Yes, in most cases you can raise a window well without digging it out. The standard no-dig method is to bolt a manufactured riser extension onto the top rim of the existing well, seal the joint against water, and reconnect the drain. In Toronto that typically runs $800–$1,800 and takes a two-person crew two to four hours. It only works if the existing well is structurally sound and your problem is height rather than water. A cracked, rusted-through, or badly draining well has to come out, and that job does involve soil excavation.
What "no digging" actually means
A no-dig raise does not touch the body of the well. The existing galvanized steel, polypropylene, or concrete shell stays in the ground, still attached to the foundation wall, still sitting on its gravel bed. What changes is the top.
The only digging involved is a shallow hand-excavation, usually 6 to 10 inches of soil, around the top rim, enough to expose clean material and confirm how the well is fastened to the wall. That is not excavation of the well itself, and it does not require machinery, a permit to dig, or shoring.
On top of that cleaned rim you install a riser: a matching section of corrugated galvanized steel or moulded polypropylene, sold in 6", 9", 12", and 18" heights. It is bedded in butyl tape or polyurethane sealant, screwed to the existing rim with self-tapping hex screws every 6 to 8 inches, and often wrapped with a peel-and-stick waterproofing membrane on the exterior face. The result looks like a factory well that was always that tall.
When a bolt-on riser is the right call
- The well top sits at or below grade. New sod, a raised patio, interlock, or a regraded yard can bury a well that was fine when it was installed. Water, leaves, and snow then spill straight in.
- The well is sound. No perforation, no separation from the wall, no cracks you can push a putty knife into.
- The drain works. If water currently sits in the bottom of the well after a storm, adding height makes that worse, not better.
- The cover no longer fits. A well buried by 6 inches of grade usually has a cover sitting below the lawn, which means it collects runoff.
- You need clearance for snow and drainage. Toronto gets freeze-thaw cycles from November through March. A well that finishes 4 to 6 inches above grade sheds meltwater away from the glass instead of into it.
When it isn't, and what has to happen instead
Be honest with yourself about the condition of the well before you plan around a no-dig fix.
- Rusted-through or cracked shell. Water is already getting behind the well. A riser seals the top, not the sides. Replacement is $500–$2,000 and requires pulling the old unit and re-bedding a new one.
- The well has pulled away from the foundation. That's a fastening or settlement problem, not a height problem.
- The well is too shallow for the window. Ontario Building Code 9.9.10.1 sets out exit requirements for egress windows, including the unobstructed opening and how a person gets out of it. If the well doesn't give you the clearance to climb out, raising the top doesn't fix it, you need a deeper or wider well, which means soil excavation.
- The sill is too high. Sometimes the real issue is the window, not the well. Lowering a sill means cutting masonry, and any new opening wider than the existing one needs a steel lintel carrying the brick above it. That is a structural job with a permit and an inspection attached.
The five-step process
Site evaluation
Measure how far the well top sits below final grade at four points, check the shell for perforation and separation, and test the drain with a bucket of water
Expose and clean the rim
Hand-dig the top 6 to 10 inches around the well, wire-brush the rim, and dry it. Sealant will not bond to wet or dirty steel
Dry-fit the riser
Cut and shape the extension to match the existing profile and the slope of the grade. Check that the finished height is 4 to 6 inches above grade on the high side
Fasten and seal
Butyl tape or polyurethane at the joint, screws every 6 to 8 inches, membrane on the outside face, and a bead of sealant at the wall junction
Reconnect drainage and re-cover
Clear the weep hole, top up the clear stone, confirm the drain still flows, then fit a cover sized to the new height
Drainage is the step that gets skipped
Adding 12 inches of height puts more water pressure at the bottom of the well. If the drain is a shallow weep hole into clay soil, common in older parts of Etobicoke, North York, and Scarborough, it will not keep up, and you'll trade a dry window for a wet basement.
A proper raise includes clear stone around the base, a drainage membrane against the wall, and a drain that either ties into the footing tile or discharges to a dry well or sump. Window well drainage and waterproofing work runs $500–$3,000 depending on how the water gets out. If the basement already shows damp at that corner, fix the drainage before you add height.
Code and permits
Raising the top of a well in place doesn't change the size of the exit opening, so it typically doesn't trigger a building permit on its own. What does trigger one is anything that changes the opening itself: enlarging the window, lowering the sill, or cutting a new opening for an egress window. Those jobs need a permit through Toronto Building and are inspected against OBC 9.9.10.1 exit sizing, minimum unobstructed opening area, minimum width and height, and a sill height that works with the well depth below it.
If your well is being raised as part of an egress installation, the well and the window have to be designed together. A well that's tall enough but too narrow to climb out of fails the point of the exercise.
What it costs in Toronto
| Work | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Window well raising (riser only) | $800–$1,800 |
| Window well cover, re-sized | $300–$900 |
| Window well drainage and waterproofing | $500–$3,000 |
| Window well replacement and repair | $500–$2,000 |
| Full egress window installation | $4,500–$8,000 |
Every figure above is a typical range, not a quote. Final cost varies a lot with job size, scope, and site conditions, well height, material, how much hand-excavation the rim needs, whether the drain has to be rebuilt, and whether the work is part of a larger egress project.
Why homeowners across Toronto call us
We're a family-run basement contractor with 12 years of below-grade work and more than 400 egress windows and window wells installed across Toronto and the GTA. Every egress job we do is built to OBC 9.9.10.1, we install year-round with drainage designed for Toronto freeze-thaw, and every install carries a 10-year workmanship warranty. Licensed, insured, and WSIB covered.
Get a free site evaluation
Send us a photo of the well and its height above grade, and we'll give you a free site evaluation and a written quote within 48 hours, including a straight answer on whether a no-dig riser will actually solve your problem or whether the well needs replacing. Call Egress Window Pros Toronto or book online.