Sump Pump Installation in North Bay
Sump pump installation in North Bay is a new-system service from Poly-B Plumbing for homes and cottages in North Bay, Callander, Sturgeon Falls, Powassan and the surrounding communities. A sump pump system is a sealed pit at the low point of the basement, a pump sized to the water it has to move, a solid discharge line routed away from the foundation, and a backup for the outage that arrives with the storm. Poly-B builds new pits, installs Liberty, Zoeller and Hydromatic pumps with backups, and flood-tests every installation. Call 705-345-6616.
Service hours
- Monday to Thursday7:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Friday7:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Saturday and SundayClosed
Emergency service is available during business hours only. Members of the $49-per-month plan get priority scheduling.
Sizing the pump to the basement
A pump is sized to two numbers: how much water arrives in the pit per minute in the worst week of April, and how high and how far it has to push that water to get outside. Poly-B measures both rather than guessing from the box.
| Pump size | Typical fit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3/10 to 1/3 HP | Average North Bay basement with a short discharge run and modest groundwater | The most common size installed; enough for most municipal-lot homes |
| 1/2 HP | Homes near Lake Nipissing or Trout Lake, high water table, or a long discharge run with lift | The usual upgrade when a 1/3 HP ran nonstop last spring |
| 3/4 to 1 HP | Deep basements, walkouts on a slope, or pits that fill fast during melt | Needs a pit large enough that it does not short-cycle |
| Battery backup pump | Any basement that floods when the hydro goes out | Runs hours on a deep-cycle battery; Poly-B prefers Liberty units |
| Water-powered backup | Homes on municipal water pressure only | No battery to replace; uses City water to eject pit water; not for wells |
The pit, the lid and the discharge line
Ontario Building Code 9.14.5.2 sets the minimum pit: at least 750 mm deep and 0.25 square metres in area, with a cover that is airtight and resists removal by children. Poly-B sets a proper basin with gravel and support in that spec, sealed so radon and humidity stay in the pit and toys stay out of it. The discharge line is solid PVC or ABS, never flex hose, with a check valve so the line does not drain back into the pit and restart the pump. Outside the house the City of North Bay Engineering Design Guidelines govern where the water goes: never into the sanitary sewer, to a storm sewer service where one exists at the property line, and otherwise to the ground surface, contained on the lot and kept off the sidewalk. The exterior run is pitched to drain, fitted with an exterior check valve and freeze protection, and where the route cannot be protected, a heat line.
When a North Bay basement needs a new sump system
- There is no pit at all and the floor gets damp every spring, which is common in older homes below the escarpment and near the lake.
- The existing pump is more than seven to ten years old, noisy, or ran nonstop last April.
- The pit is a bucket-sized hole with no lid, or the discharge is a hose out a window.
- The basement is being finished. A finished basement without a backup is a bet against the next power outage.
- A new build or addition where gravity drainage of the foundation is not practical, which under the OBC means an automatic sump pump is required.
Repairs to an existing system, floats, switches, check valves and single pump swaps, are on the sump pump repair page.
Battery backup or water-powered backup?
| Battery backup | Water-powered backup | |
|---|---|---|
| Power source | Deep-cycle battery on a charger | Municipal water pressure |
| Works on a well | Yes | No; the well pump is off in an outage too |
| Run time | Hours, depending on battery and inflow | As long as the City has pressure |
| Maintenance | Battery replaced every few years, tested each fall | Backflow protection required; uses water while it runs |
| Poly-B’s usual pick | Rural and lake homes, and anywhere the outage lasts | City homes with strong pressure and no battery discipline |
What a sump pump installation costs in North Bay
Poly-B Plumbing quotes sump installations flat-rate, in writing, after the assessment. The price depends on:
- New pit or existing. Cutting and excavating a new basin through the slab is the biggest single item; a replacement into a sound pit is the smallest.
- Pump size and brand. Liberty, Zoeller or Hydromatic, sized to the water, not to the shelf.
- Discharge route. A short run to grade versus a long run with lift, an exterior check valve, freeze protection or a heat line.
- Backup. Battery or water-powered, installed with the system rather than after the first outage.
- Finished basement. Floor protection, dust control and restoration.
Members of the $49-per-month plan get 10 percent off and priority service during flood weeks.
Why sump systems matter here
North Bay sits on Canadian Shield bedrock between Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake. In the spring melt, water moving sideways over shallow bedrock finds every foundation, and a basement that was dry in a January thaw is wet in the third week of April. Summer thunderstorms and winter ice storms take the hydro out at the same moment the pit is filling. A pump with no backup is dry-basement insurance that lapses the second the lights go out, which is why Poly-B quotes the backup with every new system instead of as an add-on.
Licensing
Plumber (306A) is a compulsory trade in Ontario regulated by Skilled Trades Ontario, and a sump system is part of the building’s drainage. Poly-B’s owner holds Red Seal journeyman certification, is licensed for plumbing, wells, septic and backflow prevention, and carries up to $5 million in liability insurance. Water-powered backups are installed with the backflow protection the City requires.
Sources: Ontario Building Code 9.14.5, sump pits; City of North Bay Engineering Design Guidelines, March 2021; Skilled Trades Ontario, Plumber (306A).
How Poly-B installs a sump system
Site assessment
Basement layout, groundwater activity, power supply and discharge options.
Pit installation
Basin excavated and set with gravel and support to the OBC spec, sealed lid.
Pump and discharge
Correctly sized pump, check valve, solid PVC discharge routed to a legal outlet with freeze protection.
Backup
Battery or water-powered backup installed and wired or plumbed.
Flood test and walkthrough
Pit filled, float confirmed, discharge confirmed outside, backup tested with the power off, and you are shown how to test it yourself.
What North Bay customers say
“Always done great work and had them out to our houses more than one time.”Dave Melanson, Google review, June 2025
“Excellent customer service”TGunzSupreme, Google review, June 2025
Where Poly-B installs sump pumps
Sump pump installation questions from North Bay homeowners
How long does a sump pump last?
Typically seven to ten years. Poly-B Plumbing recommends an inspection if yours is older, noisy, or ran nonstop through last spring’s melt.
Do I really need a backup?
If the power goes out during storms, which it does around North Bay, yes. A battery backup runs for hours; a water-powered backup runs on City pressure and suits municipal-water homes only. Poly-B Plumbing quotes the backup with every new system.
Can Poly-B install a sump pump in a finished basement?
Yes. Flooring is protected, dust is controlled, the pit location is chosen to minimize the opening, and the floor is restored after.
Can my sump pump drain outside legally in North Bay?
Yes, and it must. The City of North Bay Engineering Design Guidelines forbid connecting a sump pump to the sanitary sewer; the discharge goes to a storm service where one exists or to the ground surface on your own lot, kept off the sidewalk. Poly-B routes every line to that rule.
What size sump pump does my house need?
Most North Bay homes are served by a 1/3 HP pump; homes near the lake, with a high water table or a long lifted discharge run need 1/2 HP or more. Poly-B Plumbing sizes the pump to the inflow and the lift rather than to the box.
Book a sump pump installation in North Bay
Monday to Thursday 7 am to 7 pm, Friday 7 am to 5 pm. Book before the melt; April is the month every plumber in North Bay is in a basement.
Call 705-345-6616 Request a free online quote
Poly-B Plumbing, 1107 Yellek Trail, North Bay, ON P1B 8G5.