the lake and Etobicoke Creek, where groundwater stays high.

How we fix it: Our basement waterproofing replaces the weeping tile, adds a sized sump and a backwater valve, and we hand you the invoices for the City flooding subsidy.

Plan rejected on first submission

Underpinning and deep excavation are structural work. Drawings without an Ontario P.Eng stamp, a 1.2 m pin sequence and shoring details come back from Toronto Building, Etobicoke Civic Centre for revisions, which can add 6 to 10 weeks.

Neighbour objection mid-project

Shared walls and tight side yards mean the neighbour is part of the job. Skip the notice package and condition survey, and a complaint or variance objection can stop work for months.

A live utility strike

Gas, hydro, water and telecom lines run under almost every yard. Digging without Ontario One Call locates and hydrovac daylighting risks a strike that costs $15K to $120K and shuts the site down.

Local Overview

Etobicoke Excavation Planned Around Groundwater

South Etobicoke sits on sandy soils with groundwater close to the surface, so every dig-out here is designed with drainage and waterproofing from day one rather than as an afterthought.

Typical housing and sites
Lakeshore wartime and 1920s homes, Kingsway Tudor-style detached, west-end infill rebuilds
Permit office
Toronto Building, Etobicoke Civic Centre (City of Toronto (Etobicoke York district))
Why this area is different
West-end infill market with a Humber-adjacent and Lake Shore high water table (Mimico, New Toronto) that drives dewatering and waterproofing, Kingsway infill rebuilds, TRCA regulation near the Humber, and a local $45K basement excavation + waterproofing project.
Tudor-style house in The Kingsway behind site hoarding before a rebuild
Tudor-style house in The Kingsway behind site hoarding before a rebuild
Most Requested Here

Dig-Outs, Waterproofing and Underpinning

The services clients here ask us for most, listed by how often local conditions call for them. Every one is quoted in writing within 24 hours of the site visit.

Basement Waterproofing

$8K-$40K

We stop basement leaks at the source by excavating outside the foundation, parging the wall, then installing an elastomeric membrane, dimple drainage board, new weeping tile and clear stone before backfill. Where the side yard is too narrow to dig, we install an interior drain and sump instead, and our P.Eng tells you honestly which approach suits your foundation. Adding waterproofing during underpinning costs far less than doing it later.

Exterior MembraneNew Weeping TileSubsidy Eligible Work
Includes
Excavation, membrane, drainage, backfill
Timeline
3-10 working days

Etobicoke basement dig and exterior waterproofing on a high-water-table lot, dry through spring melt ($45K).

Fix My Leaking Basement for Basement Waterproofing

Basement Excavation

$12K-$45K

We remove the slab and soil inside your existing basement, or dig a new-build basement from grade, so you gain the height for a family room or a legal second suite. On narrow Toronto lots we work through side yards under 1 m with conveyors and mini-excavators, stage soil in permitted bins and haul it off daily. Every dig-out is paired with the structural method our P.Eng specifies, then finished with weeping tile, clear stone, XPS and a new slab, which means one contractor owns the whole hole.

Conveyor SystemsTight-Access RigsClean-Site Protocol
Includes
Strip-out, dig, haul-off, drainage, slab
Timeline
3-8 weeks on site after permit, depending on access and structural method

Riverdale 1920s semi dug out to 10 ft ceilings with zero cracks on the party wall ($186K incl. underpinning).

Quote My Dig-Out for Basement Excavation

Underpinning

$30K-$200K

We lower Toronto basements below the existing footing in engineered 1.2 m pins, so a 6 ft 10 in basement becomes 9 or 10 feet of legal living space. Marko Pavlovic P.Eng stamps every sequence to OBC Part 4 before the permit goes in, our expeditor carries the file through Toronto Building and the Committee of Adjustment, and hydrovac daylighting clears Toronto Hydro and Enbridge lines first. Each pin is inspected before the next is poured, which means your party wall and your neighbour stay protected.

