A bathroom renovation is mostly about what goes behind the walls and under the floor. Get the waste falls, water supply and hot water right and the tiles and fittings look after themselves. Get them wrong and you are paying to pull the room apart again.
We plan the plumbing with you before demolition, rough in to suit the layout, coordinate with your builder and tiler, and finish with tested, certified work and the paperwork your council needs.
Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Bathroom Renovation Plumbing Jobs We Handle Across Christchurch
- Bathroom renovation plumbing
- Bathroom plumbers
- Walk-in shower plumbing
- Vanity and basin installs
- Moving a toilet
- Ensuite plumbing
What we do in a bathroom renovation
Our scope usually covers:
- Removing old fixtures and capping supply and waste lines safely
- Rough-in for the new layout: supply, waste and vent pipework
- Showers, baths, vanities, basins and toilets, including wall-hung pans
- Mixers, thermostatic valves and isolation valves on every fixture
- Hot water checks and tempering valves to meet current limits
- Final fit-off, testing and Certificate of Compliance paperwork
Planning around Christchurch houses
The house you start with decides a lot. Older bungalows on piles usually give good access under the floor, so moving a toilet or shower waste is often straightforward. Homes built on a concrete slab, which includes many newer houses, are harder, because moving a waste can mean cutting concrete. On houses rebuilt after the earthquakes, especially on TC2 or TC3 land, the floor may be an enhanced or engineered foundation, so we check the plans and bring in the designer or engineer before anyone cuts it.
Frost also matters here. Christchurch averages about 80 ground frost days a year, so supply pipes in an exterior wall or an uninsulated subfloor are at risk of freezing. A renovation is the cheapest time to move pipes off outside walls, lag them properly, and replace old galvanised or polybutylene pipe with a repipe while the walls are open.
How It Works
Hot water and pressure
A new rain shower is disappointing on an old low pressure cylinder fed from a header tank in the roof. If you are planning one, the renovation is the time to look at upgrading to mains pressure hot water cylinders, and we check the cold supply can deliver the flow you want.
Under Building Code clause G12, new plumbing to basins, baths and showers must limit delivered hot water temperature, which in most homes is 50 C. This is usually done with a tempering valve at the cylinder, and we check yours as part of the job.
Compliance and consent
Much bathroom plumbing is restricted sanitary plumbing, which must be done by a plumber registered with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. Wet areas must manage water under Building Code clause E3, and drainage must meet clause G13. Some renovations need building consent, for example adding a new sanitary fixture or changing the drainage. Replacing or repositioning fixtures within an existing bathroom is often exempt.
Your consent comes from the council for your address: Christchurch City Council in the city, Selwyn District Council for Rolleston and Lincoln, or Waimakariri District Council for Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Pegasus. Waimakariri has published its own guidance on when a tiled shower needs consent. If your project needs consent we tell you up front, supply the plumbing details and book the inspections, and you get a Code Compliance Certificate at the end. Rental owners should also note the Healthy Homes Standards require an extractor fan in any room with a bath or shower.
What affects the cost
We give a free quote once we know the plan. Plumbing costs rise with the number of fixtures, layout changes, slab cutting, wall-hung toilets and concealed cisterns, wet floor showers with linear drains, hot water upgrades, and tricky access such as upstairs bathrooms with little ceiling space below.
Timing matters as much as pipework. We pressure test every supply line before the linings go on and check waste falls before the floor is waterproofed, because a fault found after tiling is the most expensive kind. If you are adding a new shower installation or tidying up the kitchen plumbing on the same wall, doing it in one visit saves on call outs.
Why Choose Cheeky's Plumbers for Bathroom Renovation Plumbing
Planned before demolition
We check floors, waste routes and hot water first so your design is priced on real conditions.
Works with your builder
We schedule rough-in and fit-off around your builder, waterproofer and tiler to keep the job moving.
Frost-safe pipework
Pipes are kept off cold outside walls where possible and lagged where they cannot be moved.
Consent handled
We tell you whether consent is needed and provide the plumbing paperwork for your council.
Tested before it is covered
Every supply line is pressure tested and every waste checked before linings and tiles go on.
Bathroom Renovation Plumbing FAQs
Do I need building consent to renovate my bathroom in Christchurch?
Not always. Replacing or moving fixtures within an existing bathroom is often exempt. Adding new fixtures or changing drainage usually needs consent from your council. We tell you before work starts.
Can I move my toilet to a different spot?
Usually yes. On a timber floor it is often simple. On a slab it may mean cutting concrete, and on an engineered foundation we check with the designer first.
How long does bathroom renovation plumbing take?
The plumbing itself is usually a few days split between rough-in and fit-off. The overall timeline depends on the builder, waterproofer and tiler.
Should I upgrade my hot water during a renovation?
If you have an old low pressure cylinder and want a strong shower, yes. It is cheaper to change while walls are open.
How do I stop bathroom pipes freezing?
Keep supply pipes off exterior walls where possible and lag any pipe in a cold wall cavity or subfloor. We do this as part of the rough-in.
Do you work with my builder?
Yes. We coordinate with your builder, waterproofer and tiler, or recommend a team if you do not have one.
Bathroom Renovation Plumbing Across Christchurch
Our bathroom renovation plumbing team works in every Christchurch suburb. Find your local plumbers:
Related Services
Toilet Repairs
Running toilets, leaking cisterns, blocked pans and wobbly bases fixed fast.
View serviceTap & Mixer Repairs
Dripping taps, stiff mixers and leaking spouts repaired or replaced.
View serviceKitchen Plumbing
Sinks, dishwashers, fridge water lines, filtered taps and instant boiling water taps installed and repaired.
View serviceWaste Disposal Units
Repair, replace or install in-sink waste disposal units.
View serviceBlocked Drains
Blocked sinks, showers, toilets and gully traps cleared fast.
View serviceHot Water Cylinders
Hot water cylinder replacement across Christchurch.
View serviceSources and further reading
- Building Performance: Prevent scalding from tap water (G12)
- Building Performance: Temperature limited water heater consultation outcome
- Building Performance: Repairing and rebuilding houses affected by the Canterbury earthquakes
- Waimakariri District Council: Tiled showers, do I need a consent?
- Building Performance: 4.7 Alteration to existing sanitary plumbing (exempt building work)
- Tenancy Services: Healthy Homes ventilation standard
- Master Plumbers: Avoid frozen pipes this winter
- Standards New Zealand: Check that plumbers are qualified and registered