Bathroom remodel plumbing in Saint Paul, MN

Rough in is the stage between demolition and walls. We run new drain lines with proper slope, tie each fixture into a vent so traps don't siphon dry, and bring hot and cold supply lines to the exact heights your fixtures need. Shower valves go in now, set at the depth your tile thickness calls for, along with the stub for the showerhead and any body sprays or handheld bars.

Once rough in is done, the city inspector looks at the open work before it's covered. After that, your tile setter or general contractor closes the walls and finishes the floor. We come back at trim out to set the toilet, mount the faucets, connect the vanity drain, install the shower trim, and test everything under pressure and flow.

Moving supply lines is easy. Moving drains is where the real cost and planning live. A toilet needs a three inch drain, and how far it can move depends on joist direction, the location of the main stack, and whether there's a finished ceiling below. On a second floor bathroom, running a drain across the joists may mean notching limits come into play, or the drain may need to drop below the ceiling.

In basement bathrooms on a slab, moving a drain means cutting and trenching concrete. Showers and sinks often move more easily because their drains are smaller and the vent can run up through a nearby wall. We walk the space with you during the planning stage and tell you which moves are simple, which add cost, and which we'd steer you away from.

• Vanity moves of a few feet along the same wall are usually simple
• Toilet moves depend on joist direction and stack location
• Tub to shower swaps often reuse the existing drain with a new trap
• Curbless showers may need floor framing changes
• Basement moves mean cutting into the slab

Every drain in a bathroom needs air behind it. Without a vent, water rushing down the line pulls the water out of the trap, and sewer gas can drift into the room. Gurgling sinks, slow tubs and a toilet that bubbles when the shower drains are all classic signs of a venting problem. A remodel is the right moment to fix that while the walls are open.

Older homes often have bathrooms that were added or rearranged decades ago with minimal venting. We tie new fixtures into the existing vent stack where we can, and where that's not practical we use an air admittance valve if the city allows it in that location. The goal is quiet, fast drains that stay that way after the tile is set and grouted.

Most remodels involve several trades, and the plumbing has to land in the right place for all of them. We confirm fixture models before rough in, since a wall hung toilet, a vessel sink or a thermostatic shower valve each need their own measurements. Then we mark finished heights so the tile setter knows where the valve trim, showerhead and niche will sit.

We set shower drains to match the pan or linear drain system your tile setter is using, and we pressure test supply lines before walls close. If a schedule slips or a fixture changes midway, give us a ring and we'll adjust. Clear communication at each stage keeps the inspector happy and keeps your project from stalling between trades.