New sewer service connections in Toronto: application routes, 2026 fees and reuse rules

01 /Who builds which part of a new sewer service in Toronto?

The City of Toronto builds the public portion, from the sewer main in the road to the property line, using City contractors, and it does not do any private-side work (as checked September 2026). Everything from the property line into the building is the owner's job: the trench, pipe, cleanout, backwater valve and the connection to the building drain, carried out by the owner's plumbing or drain contractor.

Private drain work in Toronto falls under the Ontario Building Code, not the National Plumbing Code directly. Confirm with Toronto Building which permit your private scope needs before you price it, because a new house, a suite conversion and a multi-unit drain are not handled the same way.

02 /How do you apply for a sewer connection in Toronto, by building type?

The route depends on unit count and pipe size. The City's online request covers properties of up to five units that need a 19 mm or 25 mm water service or a 150 mm sewer; bigger services go through the ICI Municipal Services Application (as checked September 2026). The table maps common infill projects to what the City's pages and Municipal Code Chapter 681 say.

Chapter 681 also says one connection may not serve more than one building unless the Building Code allows it, which is why the code reference in the garden suite guide deserves a close read. The same guide sets a fire access route of up to 45 m, at least 1.0 m wide with 2.1 m of clear height, which affects where a suite can sit on the lot. For how shared and separate drains work in general, see laneway and garden suite sewer options.

1. Submit the request

   Online for up to five units at the standard sizes; otherwise the ICI Municipal Services Application.

2. Receive the City cost estimate

   The City states four to six weeks to prepare it (as checked September 2026).

3. Pay in advance

   Work is not scheduled until the estimate is paid.

4. Public-side construction

   The City gives a target of 12 to 14 weeks; ask when that clock starts for your file.

03 /What does the City of Toronto charge for a new connection in 2026?

Toronto publishes flat 2026 fees for connection work, and a new sanitary connection and a new storm connection each cost $14,718.78 (as checked September 2026). A new house that needs both, plus a 19 mm water service, starts at roughly $35,300 in City fees before any private work.

On the private side, network planning ranges for 2026 run about $600 to $1,000 per metre of trench and pipe at shallow depth and $1,000 to $2,000 per metre when deep or under hard surfaces, plus $500 to $2,000 for mobilisation and locates, $600 to $2,500 for a cleanout, $800 to $2,500 for a backwater valve in new construction and $500 to $15,000 or more for restoration. The new sewer connection cost guide explains how those add up.

04 /Can you reuse the existing sewer connection when you rebuild in Toronto?

Only for a new residential home, and only if the pipe passes. Toronto's reuse criteria (as checked September 2026) require the existing sewer to be PVC or better, not a double connection, free of any backup history and free of defects, proven by a CCTV inspection. The sewer reuse inspection is $735.81 and water reuse is $367.13, against $14,718.78 for each new sewer connection.

Clay or cast iron services will not meet the PVC-or-better test, so an older teardown should budget for new connections. If you do not reuse a service, the City charges a disconnection fee: $1,816.50 for sanitary and $1,739.74 for water. The general decision logic is in reusing an existing sewer service. For water service replacement and lead programs, the sister site WaterMainReplacement.ca covers that side.

05 /Which stormwater and backwater valve rules shape a Toronto connection?

Toronto keeps clean water out of its sanitary system. Chapter 681 bars uncontaminated water from sanitary and combined sewers, bars downspouts from connecting to any sewer, and says foundation drains on new construction may not drain directly to the sewer; the City also runs a mandatory downspout disconnection program (as checked September 2026). Design the storm connection and site drainage around those limits.

• Normally closed backwater valves are prohibited in the building drain or building sewer, according to the City backwater valve guide.
• Multi-unit buildings need a drain permit to install a backwater valve; the guide lists a $38.67 fee (as checked September 2026).
• Depth and cover for the private sewer are not on the City pages checked for this guide; confirm required cover and invert with Toronto Building and the connection estimate.
• Capacity screening for sewers and watermains applies only where specific by-laws require it, so ask whether your site is one of them.

06 /What should you ask the City of Toronto before you design?

1. Does my project fit the online request (up to five units, 150 mm sewer, 19 or 25 mm water), or the ICI Municipal Services Application?
2. Does my existing sewer qualify for reuse, and when can the CCTV reuse inspection be booked?
3. For a garden or laneway suite, what does the reviewer need to see to accept servicing through the main house?
4. Is my site subject to sewer and watermain capacity screening under its zoning by-law?
5. Where does the storm connection go, and where must foundation and roof water discharge?
6. When does the 12 to 14 week target start, and what permits the private-side work?

Run your unit count and fixtures through the service connection planner to see which route you are likely on, then request quotes for the private side with the City estimate in hand.

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