Renovations & Installations
Plumbing for bathroom and kitchen renovations, condo and high-rise work, laneway homes and fixture installation across Metro Vancouver.
What are you planning?
A bathroom renovation → Bathroom renovations. Decide the fixtures before the rough-in, not after — that's the single most common sequencing mistake.
A kitchen renovation → Kitchen plumbing & renovations. The first question is whether the sink is moving, and how far.
Anything in a condo or tower → Condo & high-rise plumbing. Strata approval, building shut-offs and elevator booking are part of the job.
A laneway house, infill or secondary suite → New construction & laneway homes. Get us in at drawing stage; the service connection route drives a real part of the budget.
Replacing taps, toilets, sinks or a tub → Fixture supply & installation. We'll fit what you've bought or supply it.
A list of small jobs → Maintenance & repair. Save them up and we'll do them in one visit, which is far cheaper than four call-outs.
In-floor heating → Radiant heating in Heating & Cooling. Straightforward while the floor is up, a real job afterward.
Our renovation services
Decisions that are cheap now and expensive later
Where the toilet goes. Moving one means moving the drain, and drains need fall. On a concrete slab or in a condo, this often decides your layout rather than following it.
Whether the sink moves to an island. Needs a drain under the floor and a venting solution. Straightforward with a crawlspace below, difficult or impossible on a slab.
Shower valve type. A pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve stops the temperature swinging when someone flushes. It's inside the wall, so changing your mind later means opening tile.
Fixture selection. Wall-mounted taps, wall-hung toilets and freestanding tub fillers all need specific rough-in. Choose before the rough-in, not after.
Whether to repipe while the walls are open. If your home has Poly-B, Kitec or galvanized, doing it during a renovation costs a fraction of doing it later. We'll say so if we see it.
Working with your contractor
Most renovations involve several trades, and plumbing happens in two visits — rough-in before the walls close, then fit-off after tile and paint. We coordinate scheduling with your GC and attend the inspection.
Managing it yourself? Tell us at the quote stage and we'll flag the sequencing you'll need to get right with the other trades.
Permits
Renovation plumbing generally needs a permit where fixtures move or lines are altered. Like-for-like replacement in the same position often doesn't. We'll tell you which yours is and pull it where required.
Unpermitted renovation work is common and it surfaces at resale. It isn't worth the saving.
Renovation questions
Can I move the toilet in my bathroom renovation?
Sometimes. It depends on drain fall and floor construction — on a concrete slab or in a condo it is often the constraint that decides your layout. Ask before planning around it.
Can I put a sink in a kitchen island?
Usually in a house with accessible space below for the drain and venting. On a slab or in a condo it may not be feasible, so establish it before finalising the layout.
Do I need a permit for bathroom renovation plumbing?
Generally yes where fixtures are moved or lines altered. Like-for-like replacement in the same position often does not. Unpermitted renovation work surfaces at resale.
Will you install fixtures I bought myself?
Yes. We warrant our installation; the fixture's own warranty stays with the manufacturer. Worth knowing that the difference between a cheap tap and a good one is mostly the cartridge, which is the part that fails.
When should I choose my fixtures?
Before the rough-in, not after. Wall-mounted taps, wall-hung toilets and freestanding tub fillers all need specific rough-in work, and choosing late is the most common sequencing mistake in bathroom renovations.
Should I repipe while my kitchen or bathroom is open?
If your home has Poly-B, Kitec or galvanized pipe, yes — doing it while the walls are open costs a fraction of doing it later.
Can I retrofit in-floor heating without lifting the floor?
Sometimes, working from below through a crawlspace or unfinished basement ceiling, for hydronic systems. Adding it on top raises the floor height, which affects doors and transitions.
Will in-floor heating work under hardwood?
Engineered wood, usually with temperature limits. Solid hardwood is risky because of movement and needs the right product and careful control.
Do you do the whole renovation or just the plumbing?
The plumbing. We work alongside general contractors, tilers and electricians regularly and can point you to people we have seen do good work.
Why does my shower temperature change when someone flushes?
You have a non-pressure-balancing valve. Upgrading to a pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve fixes it, though it means opening the wall.
Where is the leak coming from in my shower?
Usually one of four: a failed shower pan or membrane, grout and sealant failure letting water behind tile, a leaking valve body inside the wall, or the drain connection. They have very different costs, so we locate it before opening anything.
Can you install a wall-hung toilet in my existing bathroom?
Only if the wall can take a carrier frame, which usually means opening it up. Straightforward during a renovation, a real job otherwise.
Should I replace my shut-off valves?
Whenever a fixture is off anyway, yes. Old valves seize, and you find out at the moment you urgently need to close one.