What counts as bathroom and kitchen plumbing?

It covers the water supply and waste pipework that serve a room: taps, sinks, basins, baths, showers, toilets, bidets and the connections for a dishwasher or washing machine. It can be a single swap, such as a new basin, or a full refit in which every fitting is removed and the pipes are laid out again.

Fitting the units, tiles, flooring and worktops is the work of other trades. A plumber handles what carries water in and out.

What should I decide before I enquire?

Plumbing follows the layout, so it helps to settle the plan first. Moving a toilet or sink a long way from its existing pipes can need new waste runs, and waste pipes must slope to drain properly. That can limit where fittings go, particularly on an upper floor or over a solid floor.

Think about the following:

where each fitting will sit, and whether any is moving
whether you want a bath, a shower or both
how much space there is for the pipework to run
which fittings you have chosen, or whether you want advice first

What will the plumber want to know about my water supply?

How water reaches your taps affects what you can fit. Some homes have a combination boiler giving mains pressure hot water. Others have a hot water cylinder and a cold water tank in the loft, which feeds taps and showers by gravity and can give a weak shower.

A power shower or a pump can boost a gravity system, but it needs the right type for your pipework. Mention what you have, and send a photograph of the boiler or cylinder if that is easy.

Can any shower be fitted anywhere?

Not necessarily. Electric showers, mixer showers and thermostatic valves each need a particular kind of supply. An electric shower is fed with cold water from the mains and is wired to its own circuit, and the wiring is a job for a qualified electrician rather than a plumber.

A shower over a bath, a walk-in enclosure and a wet room each bring their own drainage and waterproofing needs. A wet room in particular needs the floor laid to falls and a proper waterproofing plan.

What about waste pipes, traps and ventilation?

Every basin, bath, sink and shower has a trap, a bend that holds water to block smells from the drain. Waste pipes must be big enough, fall in the right direction and join the main stack correctly. Kitchen waste can pick up grease, so these pipes need good access for cleaning.

Ask about an extractor fan in a new bathroom too. It is not a plumbing item, but it prevents condensation and mould, and the fan wiring may need an electrician.

Do I need permission or approval for the work?

Often not for like-for-like changes, but some work does need it. Altering drainage or adding new fittings in certain ways can fall under the Building Regulations, which the local council's building control or a registered building control approver deals with.

Some plumbing changes must also be notified to your water supplier under the water fittings rules, and a plumber will know when. If your property is listed or in a conservation area, ask your council before changing visible fittings or altering original structure. If your property is a flat, check your lease and tell the freeholder or managing agent before work that affects shared pipes.

What about gas appliances and electrics in the room?

If a kitchen refit involves moving a gas hob, cooker or boiler, that is gas work. By law it must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, however simple it seems. Fixed electrical work, including sockets near sinks and the wiring for showers and extractor fans, is a separate job for a qualified electrician.

Tell the plumber what is planned so the different jobs can be put in a sensible order.

How should I prepare for the work?

Clear the room and the space under the sink so the plumber can reach the pipes
Find your stopcock and check it turns, so the water can be shut off at the start
Decide where you will wash and cook while the supply is off
Keep the fittings and boxes to hand, with their fitting instructions
Ask whether the old fittings will be taken away

What should I include in my enquiry?

your postcode, so we can check whether a plumber covers you
which room it is and what is being fitted or changed
whether fittings are moving or going where the old ones were
what supply you have: combination boiler, or cylinder and loft tank
whether you have chosen your fittings
whether the property is listed, in a conservation area or a flat

What happens after I send it?

With your consent, we pass your enquiry to one local plumber, if one covers your postcode, and to nobody else. If nobody does, we tell you. The plumber contacts you to talk through the plan, and you agree the details and cost with them directly. Sending an enquiry is free and you are not committed to anything.

Who you will hear from

We pass your enquiry to one local plumber, if one covers your postcode. It is never sent to a list of companies. If nobody covers your postcode, we will tell you and will not pass your details on.