Moving Bathroom Plumbing From the Wall to the Floor

Reasons

• The major reason for relocating bathroom plumbing from a wall-mounted location to a floor location is to accommodate new types of fixtures. Sinks, toilets, showers and tubs all require multiple plumbing hookups. If you have an older home and want to install modern fixtures, or if you redesign the bathroom and move fixtures around, you will need to find ways to relocate the plumbing as well.

Process

• Moving plumbing from the wall to the floor requires that you open the floor and the wall by removing tile, drywall, the sub-floor and possibly layers of insulation. Once the wall is open so that the pipes are exposed, and the floor is open to accept the new plumbing, you can shut off the water and lay new pipe. Sealing up the floor and walls may require new materials, depending on your removal process and your plans for the redesigned bathroom.

Obstacles

• One of the major obstacles in moving plumbing from the wall to the floor is the need to open the floor to accept new pipes. Your bathroom's tile or vinyl floor will need to be replaced in the area where you work, and throughout the room if you can't find a matching flooring material to make repairs. The entire process can cost several hundred dollars, which means that budget limitations may pose an additional obstacle. Finally, building codes are likely to require that you file for a building permit before starting work, which slows down the process.

Considerations

• When your home is being built or undergoing major renovation, the process of moving plumbing from the wall to the floor is much simpler. If you add a bathroom, or have the walls and floor open for electrical work or major home repairs, consider the future placement of bathroom fixtures. It may be best to move plumbing in anticipation of new fixtures, or install the new fixtures earlier than you had planned, to capitalize on the opportunity.