P.Eng StampedToronto Building LiaisonParty-Wall Protection
Includes
Engineering, permits, sequencing, inspections, new slab
Timeline
8-16 weeks contract to final inspection (permit 4-8 weeks, sequencing 3-6 weeks, interior + waterproofing 2-3 weeks)

Leslieville semi lowered from 6 ft 10 in to 9 ft 4 in, finished 3 weeks ahead of schedule ($142K).

Get an Underpinning Quote for Underpinning

Foundation Excavation

$8K-$30K

We excavate foundations for custom homes, laneway houses and additions across Toronto, digging to the footing depth your drawings and the 1.2 m frost line require. Our crew works from surveyed layout stakes, cuts the over-dig your forming trade needs, and benches or shores to O. Reg. 213/91 and the P.Eng design. Ontario One Call locates and hydrovac daylighting come before the bucket, and GCs get same-day call-backs, which means the forming crew starts on the day you planned.

GC Schedule ReadyFrost Depth 1.2 mBackfill Included
Includes
Layout, dig, over-dig, haul-off, backfill
Timeline
2-10 working days on site for most residential foundations

Markham custom-home foundation dug and backfilled on the GC's schedule with same-day call-backs ($38K).

Book a Foundation Dig for Foundation Excavation

Also available

How It Works

From Site Visit to Dry Basement

The same five steps on every project, from the first call to the handover package.

  1. 1

    Site Visit in 48h

    Free, no obligation

    We walk the property, measure access and the foundation, and our P.Eng reviews structural work before any deposit.

  2. 2

    Written Quote in 24h

    On letterhead

    A fixed-price CAD quote with every line item, the draw schedule and the permit path for your address.

  3. 3

    Permit + Notices

    2-8 weeks

    Stamped drawings filed with Toronto Building, Etobicoke Civic Centre, neighbour notices sent, locates and hydrovac daylighting booked.

  4. 4

    5-Stage Build

    Fixed price

    Excavation, structural, backfill and final, each inspected and paid only when complete. No change orders without your signature.

  5. 5

    Written Handover

    Clean site

    Final inspections signed off, site cleaned, and a handover package with photos, engineer letters and permit close-out.

Ready for a Dry, Deeper Basement?

Book a free site visit. Our P.Eng reviews the foundation before any deposit, and you get a fixed-price quote in writing within 24 hours. No change orders without your signature.

(647) 277-2002 Request a Free Site Visit
Local Expertise

Working Between the Lake and the Humber

The district covers a lot of ground, and the logistics change from south to north.

  • Lakeshore villages like Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch have narrow lots, older homes and busy streets off Lake Shore Boulevard. Compact machines and conveyors are common, and we often bring pumps for groundwater.
  • The Kingsway and Islington have wider lots and larger detached homes, so mid-size machines can reach the work and knock-down rebuilds are frequent.
  • Bloor West Village and Humber Bay mix older semis with condos and townhouses, which means tight access and careful truck routing.
  • Highway access via the Gardiner and the 427 gets our trucks in and out quickly and keeps haul times to receiving sites short.

Site visits anywhere from Long Branch to the Kingsway are booked within 48 hours, with a written quote 24 hours after.

Local Expertise

Lakeshore Cottages to Kingsway Tudors

Housing here reflects how the area grew.

  • Lakeshore wartime and 1920s homes in Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch are small, with low basements, block or brick foundations and drainage that was never designed for today's water table. Basement dig-outs here always include new weeping tile, a sump and usually exterior membrane.
  • Kingsway Tudor-style detached homes from the 1930s and 1940s have solid foundations and larger footprints. Owners underpin for height, or rebuild entirely.
  • West-end infill rebuilds across Islington and the Kingsway need demolition, foundation excavation and sometimes shoring against neighbouring homes.
  • Bloor West Village semis follow the downtown pattern, with party walls and narrow side yards.

