# Hydrovac North York & Scarborough | Metro Hydrovac Toronto URL: https://hydrovactoronto.ca/service-areas/toronto/ GTA Dispatch Zone 10-35 min from our yard City of Toronto # Hydrovac Across Toronto's Districts: Daylighting, Potholing & Sewer Cleaning in North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and the Port Lands By The Metro Hydrovac Toronto Crew [/about/#metro-hydrovac-crew →](/about/#metro-hydrovac-crew) · Last updated: October 4, 2026 1,100+ Local Projects ZERO Utility Strikes $280+/HR Published Rate 24/7 Sewer & Water Main ▣ Local Dispatch Record Hydrovac work in Toronto's districts means exposing buried gas, hydro, fiber and water lines with pressurized water and a high-vacuum truck, so no bucket touches them. Our three trucks run out of a yard inside the city, which gives **North York**, **Scarborough**, **Etobicoke**, the **East End** and **Downtown M5V** the shortest drive and crews who know the streets. Most utility exposure work comes from the **Keele St** and **Finch Ave W** industrial blocks and the **Port Lands**, where the flood protection project re-used, remediated or removed about one million cubic metres of contaminated soil. That history means we plan disposal before the first hole is cut. A dig in the public road allowance also needs a cut permit from the city's Utility Cut Office, so we confirm the permit and the Ontario One Call ticket during setup. Older residential streets in the East End and Etobicoke are where sewer backups pile up after heavy storms. The July and August 2024 rainstorms flooded more than 1,000 homes across the city, and those calls go to our emergency unit, not the next scheduled truck. Scheduled digs are booked during business hours; water main breaks, sewer backups and insurance claims get 24/7 dispatch. Jobs here run on the same owned trucks, Red Seal crews and published CAD rate card as all of our hydrovac services across Toronto and the GTA [/ →](/) . Request a Quote [#quote →](#quote) Call (647) 251-8377 [tel:+16472518377 →](tel:+16472518377) ![Metro Hydrovac Toronto crew exposing utilities at a GTA construction site](/images/misc/hydrovac-truck-and-two-person-crew-exposing-utilit.webp) GTA DISPATCH ZONE Neighbourhoods we cover Downtown Toronto (M5V)North York (M2N)Scarborough (M1V)Etobicoke (M8W)East End (M4L) Postal codes we cover: M5V, M2N, M1V, M8W, M4L Industrial corridors Keele StFinch Ave WToronto Port LandsEglinton Crosstown corridorLakeshore Blvd Response: Same-day scheduling from our city yard; 24/7 for water main, sewer and insurance emergencies 20 YRS GTA Hydrovac Experience ZERO Utility Strikes, 2,000+ Jobs OHS 213/91 Excavation Compliant $5,000,000 Commercial Liability 5-Star Customer Satisfaction Top-Rated Toronto Hydrovac Contractor 2,000+ Projects Completed ON1Call Certified Locators Written Workmanship Warranty Scheduled Digs: Business Hours Project Risk Audit ## Sewer Backups and Buried Utility Risks in Toronto's Districts LOCAL CONDITION ### Basement sewer backups on older East End and Etobicoke streets after summer storms Water comes up through the floor drain in the middle of a downpour, and the owner needs it pumped out, the blockage found and a record for the insurer by morning. Why it happens here: Heavy storms overload the sewers on older residential streets. The July and August 2024 rainstorms alone flooded more than 1,000 homes across the city. What we do: Our emergency hydrovac crew vacuums the backup, exposes the blockage and logs time-stamped photos. Afterward, the city subsidy of up to $6,650 can help pay for a backwater valve. SIGN 01 TOLERANCE ZONE ### Your dig sits inside a gas or fiber locate tolerance zone CSA Z247 and the utility owner expect non-destructive exposure before machines move. One bucket strike can run past $50,000 CAD in repairs and fines. SIGN 02 DESIGN RISK ### Your engineer is working from paint marks Locates show position, not depth. Test pits at $800-$2,500 each give real depth and offset numbers before drawings are stamped. SIGN 03 TIGHT ACCESS ### There is no room to swing a backhoe Laneways, garage vaults and tight frontage. The truck parks at the curb and the hose reaches up to 200 ft to the dig. Local Services ## Hydrovac Services Most Booked Across the Districts Daylighting, potholing and catch basin work from a yard inside the city, serving North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, the East End and the Port Lands. ![Night-time hydrovac truck and two-person crew at a flooded water main break on a Toronto street](/images/misc/night-time-hydrovac-truck-with-work-lights-at-a-fl.webp) $450-$650/HR ### 24/7 Emergency Hydrovac 24/7 response for water main breaks, sewer backups and insurance claims, with time-stamped logs adjusters accept. View Emergency rates → [24/7 Emergency Hydrovac →](/emergency-hydrovac/) ![Two crew members daylighting orange fiber optic conduits in a clean trench along Lakeshore Blvd in Toronto](/images/misc/two-hydrovac-crew-members-daylighting-a-bundle-of-.webp) $350-$500/HR ### Daylighting & Line Locating Visual verification of buried fiber, gas, hydro and water lines before you bore, drill or dig. View Daylighting rates → [Daylighting & Line Locating →](/daylighting-line-locating/) ![Crew of two vacuuming a municipal catch basin on Danforth Ave in Toronto beside a vacuum truck](/images/misc/two-crew-members-vacuuming-a-municipal-catch-basin.webp) $280-$450/HR ### Sewer & Culvert Cleaning Pressure flushing and vacuum removal for storm drains, catch basins, culverts and grease traps. View Sewer & Culvert rates → [Sewer & Culvert Cleaning →](/sewer-culvert-cleaning/) ![Two-person Metro Hydrovac Toronto crew potholing a utility crossing with a pressure wand and vacuum hose beside a hydrovac truck on a Toronto street](/images/misc/hydrovac-truck-and-two-person-crew-in-high-vis-ves.webp) $280-$450/HR ### Hydrovac Excavation Non-destructive digging with 3,000-4,000 PSI water and 27 inch Hg vacuum for potholing, backfill removal and confined space work. View Excavation rates → [Hydrovac Excavation →](/hydrovac-excavation/) Also available here: hydrovac rentals [/hydrovac-rentals/ →](/hydrovac-rentals/) , pile hole excavation [/pile-hole-excavation/ →](/pile-hole-excavation/) , slot trenching [/slot-trenching/ →](/slot-trenching/) and vacuum truck services [/vacuum-truck-services/ →](/vacuum-truck-services/) . 5-Step Dig Protocol ## How a District Dig Runs, Permit to Handover 1. STEP 01 ### Locate & Permit Check We confirm your Ontario One Call ticket and the municipal road permit, walk the marks and photograph the site before the wand starts. 2. STEP 02 ### Truck Staging & Traffic Control The truck parks to keep the boom short and the hose clear of traffic, with cones and signage set to your traffic plan. 3. STEP 03 ### Pressurized Excavation 3,500 PSI water loosens the soil and 27 inch Hg vacuum lifts it into the tank, so spoil never sits on the boulevard. 4. STEP 04 ### Depth Log & Sign-Off Depth, size, material and offset logged with photos at every exposure, ready for the locator or inspector. 5. STEP 05 ### Licensed Disposal & Handover Slurry goes to a licensed facility with records for your file, and the site is left swept. ## Ready to Book a Truck From Our City Yard? Free on-site assessment for commercial projects, an itemised CAD quote with rate, mobilization, disposal and locates on separate lines, and a written workmanship warranty on every job. Book a Free Assessment [#quote →](#quote) Call (647) 251-8377 [tel:+16472518377 →](tel:+16472518377) Published Rate Matrix (CAD) ## Published Hydrovac Rates (CAD) Every GTA job uses the same rate card: $280-$350 CAD per hour for a standard truck and 2-person crew, with a 4-hour minimum. Mobilization from our Toronto yard is one fixed line. | Equipment, Crew or Scope | Published Rate (CAD) | Minimum / Base | | --- | --- | --- | | Standard hydrovac truck + 2-person crew | $280-$350/hr | 4 hrs ($1,120-$1,400) | | Large tank truck (6,000 gal) + 2-person crew | $350-$450/hr | 4 hrs ($1,400-$1,800) | | Daylighting fiber or gas line (10-20 ft run) | $1,500-$4,500 | Per run | | Catch basin cleaning (standard) | $600-$1,800 | Per basin | | Pile hole excavation (4-6 ft deep) | $1,200-$3,500 | Per set | | Emergency 24/7 off-hours (water main, sewer, insurance) | $450-$650/hr | 4 hrs | Every quote itemises hourly rate, mobilization, disposal and locate fees separately. Why Local Crews Call Us ## Why GCs and Utility Supervisors Call Our Yard First - 01 City yard with 3 owned trucks: shortest drive to North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and the Port Lands - 02 Municipal Code 847 and ON1Call coordination handled before the truck arrives - 03 City catch basin program experience on Danforth Ave - 04 Bell Canada fiber daylighting on Lakeshore Blvd, zero strikes - 05 24/7 emergency unit for water main breaks, sewer backups and insurance claims - 06 Published CAD rates: $280-$350/hr standard, $350-$450/hr large tank Local Project Record ### Port Lands telecom fiber corridor daylighting $18,400 CAD 3 days A telecom GC in the Port Lands had already had one dig-in with a different crew. We exposed 180 ft of buried fiber over three days using 27 inch Hg vacuum and 3,500 PSI, logged depth at every exposure, and the ON1Call locator signed off on the first visit. View the service → [/daylighting-line-locating/ →](/daylighting-line-locating/) ![Crew logging the depth of an exposed utility on a GTA boulevard](/images/content/two-hydrovac-crew-members-logging-depth-of-an-expo.webp) FIELD LOG Client Field Reports ## What Toronto Clients Say > “Daylighted a fiber