Window well leaks

Window well leak repair in Durham Region

Water coming in under a basement window almost always starts in the window well outside. Usually the drain is clogged or missing, and it's one of the cheaper basement leaks to fix.

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How a window well is supposed to work

A window well is the metal or plastic liner around a basement window that sits below ground. It holds the soil back and lets light in. The part most people never see is at the bottom: a layer of clear gravel over a drain, usually a vertical pipe that runs down to the weeping tile around the footing. Rain that lands in the well should soak through the gravel and drain away within minutes.

Common rules of thumb: the top of the well sits several centimetres above the surrounding soil, the gravel sits well below the window sill, and the ground around it slopes away from the house. When any of that goes wrong, the well turns into a bucket that holds water against your window.

Why window wells leak

What you see	Likely cause	Usual fix
Water pouring in under the window after rain	Drain clogged with leaves and soil, or no drain at all	Clean out the well, clear or install a drain, add a cover
Well fills and stays full for hours	Drain disconnected, or the weeping tile below is blocked or collapsed	Reconnect the drain. Camera-inspect the weeping tile
Water behind the liner or down the wall beside the well	Liner pulled away from the foundation, or soil sloping toward the house	Reseal or reset the liner, regrade
Water around the window frame itself	Failed caulking or seal, or a rotted frame	Recaulk or replace the window
A crack running down from the window corner	Stress at the corner, often shrinkage	Crack injection from inside
Ice in the well, leaks during a thaw	Snow piling into an uncovered well	Cover, and keep the snowbank away from the well

Check these yourself first

Dig out the debris until you reach clean gravel.
Do the bucket test: pour a pail of water into the well. It should drain in a few minutes. If it sits there, the drain is blocked or missing.
Look at the downspouts: one emptying next to a window well can flood it in every storm. Extend it at least 1.5–2 m away from the house.
Check the grading: soil should slope away from the well, not toward it.
Add a clear cover once the well drains properly.

If the well still fills after all that, the problem is underground, in the drain or the weeping tile, and that's a job for a contractor.

Basement bedrooms and egress windows

Under the Ontario Building Code, a basement bedroom needs a window that opens to at least 0.35 m² with no side smaller than 380 mm, and a window well in front of it needs at least 550 mm of clear space. Enlarging a window opening means cutting the foundation, which usually needs a building permit from your town.

What window well repairs cost around Durham

Repair	Typical cost (CAD, 2026)
Clear or install a window well drain, per window	$500 – $1,500
New or replacement window well (standard to egress size)	$500 – $3,000
Crack below the window, injected from inside	$500 – $1,500
Clear window well cover	Low cost. Standard sizes are sold at hardware stores; custom-fit covers cost more

Ranges from published Toronto-area price guides. They're general estimates, not quotes. See the full Durham cost guide.

Window well leaks are especially common near the lake in Pickering and Ajax, where the ground stays wet in spring. Local guides: Oshawa · Whitby · Clarington

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Common questions

Should my window well have a cover?

In most cases, yes. A clear cover keeps out leaves, snow and rain while still letting light in, so the drain stays clear and the well doesn't fill up during a storm. If the window is the emergency exit for a basement bedroom, the cover must be easy to open from inside without tools or keys.

How often should I clean out my window wells?

Check them every spring and fall, and after big storms. Pull out leaves, garbage and soil until you can see the gravel at the bottom. If the gravel itself is packed with silt, the drain underneath may be blocked too.

Can I just caulk around the window?

Caulking helps if the water gets in around the window frame. It won't stop a leak caused by a well full of water. Standing water will push through the window seal or the wall below it however well the frame is caulked. Fix the drainage first.

My window well doesn't have a drain. Can one be added?

Yes. A contractor digs down inside the well to the weeping tile at the footing and connects it with a vertical perforated pipe, then refills it with clear gravel. If the weeping tile itself is clogged or collapsed, that needs fixing too, or the new drain has nowhere to go.

Why does water only come in during heavy rain?

A partly blocked drain can keep up with a light shower but not a downpour or a fast snowmelt. The well fills faster than it drains, and once the water rises above the bottom of the window, it finds its way in.

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