One client near the lake flooded every spring until we dug out the basement, replaced the weeping tile and waterproofed the exterior on a fixed $45K price. They stayed dry through the next spring melt.

Local Expertise

Etobicoke Civic Centre, TRCA and the Humber

Permits here go through Toronto Building, with plan review at the Etobicoke Civic Centre district office.

TRCA and the Humber River. Properties along the Humber River valley, Mimico Creek and Etobicoke Creek, and some near the lakeshore, fall within TRCA regulated areas. Exterior excavation, grading and walkouts there can need a TRCA permit.

Infill zoning in the Kingsway. Large rebuilds often need Committee of Adjustment variances, and the Kingsway has its own character guidelines that affect what can be built.

Dewatering and discharge. Where pumping is needed during excavation, discharge to City sewers must follow the Toronto Sewer Use By-law. Small residential pumping is usually straightforward, but we plan it before we start.

Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy. Backwater valves, sump pumps and severing old weeping tile connections may qualify for the City subsidy, which is especially relevant along the lakeshore.

Local Expertise

Sand, Groundwater and Spring Melt

The lakeshore end of the district sits on sandy soils with groundwater close to the surface, especially near Lake Ontario and the mouth of the Humber. Sand does not hold a vertical cut as well as clay, so underpinning pins are shorter and sometimes dug with pumps running. Further north toward the Kingsway and Islington, soils shift toward clay till and conditions look more like the rest of Toronto. Wherever water is high, we design the dig-out with drainage and waterproofing from day one: perforated weeping tile in clear stone, a sump sized for spring flows, a backwater valve and exterior membrane where we can reach the wall.

Why Us

Why Lakeshore and Kingsway Homeowners Pick Us

  • Dig-outs designed around high water tables with pumps and new drainage
  • Exterior waterproofing and weeping tile replacement on lakeshore lots
  • Kingsway and Islington rebuilds with demolition and foundation dig together
  • TRCA experience along the Humber and Mimico Creek
  • Help with Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy paperwork
  • Written fixed-price quote within 24 hours of the site visit
Project Examples

Recent Projects Nearby

Recent work in this area and in similar house and site types across the GTA. No addresses or faces, as our clients prefer.

Exterior basement waterproofing in Etobicoke with membrane, dimple board and new weeping tile Residential $45K

Etobicoke

Basement Excavation + Exterior Waterproofing

The basement flooded every spring because groundwater sits close to the surface near Lake Ontario. We excavated the exterior, installed an elastomeric membrane, dimple board, new weeping tile and clear stone, and added a sump. Fixed price, and the house stayed dry through the next spring melt.

Basement Waterproofing
Underpinning in progress in a Leslieville semi with formed concrete pins along the foundation wall Residential $142K

Leslieville, Old Toronto

Underpinning + Waterproofing, 6 ft 10 in to 9 ft 4 in

The quote went out 22 hours after the site visit. Pins were poured in engineered 1.2 m sequences with an inspection at each set, then the exterior was waterproofed and new weeping tile installed. The basement went from 6 ft 10 in to 9 ft 4 in and the job wrapped three weeks early.

Underpinning
Emergency watermain repair in North York with a hydrovac truck exposing the break Emergency $28K

North York

Emergency Watermain Repair

The call came on a Sunday morning and a crew was on site within 3 hours. The hydrovac exposed the break without touching the gas line beside it, and a trenchless repair was finished by Tuesday. The property manager's adjuster was billed directly.

Sewer and Watermain
Client Results

What Our Clients Say

"Our Etobicoke basement flooded every spring because of the high water table near the lake. They dug it out, replaced the weeping tile and waterproofed the exterior on a fixed price. The quote matched the final invoice exactly, and we stayed dry through the whole spring melt."

Sanjay R.

Etobicoke

Project value $45K

"Quote in 22 hours. Underpinning finished 3 weeks ahead of schedule. P.Eng stamp handled every city inspection. Basement went from 6 ft 10 in to 9 ft 4 in."