bank and a gas service near Yonge and Sheppard before our crane pad went in. Half a day, $1,750 CAD, and the locator signed off on the spot.” Wei L. · North York (M2N) > “Nine catch basins behind our Queen St E building, before and after photos for each one. $6,300 CAD and done before the morning deliveries.” Danielle R. · East End (M4L) > “Potholed 8 crossings for a watermain design off Kipling. Depth sheet for every hole, full day at $2,600 CAD.” Omar H. · Etobicoke (M8W) 5-Star Customer Satisfaction · Top-Rated Toronto Hydrovac Contractor Local Logistics & Site Familiarity ## Toronto Ground Conditions We Plan Around ### How We Move Trucks Between Districts Our yard sits inside the city, which matters more than it sounds. A hydrovac truck is a 33,000 kg tandem or tridem unit, and every extra kilometre on the **Gardiner**, the **DVP** or the **401** is billable time you are paying for. - **Downtown M5V and the Port Lands:** we stage off Commissioners St or Unwin Ave and work early. Lakeshore Blvd lane closures are planned with your traffic control plan before the truck rolls. - **North York M2N:** Yonge and Sheppard crane pads and Finch Ave W utility relocations are 20-30 minutes out. We run the 401 collector lanes before 6:30 a.m. to beat the backup. - **Scarborough M1V:** Markham Rd, McNicoll and the Milliken industrial blocks are a straight run along the 401. Sewer backup calls here get the emergency unit, not the next scheduled truck. - **Etobicoke M8W:** Kipling, The Queensway and the Long Branch rail lands are reached via the Gardiner. Disposal goes to a licensed facility on the west side so we are not hauling slurry back across town. - **East End M4L:** Queen St E and Leslieville jobs often have streetcar overhead and tight laneways, so we bring the remote hose reel and park on the side street. Scheduled excavation is booked during business hours. Water main breaks, sewer backups and insurance claims get 24/7 dispatch. ### The Sites We Dig Around Most The city is built in layers. Cast iron water mains from the 1920s, Toronto Hydro duct banks, Enbridge gas services and three generations of telecom all share the same boulevard, and paint marks are only as good as the records behind them. - **Port Lands redevelopment:** new road grids over old industrial fill. Expect contaminated soil protocols, high water tables and fiber corridors laid in the last decade. - **Eglinton Crosstown and Metrolinx Ontario Line corridors:** utility relocations around station boxes, where test pits for SUE Quality Level A are routine. - **Danforth Ave and the East End:** older sewers and catch basins under the city program, which we cleaned in 2024 with before and after photos for every basin. - **Lakeshore Blvd:** Bell Canada fiber work in 2024, 180 ft of daylighting over three days, which landed us on their regional dispatch list for emergency utility exposure. - **Keele St and Finch Ave W industrial blocks:** warehouses, trench drains, sumps and interceptors that need vacuum truck service on a schedule. - **TTC right-of-way and mid-rise sites off King St W:** tight lots where a backhoe cannot swing and a 200 ft hose can. Work on city property follows Municipal Code 847 for utility locates on top of the Ontario One Call ticket. We coordinate both as part of setup. Landmarks near our job sites Port LandsUnion StationScarborough Town CentreYorkdale Shopping CentreSherway Gardens Highways & transit Highway 401Gardiner ExpresswayDon Valley ParkwayHighway 427Line 1 Yonge-UniversityLine 5 EglintonUnion Station Our trucks run the 401 collector lanes, the Gardiner and the DVP from the yard, staging early to beat downtown traffic. ### Permits, Utilities and Site Conditions - REGULATORYAny excavation or surface cut in the city's public right-of-way needs a cut permit from the Utility Cut Office; a Site Services Permit alone does not authorise it. Source: toronto.ca [https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/infrastructure-city-construction/construction-standards-permits/construction-permits/municipal-road-damage-deposit-permit/ →](https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/infrastructure-city-construction/construction-standards-permits/construction-permits/municipal-road-damage-deposit-permit/) - REGULATORYMunicipal Code Chapter 743-4 requires a Municipal Road Damage Deposit with most building permits, held against damage to curbs, sidewalks and boulevards. Source: toronto.ca [https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/infrastructure-city-construction/construction-standards-permits/construction-permits/municipal-road-damage-deposit-permit/ →](https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/infrastructure-city-construction/construction-standards-permits/construction-permits/municipal-road-damage-deposit-permit/) - ENVIRONMENTThe