Bathroom Renovations
Supply and waste pipework for a new layout, set out with the builder so walls and floors are built around the right points.
Home/Bathroom & Kitchen Plumbing
Bathroom renovation plumbing in Bellville is the part of the job nobody sees once the tiles are on, which is exactly why it has to be right. Points are set out before building starts, pipework is pressure-tested before it is covered, and fittings go in after the tiler.
Tell us whether fittings are staying where they are or moving, and roughly when the builder or tiler is booked.
The order matters as much as the work: set out, first fix, test, tile, second fix.
Supply and waste pipework for a new layout, set out with the builder so walls and floors are built around the right points.
New waste routes with the correct falls, which decide whether a moved fitting drains well for years or blocks in months.
Floor wastes and falls for level-access showers, planned before the screed goes down rather than after.
Sinks, mixers and waste connections, including double bowls and island sinks that need their own waste route.
Dishwashers, washing machines and fridges with water supply, fitted with isolating valves and proper wastes.
Basins, pans, mixers and shower valves fitted after tiling, sealed and tested at every connection.
Most of a renovation is tiles, fittings and finishes, and much of that can be done by a builder or a tiler. The plumbing is different. The City of Cape Town Water By-law reserves installation work that needs approval for qualified, accredited persons, and moving a toilet, adding a basin or relocating a shower changes the installation.
In practice that sets the order of the job. The points are set out before the walls are built. The first fix, supply pipes, wastes and their falls, goes in before the plaster and screed. The pipework is pressure-tested and photographed while it can still be seen. Only then does the tiler cover it, and the fittings go on afterwards.
The pressure test is the step that saves renovations. A slow leak sealed behind new tiles shows up months later as a stain in the next room or loose tiles in the shower, and the only fix is to open what was just paid for. Testing before tiling costs a few minutes and removes that risk.
Quotes for renovation plumbing are usually given per point, meaning each supply or waste connection for a fitting. The price of a point depends on how far it is from existing pipework and whether a new waste run needs falls through a slab, so two quotes per point can differ for good reason. Ask what each point includes.
Before the tiler starts, ask to see the pressure test. Once the tiles are on, it is too late to find out whether the pipe behind them holds.
A renovation has several trades on site. The plumbing should never be the reason the others are waiting.
First fix and second fix are scheduled against the builder's and tiler's dates from the start.
Every first-fix run is pressure-tested and photographed before it is tiled over.
The quote lists each point and what it includes, so changes are easy to price.
Requests for a quote get a reply and a site visit time, not silence.
A point is one supply or waste connection for a fitting. Its price depends on the distance to existing pipes and on whether a new waste needs falls through a slab. Each point is listed in the written quote before work starts, and the plumber prices page explains how quotes are built.
Usually, yes, but a toilet needs a large waste pipe with a steady fall to the drain. Moving it a short distance along the same wall is simple; moving it across a room on a concrete slab may need the slab opened.
The City of Cape Town Water By-law reserves installation work that needs approval for qualified, accredited persons. Moving or adding fittings changes the installation, so that part should be done by a qualified plumber.
Twice. First fix, after demolition and before plastering and tiling, to install and test the pipework. Second fix, after tiling, to fit the basins, pans, mixers and shower valves.
Often, yes. The key question is whether the floor waste can be given enough fall to the drain, which depends on the floor construction. That is checked before the design is settled.
Yes. An island sink needs its own supply and a waste route under the floor, and sometimes an air admittance valve because there is no wall to vent through. It is planned before the floor is finished.
First fix for a typical bathroom takes one to two days, and second fix about a day, with the tiling in between. The dates are set against your builder's programme.
Yes. Send the spec sheets before first fix, because concealed shower valves and wall-hung toilets need their carriers and valve bodies installed before tiling.
Get In Touch
Planning a new bathroom or kitchen? Send the layout or a few photos and we will come back with a site visit time and a price per point.