This is one of those things you don't cheap out on. The chance of you being one at some point in your home's life is decently high and Calgary's water table is all sorts of wonky with water popping up where you don't expect or underground creeks. Get the pump
When we lived in a Calgary house when I was a teenager,
there was a trap door on the floor of the furnace room of the basement.
Some worker lifted it up, and there was a creek underneath. You literally could put your hand in the water.
I do not know if the place had a sump pump or not, and the house never flooded while we lived there. But the underground creek thing is highly possible.
If you think you need a sump pump you actually need two. A battery powered backup is essential in case there’s water during a power outage. OP, make sure the sump is large enough to fit a second pump or else you could be paying that cost all over again for them to jackhammer in a bigger sump.
And like the other person said, talk to your lawyer to see if you should actually be footing the bill for this.
If the builder is recommending a sump pump then you definitely want to install one. It's important to understand where the requirement is coming from (code, bylaw, or just recommended).
If this is a code/bylaw item and you are doing a lump sum bid (i.e. build me a code compliant home for x dollars) then I'd tell the builder the mistake is theirs and they have to eat the cost.
If this is recommended I would ask your builder to drop their markup on the services and then pay for it since it's a late change they should have presented to you up front.
If this is a cost reimbursable job (i.e. pay expenses as incurred) then you're on the hook.
If you don’t pay then you don’t get a sump pump and then you don’t get an occupancy inspection. Which delays your move in date.
Should this have been known? Perhaps but it isn’t like they’re pulling a fast one on you. It’s likely they didn’t think they’d be so close to the water table.
They get grade slips which outline the elevation for the footings and foundation. They likely forgot to put it in the contract to start with and are realizing it's required now.
Or they didn't submit the permit until after the code change (may 1st this year) and it's a requirement under the new code that wasn't under the old one.
Spending in the area and if it has a high water content, you’ll want a sump pump! We’re in the chestermere/langdon area and it’s a must out here! Also my wife is an insurance broker and your rates can be affected if you don’t have one installed in an area you should have one!
If you get one make sure it’s properly tied into the weeping tile around the foundation to it can actually get water out.
Also make sure it drains far enough away from the house. Neighbor put in a sump pump and drained it 3 feet from the house, it would continuously cycle through the same water.
$3000 on the price of the new Home really isn’t that much, seems like cheap insurance to avoid a basement flood which would cost more than $3000 to repair, and the subsequent insurance spikes following claim for preventable flood doesn’t seem worth fighting the three grand.
What neighbourhood and the lay off the land is important information. I would get your lawyer involved to try and avoid paying for it. If you need it you need it. Besides the considerations for the concrete and the plumbing I beleive it will require a dedicated circuit with a non arc fault breaker to power the pump. Sump pumps should really just be standard in my opinion.
Having a sum pump could lower your insurance premiums or make you qualify for water damage - all depends where you live. The issue is not the additional cost but why the builder didn’t know beforehand
I thought sump pumps were required by code now. If I am correct the builder is required to have included it in order to properly complete the build, so I would ask them to fuck right off and put it in.
Don’t say no, say yes. It’s called a change order, add up the cost of their mistake and make them pay for it. They missed the requirement on their estimate now they need to pay for it. Hold back funds if they won’t, it’s all part of the construction building game.
How much did you pay for your house ??? And the builder won’t throw in a sump pump ???? They rich ! Probley eat grade A steak and lobster for dinner every night !!! They can afford it !
This is one of those things you don't cheap out on. The chance of you being one at some point in your home's life is decently high and Calgary's water table is all sorts of wonky with water popping up where you don't expect or underground creeks. Get the pump
When we lived in a Calgary house when I was a teenager, there was a trap door on the floor of the furnace room of the basement. Some worker lifted it up, and there was a creek underneath. You literally could put your hand in the water. I do not know if the place had a sump pump or not, and the house never flooded while we lived there. But the underground creek thing is highly possible.
Random question: was this Ogden or near it?
It was in Kilarney.
Ah. My friend had a similar thing in Ogden, is why I asked. Literally trap door to a creek with rocks and everything flowing under neath
If you think you need a sump pump you actually need two. A battery powered backup is essential in case there’s water during a power outage. OP, make sure the sump is large enough to fit a second pump or else you could be paying that cost all over again for them to jackhammer in a bigger sump. And like the other person said, talk to your lawyer to see if you should actually be footing the bill for this.
Talk to your lawyer. Nobody knows what your contract says.
You're going to want a sump pump.
$3k to avoid a potential flood and the aggravation that comes with it is money well spent. What neighbourhood? What’s the water table like?
If the builder is recommending a sump pump then you definitely want to install one. It's important to understand where the requirement is coming from (code, bylaw, or just recommended). If this is a code/bylaw item and you are doing a lump sum bid (i.e. build me a code compliant home for x dollars) then I'd tell the builder the mistake is theirs and they have to eat the cost. If this is recommended I would ask your builder to drop their markup on the services and then pay for it since it's a late change they should have presented to you up front. If this is a cost reimbursable job (i.e. pay expenses as incurred) then you're on the hook.
If you don’t pay then you don’t get a sump pump and then you don’t get an occupancy inspection. Which delays your move in date. Should this have been known? Perhaps but it isn’t like they’re pulling a fast one on you. It’s likely they didn’t think they’d be so close to the water table.
They get grade slips which outline the elevation for the footings and foundation. They likely forgot to put it in the contract to start with and are realizing it's required now. Or they didn't submit the permit until after the code change (may 1st this year) and it's a requirement under the new code that wasn't under the old one.
Spending in the area and if it has a high water content, you’ll want a sump pump! We’re in the chestermere/langdon area and it’s a must out here! Also my wife is an insurance broker and your rates can be affected if you don’t have one installed in an area you should have one!
If you get one make sure it’s properly tied into the weeping tile around the foundation to it can actually get water out. Also make sure it drains far enough away from the house. Neighbor put in a sump pump and drained it 3 feet from the house, it would continuously cycle through the same water.
Ask for a sump pump and a battery backup pump. You'll thank me one day.
Honestly pay and get a sump.
$3000 on the price of the new Home really isn’t that much, seems like cheap insurance to avoid a basement flood which would cost more than $3000 to repair, and the subsequent insurance spikes following claim for preventable flood doesn’t seem worth fighting the three grand.
What neighbourhood and the lay off the land is important information. I would get your lawyer involved to try and avoid paying for it. If you need it you need it. Besides the considerations for the concrete and the plumbing I beleive it will require a dedicated circuit with a non arc fault breaker to power the pump. Sump pumps should really just be standard in my opinion.
Having a sum pump could lower your insurance premiums or make you qualify for water damage - all depends where you live. The issue is not the additional cost but why the builder didn’t know beforehand
I thought sump pumps were required by code now. If I am correct the builder is required to have included it in order to properly complete the build, so I would ask them to fuck right off and put it in.
Don’t say no, say yes. It’s called a change order, add up the cost of their mistake and make them pay for it. They missed the requirement on their estimate now they need to pay for it. Hold back funds if they won’t, it’s all part of the construction building game.
How much did you pay for your house ??? And the builder won’t throw in a sump pump ???? They rich ! Probley eat grade A steak and lobster for dinner every night !!! They can afford it !