Waywest Mechanical handles the plumbing for bathroom renovations in Nanaimo and across Vancouver Island, working directly for homeowners or alongside general contractors. Licensed plumbers rough in new drain, vent and supply lines, relocate fixtures, install shower valves, tubs, toilets and vanities, and replace old piping while the walls are open. Plumbing permits and inspections are arranged where required.
Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:30 PM · quotes within the hour
Waywest does the plumbing and heating side of a bathroom renovation. Tile, drywall, cabinets and finishing are done by your contractor or renovation company, and we schedule our visits around them.
What the plumbing side of a bathroom renovation covers
- Planning the layout so drains have proper slope and venting
- Removing old fixtures and capping lines during demolition
- Rough-in — new drain, waste and vent piping, and hot and cold supply lines to each fixture location
- Shower and tub valves, including thermostatic and pressure-balancing valves
- Curbless and walk-in showers with linear drains
- Freestanding tubs with floor-mounted fillers
- Vanities, sinks and faucets — see faucet installation
- Toilets, including wall-hung units with in-wall carriers — see toilet installation
- In-floor heating hookups where they tie into a hydronic system
- Pressure testing and inspections before walls close
The order matters
A bathroom renovation involves several trades in a specific sequence. The plumbing work happens in two stages:
1. Rough-in, after demolition and any framing changes. Pipes are run inside the walls and floor, valves are set at the right depth for the finished wall thickness, and the system is pressure tested. The municipal plumbing inspection usually happens at this stage, before insulation, drywall or tile board go up.
2. Finish, after tiling and painting. Fixtures, trim, faucets and the toilet are installed, connected and tested.
Setting shower valves at the wrong depth or drains in the wrong spot causes expensive problems once tile is on. We confirm your fixture choices and finished wall build-up before rough-in, not after.
Choose fixtures early
Many shower valves, freestanding tub fillers and wall-hung toilets need specific rough-in parts. Having your fixtures chosen — or at least the valve system — before rough-in avoids reworking finished walls.
Use the open walls
Renovation is the best opportunity to deal with old plumbing behind the walls. In older Nanaimo homes, the most common upgrades while the bathroom is open are:
- Replacing Poly-B supply lines
- Replacing corroded galvanized piping
- Replacing old cast-iron or ABS drains that are cracked or poorly sloped
- Adding proper shut-off valves to every fixture
- Upgrading undersized venting that causes gurgling drains
Basement bathrooms
Adding a bathroom in a basement often means the new fixtures sit below the main sewer line. Depending on the depth of the sewer, that may be solved with gravity drainage by cutting into the slab, or it may require a sewage ejector pump. We assess this with a camera inspection and measurement before you plan the space.
Service area
Waywest provides bathroom renovation plumbing in Nanaimo, Lantzville, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Ladysmith, Duncan and across our Vancouver Island service area.
What happens when you call
- A person answers
You talk to the Nanaimo office, or our own crew on the 24/7 line — not a call centre.
- You hear the rate first
We explain the service rate, or the emergency rate after hours, before anyone is booked or dispatched.
- A licensed technician arrives
A Waywest technician with a stocked vehicle diagnoses the problem and explains your options.
- You approve the work
Repairs go ahead once you agree. Larger jobs get a written quote you can take time to consider.
Quick facts
- Emergency service
- 24/7 at 250-616-1446 — typically on site within an hour in Nanaimo
- Office hours
- Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:30 PM, 250-729-2394
- Service area
- Nanaimo and Vancouver Island, Victoria to Port Hardy
- Licensing
- TSBC licence LGA0004592; licensed, bonded and insured
- Quotes
- Reply within the hour during business hours
- Page updated
Common questions
Do I need a permit for bathroom plumbing in Nanaimo?
Adding new fixtures, relocating drains or altering the drain, waste and vent system generally requires a plumbing permit and inspection from the City of Nanaimo or your local municipality. Swapping a fixture in the same location usually does not. Waywest confirms permit requirements for your project and arranges them.
Can I move my toilet or shower to a different spot?
Usually, yes, but it depends on getting proper drain slope and venting to the new location. On a main floor over a crawlspace it is often straightforward. On a concrete slab or with floor joists running the wrong direction, it can be more involved. Waywest assesses this before you finalize a layout.
Should I replace my pipes during a bathroom renovation?
If your home has Poly-B, galvanized steel or old cast-iron drains, a renovation with the walls open is the cheapest time to replace the piping serving that bathroom. Doing it later means opening the new tile and drywall.
Do you work with general contractors?
Yes. Waywest works with general contractors and renovation companies as the plumbing trade on bathroom projects, coordinating rough-in and finish visits around framing, tiling and inspections.
Need this sorted out?
Call the Nanaimo office and talk to someone who can tell you what the work involves and when we can get to it.