MAMBA DRAINAGE SERVICES
Storm Drain Cleaning Vancouver
Parking lot ponding every atmospheric river? Storm drain backing up onto the property? Commercial site facing City drainage compliance issues? We vacuum, jet, and camera-verify the entire storm system.
Vacuum truck + 4,000 PSI hydrojet + HD camera. Commercial, strata, large residential. (778) 961-0824.
Why Storm Drains Fail in Vancouver
Storm drains – the lateral pipes that route surface water from catch basins and roof leaders to the City of Vancouver storm sewer – silt up faster than most property owners expect. Pacific climate dumps 1,189 mm of rain a year, atmospheric rivers concentrate that into a few intense storms, and every storm event flushes sediment, leaves, plastic, oil residue, and road salt residue into the storm system.
Three common Vancouver storm drain jobs:
Commercial parking lot and parkade storm systems. Big-box retail, office complexes, strata building parkades. Storm laterals connecting multiple catch basins to the City sewer silt up over 12-24 months. Atmospheric river hits, lateral can’t handle flow, water backs up into the parkade or floods the parking lot surface. Vacuum the catch basins, hydrojet the lateral, camera-verify the connection. Typical $989-$2,989 per site visit.
Restaurant and commercial outdoor patio storm systems. Trench drains and small catch basins on patios feed into storm laterals. FOG from outdoor cooking plus food debris fills these faster than typical residential laterals. Every 6-12 months service. $589-$1,489.
Large residential properties with extensive surface drainage. Heritage estates in Kerrisdale, West Van, and West Point Grey often have extensive storm lateral systems connecting yard catch basins, downspout drains, and area drains to the City connection. Annual service recommended. $689-$1,989.
Every service visit ends with camera verification: HD scope of the storm lateral from the cleaned catch basin to the City connection point. Flow test confirms free drainage. Written report with photos and footage emailed within 24 hours.
City of Vancouver compliance: large commercial properties have storm-water management obligations. We provide certificates of service useful for environmental compliance reporting and insurance audits. $5M general liability, full WCB.
Vacuum + Jet + Camera Process
Storm drain cleaning follows the same three-step process as catch basin cleaning but scaled for larger lateral systems.
Step 1 – Vacuum the catch basins and trench drains. Vacuum truck removes accumulated sediment, debris, leaves, and FOG from each surface drainage point. Sediment goes to the truck’s tank, disposed of at a Metro Vancouver waste facility. Documentation of disposal included in compliance reporting.
Step 2 – Hydrojet the storm laterals. Trailer-mounted Spartan Warrior at 4,000 PSI / 18 GPM scrubs the inside of the lateral pipes between catch basins and the City connection. Removes silt, scale, and any organic buildup. See also our hydro jetting page for the technique.
Step 3 – Camera-verify the City connection. HD camera scope from each cleaned catch basin to the property-line connection with the City storm sewer. Confirms the lateral is flowing clean all the way through. Identifies any structural issues (cracks, offset joints, root intrusion at the property line) that need repair separate from the cleaning. MP4 footage emailed within 24 hours.
For chronic issues – storm systems that need cleaning more often than 12-month intervals – we recommend underlying drainage capacity upgrades: additional catch basins, upsized laterals, or rerouted surface drainage. Diagnostic during the cleaning visit, quote separately.
Emergency response: parking lot flooding right now? 30-60 minute response inside Vancouver and Burnaby for emergencies. We arrive with the vacuum truck plus jetter and start clearing immediately. Insurance documentation included for the flooding event.
Maintenance Contracts and City Compliance
Commercial property managers run storm drain maintenance on annual or semi-annual contracts. Predictable budget, scheduled service, certificates of service for City of Vancouver storm-water compliance reporting.
Typical commercial contract: 4-12 catch basins plus 100-400 feet of storm lateral per site, serviced once or twice per year, scheduled around tenant operations. Mid-size commercial site: $2,989-$7,989 annual. Tiered pricing for multi-site property management portfolios.
Strata building storm drain maintenance covers parkade catch basins, ramp drains, downspout connections, and the building’s storm lateral to the City. Semi-annual service typical. Certificates of service for strata records and reserve fund planning. $1,489-$3,989 annual mid-size strata.
Restaurant patio storm systems on a quarterly contract handle the patio drain plus the lateral to the City. FOG buildup accelerates without quarterly service. $789-$1,989 annual.
Large residential properties (estates, properties with multiple yard catch basins, downspout drainage systems): annual service. $689-$1,989.
City of Vancouver storm-water management bylaws place compliance obligations on commercial properties for surface runoff quality. Our certificates of service document the maintenance schedule and waste disposal – useful for compliance reporting and any City inquiry. We’ve worked with multiple Vancouver and Burnaby commercial property managers on bylaw compliance documentation.
Multi-site discounts: property management portfolios with 3+ commercial sites get tiered pricing – typically 15-25% lower per-site on annual contracts. Mobilization efficiency makes the math work. Custom quote based on site count and complexity.
Storm Drain Services We Offer
Commercial Parking Lot Storm Cleaning
Catch basin vacuum + lateral hydrojet + camera verification. Per site $989-$2,989 single visit, lower on annual contract.
Parkade Storm Drain Maintenance
Catch basins, ramp drains, garage interior drains, lateral to City. Semi-annual or annual schedule. $1,489-$3,989 annual mid-size.
Restaurant Patio Storm System
Patio drain plus FOG-heavy laterals on quarterly schedule. $789-$1,989 annual.