Port Lands Flood Protection project re-used, remediated or removed about one million cubic metres of contaminated soil while protecting over 290 hectares from flooding. Source: portlandsto.ca [https://portlandsto.ca/about/ →](https://portlandsto.ca/about/) - ENVIRONMENTHeavy rainstorms in July and August 2024 caused basement flooding in more than 1,000 homes across the city. Source: toronto.ca [https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-proposes-new-supports-to-help-property-owners-protect-their-homes-from-flooding/ →](https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-proposes-new-supports-to-help-property-owners-protect-their-homes-from-flooding/) - UTILITYThe Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program pays up to $6,650 per property toward backwater valves, sump pumps and related flood protection. Source: toronto.ca [https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-to-almost-double-the-amount-of-basement-flooding-subsidies-starting-may-1/ →](https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-to-almost-double-the-amount-of-basement-flooding-subsidies-starting-may-1/) - BUILTFootings in the city must sit at least 1.2 m deep to clear frost penetration. Source: OPSD 3090.101 Foundation Frost Penetration Depths for Southern Ontario; Ontario Building Code Coverage Map ## Request a Hydrovac Quote Send the site address and scope. We reply with an itemised CAD quote and a date. Open in Google Maps → [https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=43.6532,-79.3832 →](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=43.6532,-79.3832) Message received Thanks. A crew lead will call you back during business hours. For a water main break or sewer backup, call (647) 251-8377 now. Field Questions ## Toronto Hydrovac Questions From Contractors and Owners ### Do you work in North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke? Yes. Those districts, the East End and Downtown M5V are a short drive from our yard inside the city, so scheduled digs are usually booked within days. ### Can you work in the Port Lands? Yes. Our $18,400 fiber corridor daylighting job there exposed 180 ft of fiber over three days with first-visit ON1Call sign-off. Port Lands soil has a long remediation history, so we confirm disposal requirements before digging. ### Do Toronto jobs need a permit beyond an Ontario One Call locate? Often, yes. Any excavation or surface cut in the city right-of-way needs a cut permit from the Utility Cut Office, and Municipal Code 847 governs locates on city property. We check both during setup. ### Do you clean catch basins on city maintenance contracts? Yes. Catch basin maintenance is regular work for us, including the city program on Danforth Ave, with before and after photos for every basin. ### Does frozen ground change the cost of a winter dig? Not the rate. Footings here must sit at least 1.2 m deep because frost reaches that far, so winter digs use heated water to cut through it. The rate card stays at $280-$350 CAD per hour; frozen ground only adds time. ### Can you work downtown where there is no room for a backhoe? Yes. The truck parks at the curb and the boom and hose reach into laneways, parking garages and courtyards. We have dug confined space vaults in M5V garages on a 4-hour callout. ### Do you respond to sewer backups in Scarborough after hours? Yes. A January plaza backup near Markham Rd ran 6 hours and $3,100 CAD, and the photo log reached the adjuster by morning. Off-hours work bills at $450-$650 CAD per hour. ### Can you work along the Eglinton Crosstown or Ontario Line corridors? Yes. Utility relocations and SUE test pits near transit station boxes are common work for us, always on a valid locate and CSA Z247 protocol. Neighbouring Dispatch Zones ## Also Serving Near Toronto ### Hydrovac in Vaughan 30-40 min from our yard Kleinburg (L4H) · Woodbridge (L4L) · Thornhill (L4J) [Hydrovac in Vaughan →](/service-areas/vaughan/) ### Hydrovac in Mississauga 25-45 min from our yard Lorne Park (L5H) · Erin Mills (L5M) · Port Credit (L5G) [Hydrovac in Mississauga →](/service-areas/mississauga/) ### Hydrovac in Markham 30-40 min from our yard Unionville (L3R) · Cornell (L6B) · Angus Glen (L6C) [Hydrovac in Markham →](/service-areas/markham/) ![](/images/misc/hydrovac-truck-driving-along-a-gta-highway-toward-.webp) Scheduling This Week Rates Published in CAD ## Get a Hydrovac Crew to Your Toronto Site Scheduled digs are booked during business hours, usually within days. Water main breaks, sewer backups and insurance claims get 24/7 dispatch. Call (647) 251-8377 [tel:+16472518377 →](tel:+16472518377) Request a Quote [/contact/ →](/contact/) ✓ Written workmanship warranty ✓ No hidden mobilization fees ✓ $5M liability, WSIB registered