Plumber in Nanaimo & Vancouver Island
From a running toilet to a whole-house repipe — done by licensed plumbers who have worked on Island homes since 1993.
Waywest Mechanical Ltd. provides residential and commercial plumbing in Nanaimo and across Vancouver Island, from Victoria to Port Hardy. Licensed plumbers handle repairs, hot water tanks, drain cleaning, Poly-B replacement, repiping, sewer and water lines, leak detection and gas fitting, with 24-hour emergency service at 250-616-1446. The company has been locally owned in Nanaimo since 1993.
Plumbing services
Each service below has its own page with what the work involves, what it costs to put off, and what to expect when we arrive.
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Emergency plumbing
Burst pipes, backups and failed water heaters, answered 24/7 by our own crew.
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Drain cleaning
Sinks, floor drains and main lines cleared, with a camera to find the cause.
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Hot water tanks
Gas, electric and heat pump water heaters, repaired or replaced.
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Tankless water heaters
On-demand gas water heaters sized, installed, descaled and repaired.
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Water main replacement
Leaking or undersized service lines from the meter to the house, replaced.
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Poly-B replacement
Polybutylene supply piping replaced with PEX or copper, with minimal openings.
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Sewer line repair
Root-damaged, cracked and collapsed sewer laterals repaired or replaced.
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Camera & video inspection
See roots, cracks and sags on screen, located from the surface before digging.
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Leak detection
Hidden leaks in walls, floors and buried lines found before they spread.
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Sump pumps
Pumps, pits, alarms and battery backup for wet basements and crawlspaces.
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Water treatment & softeners
Softeners, filtration and UV systems chosen from a water test.
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Toilet installation & repair
Running, leaking and clogged toilets fixed; new toilets installed.
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Faucet installation & repair
Dripping taps, leaks and low flow fixed; new kitchen and bath faucets installed.
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Backflow testing
Annual testing, repair and installation of backflow prevention assemblies.
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Repiping
Galvanized, Poly-B and failing copper replaced throughout the house.
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Custom home builds
Turnkey plumbing, heating and gas for custom homes, from plans to fixtures.
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Multi-family & suite plumbing
Rental suites, duplexes, townhomes and condos — new builds and service.
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Drainage & excavating
Perimeter drains, sewer and water lines, with excavation.
What plumbing on Vancouver Island actually looks like
Plumbing problems here follow the age of the housing. A house built in Nanaimo in the 1980s is likely to have Poly-B supply lines, a hot water tank on its second or third replacement, and a sewer lateral running under decades of tree roots. Newer homes in north Nanaimo and the Parksville area bring different calls: fixture and water heater upgrades, tankless conversions, and water treatment for homes on wells.
The Island climate matters too. Winters are mild enough that many older homes have pipes in uninsulated crawlspaces, so a few nights below freezing produces a burst of frozen-pipe calls. Heavy fall and winter rain tests sump pumps and perimeter drains every year.
How we approach a plumbing job
- Diagnose before quoting. For drains and sewers that means a camera, not a guess.
- Give you the rate or the quote up front. Hourly work is explained on the phone; larger jobs get a written quote.
- Tell you about the system, not just the symptom. If a failure is a sign of piping near the end of its life, we say so.
- Permit what needs a permit. Gas work is done under Technical Safety BC permits, and plumbing permits are pulled where the municipality requires them.
One contractor if the problem crosses trades
Because Waywest is a full-service mechanical contractor, the same company can handle a boiler that supplies both heat and hot water, a gas line for a new range, or a heat pump water heater that qualifies for a rebate. See heating and cooling and rebates.
Brands we install and service
Waywest installs Rinnai tankless water heaters, Rheem tanks and heat pump water heaters, and other quality brands chosen for the job rather than for a supplier deal — and repairs whatever brand is already in your home.
Plumbing questions
What plumbing services does Waywest offer in Nanaimo?
Waywest Mechanical handles plumbing repairs and installations for homes and businesses in Nanaimo and across Vancouver Island, including emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, hot water tanks and tankless heaters, Poly-B replacement, repiping, leak detection, sewer and water line work, camera inspection, backflow testing, fixtures and gas fitting.
Are Waywest's plumbers licensed?
Yes. Waywest Mechanical is licensed, bonded and insured, and holds Technical Safety BC licensing for gas work. Plumbing work that requires a permit is done under permit with the local municipality.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
Service calls are billed at an hourly rate plus parts, and after-hours emergency calls at an emergency rate. We tell you the rate on the phone before booking. For larger jobs such as repiping or water line replacement, we provide a written quote first.
Do you work on older Island homes?
Constantly. Much of Nanaimo's housing stock was built between the 1960s and 1990s, with galvanized steel, Poly-B, cast-iron drains and clay sewer laterals that are now reaching the end of their life. Assessing and replacing those systems is a large part of our plumbing work.
Can you handle plumbing for commercial buildings?
Yes. Waywest services restaurants, strata buildings, offices and rental properties, including backflow testing, grease-related drain problems, commercial water heaters and emergency repairs billed to the building or property manager.