Darren K.

Leslieville

Project value $142K

"1920s semi with heritage brick. Marko's crew hit every structural detail. Zero cracks on the neighbour's party-wall side."

Alex and Jen M.

Riverdale

Project value $186K

Coverage

Neighbourhoods We Cover in Etobicoke

The Gardiner, the QEW and Highway 427 meet in the south end, so our pumps, bins and dump trucks reach lakeshore streets quickly.

Neighbourhoods

  • Mimico
  • New Toronto
  • Long Branch
  • The Kingsway
  • Islington Village
  • Bloor West Village
  • Humber Bay

Postal codes we cover: M8V, M8W, M8X, M8Y, M8Z, M9A, M9B, M9C

Local landmarks

  • Humber Bay Park
  • Colonel Samuel Smith Park
  • James Gardens
  • Centennial Park
  • Humber Polytechnic

Highways and transit

  • Truck routes: Gardiner Expressway, Queen Elizabeth Way, Highway 427, Highway 401
  • Transit: Kipling and Islington stations (Line 2), Mimico GO, Long Branch GO
Open in Google Maps
Straight Answers

Etobicoke Underpinning and Waterproofing FAQs

Can you lower a basement with a high water table in south Etobicoke?

Yes, with planning. We pump during excavation, use shorter pins in sandy soil and rebuild the floor with new weeping tile, clear stone, a properly sized sump and a backwater valve. Exterior waterproofing is added where we can reach the wall.

How much did your lakeshore waterproofing project cost?

Our basement excavation and exterior waterproofing project near the lake was $45K on a fixed price. Most waterproofing jobs here fall between $8K and $40K, depending on interior or exterior work and wall length.

Do I need a TRCA permit near the Humber?

If your property is within the TRCA regulated area along the Humber River, Mimico Creek or Etobicoke Creek, exterior excavation and grading may need a permit. We pull up the regulation limits for your lot before quoting any exterior work.

Do you build in the Kingsway?

Yes. We do underpinning, demolition and foundation excavation for Kingsway and Islington rebuilds, working with builders and owners on infill lots.

Will the City help pay for a backwater valve?

Yes. From May 1, 2026, the City of Toronto Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy covers up to 80% of a backwater valve, to $1,600 per device, and a sump pump to $2,250, with a $6,650 cap per property. We install to the program rules and hand over the invoices and permit you need to claim.

Which permit office handles Etobicoke?

Toronto Building issues the permit, and plan review runs through the district office at the Etobicoke Civic Centre. Our expeditor files the drawings and books each inspection.

How long does a dig-out take with groundwater?

Usually a week or so longer than a dry site, because pins are shorter and pumping slows excavation. Most lakeshore dig-outs finish within 4 to 9 weeks on site after the permit.

Why do lakeshore basements flood more than others?

Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch sit on low ground below the old Lake Iroquois shoreline, near the lake and Etobicoke Creek, where groundwater stays high. Hurricane Hazel swept Long Branch homes into the lake in 1954, which is why the creek valleys are still tightly regulated. We design every lakeshore dig-out with drainage first.

Nearby Service Areas

Areas Near Etobicoke

Same crew, same P.Eng, same written quote. These neighbouring areas are covered from the same dispatch.

Old Toronto Narrow Victorian lots + heritage North York Bungalow dig-outs + infill rebuilds Mississauga Warehouse pads + GC subcontract All Service Areas
Site visit in 48 hours

Book Your Etobicoke Site Visit

Site visit within 48 hours. Written fixed-price quote on letterhead within 24 hours after, P.Eng stamped where required.

Request a Free Site Visit Call (647) 277-2002
  • Fixed-price, 5-stage draws
  • $5M liability + WSIB
  • 24-hour emergency water + sewer line
Call (647) 277-2002Request Site Visit