Bathroom and Kitchen Plumbing in the Blue Mountains

What we do

• Bathroom renovations: rough-in, waterproofing coordination, fit-off
• Kitchen and laundry relocations and upgrades
• Replacing old galvanised or failing pipework
• New taps, mixers, showers, toilets and basins
• Dishwasher, washing machine and fridge connections
• Hot water and gas points as part of the job

We work with builders, owner-builders and homeowners. Bring plans or a sketch, and we will work out the plumbing.

Rough-in and fit-off

Rough-in is the pipework that goes in before walls and floors are closed. Fit-off is the second stage, when taps, toilets and fixtures are connected. A good job needs both stages timed with the builder, tiler and waterproofer.

Get the layout right at rough-in. Moving a drain or a waste after tiles are down is expensive.

Older cottages: what we often find

• Galvanised steel pipes, rusted narrow inside, with poor pressure
• Cast iron or earthenware drains with roots or cracks
• Mixed materials from past repairs
• Floors on stumps, with pipes strung under the house and little clearance
• Hot water in awkward spaces
• Cut-in fittings from previous owners that no longer meet standards

We check before we quote. If you can let us see under the house and in the roof space, the quote is more reliable.

Drainage fall and slopes

Many Mountains blocks are steep, and drains need to run downhill at a workable grade. A bathroom on the low side of the house may need a different approach to one on the high side. We talk through the options on site.

If you are adding a bathroom to a house with limited fall, ask early. It affects the layout.

Compliance and paperwork

Plumbing work in NSW must meet the Plumbing Code of Australia and be done by a licensed plumber. We provide the paperwork for your records and your building certifier, and we can arrange inspection where needed.

Council approval for a bathroom renovation is often not required, but extensions are different. Check with your builder or council.

Planning your plumbing before the builder starts

Bring us in early, ideally at the plan stage. Where the toilet, shower and basin go decides the drain layout, and drains need fall.

Tell us what you want from hot water. A new bathroom on the far side of the house can mean a long wait for hot water unless the unit moves.

Decide on tap and fixture brands before rough-in. Different mixers and shower systems need different pipe positions.

Think about future needs. A second bathroom, an extra gas point or a tank connection is far cheaper to rough in now than to add later.

If the house is on stumps, make sure there is safe access underneath. It affects both the price and the quality of the work.

Bushfire rebuilds and new builds

Rebuilding or building new on a Mountains block? We plumb new houses, from rough-in through fit-off, including tank connections, stormwater and gas. See rainwater and stormwater.