Property Damage

Learn what to do if your private property is damaged by potholes, sewers, water mains or construction.

Potholes and road hazards

If your vehicle is damaged because of a pothole on a Surrey road:

  1. Do not continue to drive the vehicle if it is not operating properly. Contact your collision insurers at your earliest opportunity.

  2. Notify the City of Surrey about the pothole or road hazard so we can attend the location and fix the problem. Report any emergency pothole or road hazard information by phone at 604-591-4152. Report non-emergency pothole issues online.

In most cases, the City of Surrey does not pay for vehicle damage caused by potholes or road hazards. As a matter of policy, Surrey relies primarily on the traveling public to report problems with the roads and is not liable for damages sustained to vehicles in the absence of prior notice.

City crews respond to repair potholes as quickly as possible once notified.

Sewer backup

In any flooding situation, be aware of electrical hazards. For your own safety, call a professional plumbing or restoration contractor after a sanitary backup.

Most sewer backups occur because of a pipe being plugged. If there's a sewer backup:

  1. Be aware of electrical hazards! If the service is plugged, the homeowner will usually require a sewer or plumbing contractor to clear the system.
  2. Notify the City of Surrey. Report sewer backups online, or by calling the City of Surrey at 604-591-4152 (during business hours, 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday) or at 604-591-4431 after 4:30pm and on weekends. The Surrey Sewers Bylaw requires that a homeowner notify the City of a blockage in the sanitary or storm services. Surrey crews will determine whether the blockage is in the main or in the service on the City side of the property line.
  3. Call your insurance company. Many insurance policies cover sewer backups and this is the quickest way to have repairs made and recover costs. As well, sanitary backups present a health risk and should be dealt with appropriately.

A sewer main is the pipe, normally located under the street, to which the service from the house is connected and is normally a gravity feed system relying on the slope from the house to the main for discharge. 

The sewer service connection is the length of pipe connecting the house to either the storm main or the sanitary main, normally located in the street.

Learn more about Surrey's sanitary sewers.

Water main breaks

If your property is flooded:

  1. If possible, protect your property from further damage. Be aware of electrical hazards when you are moving property in the affected area. Keep any damaged property for inspection by your insurance company.

  2. Notify the City of Surrey. Report flooding problems online, or by calling the City of Surrey at 604-591-4152 (during business hours, 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday) or at 604-591-4431 after 4:30pm and on weekends. Crews can be dispatched to shut off the water supply to that section of the water main to stop further damage.
  3. Call your insurance company. Most insurance policies provide coverage for damages caused by water main break.

Water mains run under the road and supply potable water to the services and fire hydrants to which it is connected. Water mains are under pressure and where a crack develops, the pressure exploits the weakness and the main blows. A water service delivers water from the main to your building.

Learn more about Surrey's water services.

Construction projects

If your property is damaged as a result of construction:

  1. Notify Surrey about your damages. Report construction damage online, or by calling the City of Surrey at 604-591-4152 (during business hours, 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday) or at 604-591-4431 after 4:30pm and on weekends. Crews may be dispatched to shut off the water supply to that section of the water main to stop further damage. Surrey expects to be notified promptly of any damage caused either by Surrey Works Crews or any contractor working for Surrey.

  2. Write down the details of when and how the damage occurred, as well as who was doing the construction work. Surrey requires that all their contractors carry insurance.

  3. Call your insurance company. Your insurance policy may provide coverage for your damages. Your insurers can pursue any party it believes to be responsible for the damages.

Learn more about making a claim with City of Surrey.