Four Plumbing Projects to Do When You Remodel Your Bathroom

Dollar for dollar, nothing adds more value to your home when compared to the amount you put in as a bathroom remodel. Redoing your bathrooms can completely refresh a space, making it feel new and enjoyable again. It can also do away with eyesore features such as stained and drab countertops, calcified faucets, and more.

However, there are also a number of other plumbing projects you can carry out during a remodel. In fact, doing them during a remodel is a great way to avoid having to do an even further project later, adding time and difficulty. Here are four of these projects.

Removing Code Violations

If you live in an older home, there’s a good chance your home was built before modern plumbing codes made a few older building standards outdated. Bathrooms are one of the most common places to find a code violation, and a remodel is the perfect time to fix these issues and bring your property up to date. For example, modern plumbing codes dictate that there should be at least 15 inches of space between the center of a toilet and any side walls or obstructions around it, 24 inches of space between the toilet and anything in front of it, and 30 inches of space between the toilet and any other sanitation fixture. If your toilet is located too close to a wall, then a remodel is the perfect time to move it and fix the issue.

Repiping With PEX

PEX plumbing is the latest and greatest standard when it comes to water lines. These lines are flexible, affordable, long-lasting, easy to work with, and resistant to things like shifting or significant temperature changes. If your bathroom still uses old and corroded water lines, a remodel is a great time to replace some of those lines with PEX piping. PEX lines can be used with both hot and cold water (they’re even colored red and blue to differentiate and make life easy), and they can be easily retrofitted into virtually any home plumbing system.

Moving a Plumbing Fixture

Have you always felt that your bathroom would be much better-organized if you could move the toilet or shower? Do you want to get rid of your bathtub and instead opt for a much larger tandem shower (as many modern luxury bathrooms have)? A remodel is the ideal time to take on these projects. Plumbing fixtures do not have to be where they are, and you don’t have to keep them there the whole time—a plumber can help you relocate a fixture to a new place and run the proper water and drain lines there. However, we recommend talking with your plumber about your organization and design plans before getting started—not all relocations are practical or cost-effective, and some might not even be possible without significant work that might include cutting out or replacing water lines that are buried in your foundation.

Adding a Jetted Tub

Jetted tubs or spa tubs are the epitome of relaxation. For those who don’t have a hot tub in their backyard, a jetted tub is the next best thing (while requiring far less maintenance). Adding a jetted tub is a big project, as you will need to also install an electric pump into your bathroom to operate it. However, a remodel is the ideal time to carry this out. Talk to your plumber about adding a jetted tub and find out how practical and feasible it is (as well as whether or not it falls into your remodel budget).