A renovation lives or dies behind the walls. The tile, the fixtures, the finishes you picked out — none of it matters if the rough-in plumbing underneath is off by an inch or out of code. Professional Plumbing and Drain Services handles the plumbing side of kitchen, bathroom, basement, and whole-home renovations across Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, and the wider GTA — coordinated with your contractor, on your renovation’s timeline.
Where We Fit Into Your Renovation
Plumbing work on a renovation happens in two distinct phases, and homeowners are often surprised how early the plumber needs to be involved:
Rough-in phase. Before drywall, flooring, or tile goes in, we install the water supply lines, drain-waste-vent (DWV) piping, and stub-outs for every fixture in the plan — sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, dishwashers, washing machines. We verify pipe slope and pressure so the system performs correctly once everything is closed up. This is the phase where mistakes are cheapest to fix and most expensive to discover later.
Finish phase. Once walls, flooring, and tile are complete, we return to install the actual fixtures — faucets, toilets, shower valves and trim, sinks — connect them, and run a full leak check before your contractor closes out the project.
For most kitchen or bathroom renovations, rough-in plumbing takes a few days depending on the number of fixtures involved. We coordinate directly with your general contractor or designer so plumbing timing doesn’t become the bottleneck on your project.
What We Handle
- Kitchen renovations — sink and faucet relocation, dishwasher and garbage disposal hookups, gas line work for range installations, water line for fridge/ice maker connections
- Bathroom renovations — full rough-in for tubs, showers, and toilets; shower valve and drain installation; relocating fixtures for layout changes
- Basement renovations — rough-in for basement bathrooms and wet bars, including ejector pump installation where gravity drainage isn’t possible
- Whole-home repipes — replacing aging galvanized or lead supply lines during a larger renovation, often the most cost-effective time to do it
- New construction and additions — full plumbing systems for laneway houses, garden suites, and home additions
Why GTA Renovations Need Renovation-Specific Plumbing Expertise
Older housing stock complicates layout changes. Toronto’s pre-war and mid-century homes were built with plumbing runs that don’t always match modern renovation layouts. Moving a bathroom or relocating a kitchen sink often means rerouting drain lines around joists and load-bearing considerations that a newer-build plumber may not have hands-on experience with.
Cast-iron stacks and lead supply lines. Homes built before the 1970s frequently still have original cast-iron drain stacks or lead water supply lines. A renovation is often the ideal — and most cost-effective — time to replace these, since walls are already open. We flag this during our initial assessment so it’s a decision you make deliberately, not a surprise mid-project.
Condo board approval. If you’re renovating a condo unit, plumbing changes — especially anything affecting shared stacks or wet-area relocations — typically require condo board or property management approval before work starts. We provide the documentation (scope of work, code compliance details) that boards usually request, so this doesn’t stall your project.
Permits and inspection. Renovation plumbing work in Toronto generally requires a permit, and rough-in work must pass inspection before it can be closed up behind drywall. We handle the permit application and coordinate the inspection so your contractor’s schedule isn’t waiting on paperwork.
Why Renovation Plumbing Isn’t a DIY Job
Online tutorials make bathroom and kitchen plumbing look simple, and for a straightforward fixture swap, a confident homeowner can sometimes manage. Rough-in work is a different category of risk: incorrect pipe slope causes slow drains that surface months after the tile is set, undersized venting causes gurgling and sewer gas smells, and code violations discovered during a later home sale inspection can cost far more to correct than doing it right the first time. Once the wall is closed, a mistake isn’t a quick fix — it’s a demolition job.
Our Renovation Plumbing Process
Step 1 — Assess and scope. We review your renovation plan (or work directly with your contractor/designer) and provide a detailed scope of work for the plumbing portion.
Step 2 — Quote. A flat-rate quote covering rough-in, finish work, and any code-required upgrades — provided before work starts, so it’s factored into your renovation budget from day one.
Step 3 — Permit and rough-in. We pull the required permit, complete rough-in work, and coordinate inspection before your contractor proceeds to drywall and tile.
Step 4 — Finish and test. Once finishes are complete, we install and connect all fixtures, then run a full pressure and leak test before signing off. remediation, or inflated water bills that a missed leak produces.
Residential Renovation Plumbing FAQ
As early as possible — ideally during the design phase, before your contractor finalizes the layout. Plumbing rough-in happens before walls and flooring go in, so moving a sink or relocating a bathroom needs to be planned before demolition starts, not decided on-site.
Yes, in most cases. Any work involving new supply lines, drain relocations, or new fixtures typically requires a permit and inspection before the work can be closed up behind drywall. Professional Plumbing handles the permit application and inspection coordination as part of the project.
For a standard bathroom renovation, rough-in plumbing typically takes 2 to 4 days depending on the scope — whether fixtures are staying in place or being relocated, and whether venting or drain lines need rerouting.
Yes. We regularly coordinate directly with general contractors, designers, and homeowners managing their own renovation. We provide the scope, timeline, and any documentation needed to keep your project moving.
Often, yes. If your home has original cast-iron drain stacks or lead supply lines and you’re already opening the walls for a renovation, replacing them at the same time avoids paying for a second demolition and repair job down the line. We’ll flag this during our initial assessment if it applies to your home.