Large Residential Storm System
Yard catch basins plus downspout drainage plus property storm lateral. Annual service typical. $689-$1,989.
Emergency Storm Drain Response
Parking lot flooding right now? Storm lateral backing up? 30-60 minute response inside Vancouver and Burnaby. Vacuum and jet on-site. $99 after-hours premium.
City Compliance Documentation
Certificates of service for City of Vancouver storm-water bylaw compliance. Waste disposal documentation. Useful for any City inquiry. Included on every commercial visit.
Why Vancouver Property Managers Choose Mamba
Full Three-Step Process
Vacuum catch basins + jet laterals + camera verify the City connection. Most competitors do step 1 only. Without jet plus camera you don’t know if the system is actually flowing all the way through.
City Compliance Documentation
Certificates of service, waste disposal logs, written cause-and-condition reports. Useful for City of Vancouver storm-water bylaw compliance and insurance audits. $5M general liability, full WCB on every visit.
Scheduled Around Tenant Operations
Parkade work overnight or weekend. Restaurant patio cleans before opening. Office complex during evening hours. We work around your tenants’ schedules at no after-hours premium for contract clients.
Multi-Site Portfolio Pricing
Property management portfolios with 3+ sites get 15-25% lower per-site rates on annual contracts. Mobilization efficiency makes the math work. Custom quote based on site count.
Vancouver Storm Drain Cleaning Prices
Commercial parking lot single-visit cleaning: $989-$2,989.
Parkade storm drain semi-annual contract (mid-size): $1,489-$3,989 annual.
Restaurant patio storm system quarterly contract: $789-$1,989 annual.
Large residential storm system annual service: $689-$1,989.
Storm lateral camera scope (standalone diagnostic): $389-$589.
Emergency storm drain response (parking lot flooding): $789-$1,989 plus $99 after-hours premium.
Multi-site portfolio annual contract: Tiered pricing, custom quote based on site count.
City compliance documentation: Included on every commercial visit.
Sediment disposal at Metro Vancouver waste facility: Included.
After-hours premium (contract clients): Waived.
Parking lot ponding every atmospheric river? Storm drain backing up? Annual cleaning prevents the flooding event.
9 Storm Drain Tips for Vancouver Property Owners
- Schedule annual cleaning before atmospheric river season. September-October is the sweet spot. By the first major storm in November, your storm system is clean and ready for peak flow.
- Restaurants – quarterly schedule. FOG plus food debris on patio storm drains accumulates fast. Quarterly cleaning prevents the patio-flooded-during-Saturday-dinner emergency.
- Multi-site portfolios get tiered pricing. 3+ commercial sites on a single annual contract reduces per-site rate by 15-25%. Worth consolidating with one provider for the volume discount.
- Document service for City compliance. City of Vancouver storm-water bylaws place compliance obligations on commercial properties. Certificates of service emailed within 24 hours.
- Watch for ponding after rain. Standing water on parking lots, parkade floors, or patios after a storm event indicates the storm system is backing up. Schedule service before the next event.
- Coordinate with other drainage work. If you’re already serving the storm system, also check catch basins and roof leader drains while on site. One visit, multiple maintenance items.
- Plan for capacity upgrades on chronic issues. Some systems flood despite proper maintenance because they’re undersized. Diagnostic during a cleaning visit identifies whether the issue is buildup (cleanable) or capacity (needs additional basins).
- Combine cleaning with camera inspection. After-cleaning camera scope identifies any structural issues (cracks, offset joints, root intrusion) that need separate repair. Catches small issues before they become big ones.
- Property management portfolios – annual contracts beat ad-hoc. 15-25% lower per-site on annual, emergency same-day priority included, predictable budget. See drainage maintenance programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Annual minimum for typical commercial sites. Semi-annual for sites with high traffic, FOG exposure, or chronic flooding history. Quarterly for restaurant patios.
Vacuum the catch basins (sediment to Metro Vancouver waste disposal), hydrojet the storm laterals (4,000 PSI / 18 GPM), camera-verify the lateral to the City connection. Written report with photos and MP4 footage emailed within 24 hours.
Yes – parkade and tenant-sensitive sites routinely scheduled after-hours or on weekends to avoid disrupting business operations. No after-hours premium for maintenance contract clients.
Yes – certificates of service, waste disposal logs, written cause-and-condition reports useful for City of Vancouver storm-water bylaw compliance and insurance audits. Included free on every commercial visit.
Vacuum truck transports waste to Metro Vancouver waste facilities. We follow City of Vancouver bylaws on storm-water sediment disposal. Documentation of disposal included in compliance reporting.
Indicates either capacity is undersized (need additional basins, upsized laterals) or there’s a structural issue downstream (collapse, offset joints, root intrusion). Camera scope during the cleaning visit identifies which. We quote the appropriate fix after diagnosis.
Yes – 3+ commercial sites on a single annual contract get 15-25% lower per-site rates. Custom quote based on site count and complexity.
Yes – quarterly contracts standard for FOG-heavy patio drainage. Coordinate scheduling around restaurant operations. See catch basin cleaning for related patio drain work.
30-day workmanship warranty on storm drain cleaning. Maintenance contract clients get extended warranty coverage between scheduled visits. If the same system backs up within the warranty window from the same cause, we return free.
THE UTMOST QUALITY AND PROFESSIONALISM, 24/7
QUALITY IS OUR GAME
Mamba Drainage strives to deliver excellence one client at a time by upholding our core values throughout our services. We believe honest and meaningful work creates and sustains the foundation for exceptional client relations.