BATHROOMS · NORTH SHORE
Bathroom Plumbing North Shore
Set out right, before the linings go on.
Rough-in through to fit-off for bathrooms and ensuites. Shower mixers, wastes, vanities, baths and tapware, set out against the fittings you have actually chosen.
Bathroom plumbing
Bathroom plumbing done in the right order
A bathroom is won or lost at rough-in. Once the linings are on and the waterproofing is down, every change costs money and time, and some changes stop being possible at all. So the plumbing has to be right before anything goes over it.
That means mixer heights, shower waste position, tap centres and the vanity waste all get set out against the actual fittings going in, rather than a generic dimension that works most of the time. It is why we ask for the tapware selection before we start rather than after.
Then we come back once the waterproofing and tiling are finished and fit everything off. If we plumbed the room and somebody else tiled and built it, we will say so. We are not going to describe another trade’s work as ours.
The one thing that causes most delays
Tapware still being chosen. Set-out depends on the specific fitting, so if the selection is not made, the rough-in either waits or gets guessed at. Guessing means moving pipework after the linings are on, which is the expensive version of the same job. Pick the tapware early and everything else follows.
What is involved
From strip-out to fit-off
On a renovation the old room comes out first, which is usually where the surprises live. Old wastes at the wrong fall, pipework buried in places nobody expected, and on pre-1970 houses, galvanised supply that has narrowed to a fraction of its original bore.
Rough-in follows framing. Supply runs, waste runs, shower mixer body, bath and vanity connections all go in and get set out, then pressure tested before anything covers them.
Fit-off happens last, after waterproofing and tiling. Tapware, wastes, toilet, vanity and shower go on, everything gets tested, and the room gets left clean.
- Full bathroom and ensuite rough-in
- Shower and wall mixers, tempering valves
- Bath, basin and vanity waste work
- Toilet installation and relocation
- Second bathroom and ensuite additions
- Apartment wet areas with body corporate access
Kitchen plumbing
What it costs
What changes the price of a bathroom
The fittings are your decision. These are the things on our side that move the number.
Whether anything moves
Keeping the toilet, shower and vanity where they already are is the cheapest bathroom you can do. Moving the toilet in particular means new waste work at the right fall, and on a concrete floor that is a substantially bigger job than on timber.
What the existing supply is made of
Copper to copper is straightforward. Old galvanised is not, and it often turns out to be in worse condition than it looked once it is disturbed. On older Shore houses we price expecting some of it to be replaced.
Timber floor or concrete
Waste runs under a timber floor can be threaded between joists. Under a slab they cannot, which changes both the method and the cost, and sometimes changes where fixtures can sensibly go.
How many trades are sequenced around us
A bathroom involves a builder, a waterproofer, a tiler, an electrician and us. Two visits from the plumber is normal. More than two usually means something upstream changed.
Waterproofing. We do not waterproof. That is a separate trade with its own certification and it happens between our two visits. If someone offers you a single price covering plumbing and waterproofing together, ask who is actually doing the waterproofing and what they are certified under.
Why Asset
Why our bathrooms land where they should
Measured, not eyeballed
Mixer heights and waste centres marked against the real fitting. It takes a few extra minutes at rough-in and saves a great deal later.
Pressure tested before covering
Everything is tested while it is still accessible. Finding a weeping joint after the tiling is a bad day for everyone.
We talk to your builder
Plumbing sits at a specific point in the programme. Brought in early it is simple. Brought in late the options narrow and the cost climbs.
Old houses hold no surprises
Galvanised supply, wastes at the wrong fall, and eighties renovations done in a hurry are the normal condition of Shore bathrooms.
Apartments too
Shared risers and notice periods for water shut-off are part of the job in Takapuna and Milford, not an obstacle.
Honest about who did what
We plumbed it. If we did not tile it or build it, we will not imply otherwise.
Coverage
Bathroom plumbing across the North Shore
Bathrooms are the single most common job we do on the Shore.
Questions
Bathroom plumbing questions
How many visits does a bathroom need from the plumber?
Two is normal. Rough-in after the framing is up and before the linings go on, then fit-off after the waterproofing and tiling are finished. The gap between them is controlled by the other trades rather than by us. A third visit usually means something changed after rough-in, which is the situation choosing tapware early is designed to avoid.
Do I need to pick tapware before you start?
Yes, and it is the single most useful thing you can do. Set-out depends on the actual fitting, because mixer bodies, spouts and wastes vary in size and position between brands and models. Without the selection we are either waiting or guessing, and correcting a guess means opening a lined wall.
Can you move the toilet?
Usually, but it is the most expensive fixture to move. The waste needs a consistent fall to where it connects, and there is less freedom in that than people expect. On a timber floor there is often room to reroute between joists. On a slab it is a much bigger job. Worth asking before the design is locked in rather than after.
Do you do the waterproofing and tiling?
No. Both are separate trades and waterproofing in particular carries its own certification requirements. We do the plumbing rough-in, then step back while waterproofing and tiling happen, then return for fit-off. We are happy to work alongside trades you have already engaged or to tell you where we fit in the sequence.
Can you plumb a bathroom in an apartment?
Yes, and it is a decent share of our Takapuna and Milford work. The thing to sort before we arrive is who controls the isolation valves and whether the building requires notice before the water goes off. In some buildings that is a phone call, in others a few days. Knowing which changes whether the job takes one visit or two.
Planning a bathroom?
Ring before the design is locked in rather than after. Where the toilet and the waste can go often shapes the layout, and it is much easier to hear that at the drawing stage.
Or call the team09 213 9815