Shower Valve Repair
Cartridge swaps, stem rebuilds and full valve replacements for showers that drip, scald or won't hold a temperature, done with as little tile damage as possible.
See the detailsBathroom remodel plumbing in Los Angeles, from demo-day surprises to final inspection
The walls are open, the old tub is out, and now the tile setter needs the valve at the right depth and the drain in the right spot. Bathroom remodel plumbing decides whether the finished room works.
- Answered 24/7
- From 746 S Broadway
- Fixtures, remodels & property
The short answer
Bathroom remodel plumbing is the work done while walls and floors are open: moving or replacing drains, vents and supply lines, setting the shower valve and drain, roughing in the vanity and toilet, then installing fixtures after tile. You need it any time a remodel changes fixture positions, converts a tub to a shower, or exposes old galvanized or cast iron pipe.
Getting the shower valve and drain right before tile
The shower valve is the most expensive part of a bathroom to get wrong, because fixing it means removing tile. We set the valve body at the depth the trim kit calls for, measured from the finished wall surface, including backer board, waterproofing and tile thickness. If the depth is off, the trim will not seat or the cartridge will stick out.
We pick a pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve that matches the trim you bought, then cap and pressure test it before the walls close. For a valve that is failing in a room you are not remodeling, our shower valve repair work can often save the wall.
Curbless and linear drain showers need the floor dropped or built up so water runs to the drain. On a slab that can mean cutting and lowering the area, which we plan with the contractor before demo.
Replacing old pipe while the walls are open
Many Los Angeles bathrooms from the 1950s and 1960s still have galvanized supply lines inside the walls and cast iron or galvanized drains below. Galvanized rusts closed on the inside, which is why old showers lose pressure. Opening the walls is the cheapest time you will ever have to replace it.
We run PEX or copper from the nearest good joint to every fixture and set new stops. If the rest of the house has the same pipe, consider repiping the whole house at the same time, since the bathroom is often the hardest part to reach. Our article on patching versus a full repipe walks through that choice.
On the drain side, we inspect the cast iron or galvanized lines exposed by demo and replace cracked sections with ABS or PVC, using shielded couplings where we tie into old pipe.
- Galvanized supply lines replaced with PEX or copper
- Cracked cast iron drains replaced with ABS or PVC
- New angle stops at the vanity and toilet
- Toilet flange reset at the finished floor height
- Vent paths checked and extended for moved fixtures
Moving the toilet, vanity or tub
A toilet needs a 3-inch drain and a vent within a set distance, and its flange has to sit at the finished floor height. Moving it a few feet on a raised floor is usually simple from below. On a slab it means breaking concrete, trenching to the drain line and patching the slab.
Double vanities need a drain for each sink or a continuous waste setup, plus supply lines to each spot. A freestanding tub needs a floor drain location chosen before the tub arrives, because there is no wall to hide the connection behind. For setting the new bowl itself, see our toilet installation page.
How rough-in, inspection and finish fit your remodel schedule
Plumbing happens in two trips. Rough-in comes after demo and framing: pipes, valves, drains and vents go in and get pressure tested. Then the inspector looks at everything while it is still visible. Only after that do drywall, waterproofing and tile go in.
Finish plumbing comes after tile and paint: trim kits, the shower head, faucets, the toilet and the vanity drain. If the tile setter needs the valve depth or the drain height confirmed, we come out for that, since a small adjustment then saves tearing out finished work later.
Warning signs
Signs your bathroom remodel needs plumbing work, not just new fixtures
- Galvanized pipe behind the tileIf demo reveals gray threaded pipe with rust at the joints, replace it now. It will not get easier once new tile goes up.
- Soft subfloor around the toiletA spongy floor means a wax ring or flange leaked for a long time. The flange and possibly the subfloor need repair before new flooring.
- Tub swapped for a walk-in showerA shower drain sits in a different spot than a tub drain and needs a trap below the floor. That is plumbing, not just tile.
- Vanity moving to a new wallA new wall location needs its own drain, vent and supply. The vent is the part people forget, and it is the part inspectors check.
- Shower temperature swingsIf someone flushing changes the shower temperature, the old valve lacks pressure balancing. A remodel is the time to put in a proper valve.
- Cast iron drain with cracksOld cast iron tub and shower drains crack along the bottom. If you see rust streaks or flaking under the house, plan to replace that section.
Typical pricing
Bathroom remodel plumbing costs in Los Angeles
Costs depend mostly on how many fixtures move, whether the floor is a slab, and how much old pipe needs to go.
| Job | Typical LA range |
|---|---|
| Replace shower valve and trim, walls already open | $450 to $1,100 |
| Tub-to-shower conversion drain and valve rough-in | $1,200 to $3,000 |
| Re-plumb one bathroom with new supply and drain lines | $2,500 to $6,000 |
| Move a toilet on a slab, including trenching | $1,800 to $4,500 |
| Finish set: toilet, vanity faucet and shower trim | $500 to $1,200 |
These are typical ranges, not a quote, and slab cutting, hidden damage, permit fees and fixture choices move the final number. See every job in our LA price guide.
On the job
The order we follow on a bathroom remodel
- STEP1
Walk the plan
We review the new layout, fixture models and trim kits with you or your contractor before demo starts.
- STEP2
Inspect after demo
Once walls and floors are open, we look at the existing pipe and flag anything that should be replaced.
- STEP3
Rough in
Drains, vents, supply lines and the shower valve go in at the right heights and depths, then everything is pressure tested.
- STEP4
Pass inspection
We meet the building inspector, or coordinate the visit, before any wall gets covered.
- STEP5
Set fixtures after tile
Trim, faucets, toilet and drains are installed and every fixture is run and checked for leaks.
What Los Angeles bathrooms tend to hide
Postwar tract homes across the San Fernando Valley often have small baths on concrete slabs with galvanized or early copper supply, so any fixture move involves concrete work. Older homes in the hills and central neighborhoods tend to sit on raised floors, which makes rough-in quicker from below. Hard water leaves scale in old valves and shower heads, one reason pressure drops in original baths. Permits for remodel plumbing in the City of Los Angeles go through LADBS, and cities such as Pasadena, Santa Monica and Glendale run their own inspections with their own scheduling.
Questions we hear
Bathroom Remodel Plumbing questions from LA customers
Do I need a permit for bathroom remodel plumbing in Los Angeles?
Moving or adding drains, vents or supply lines, or replacing a shower valve inside an open wall, generally needs a permit. In the City of Los Angeles that goes through LADBS, and the inspector checks rough-in before walls close. Simple fixture swaps in the same spot often do not, but ask before you start demo.
Can you convert a tub to a walk-in shower as part of a bathroom remodel?
Yes. The drain usually moves and needs a new trap below the floor, and the valve may need to move higher. On a slab we cut the concrete to relocate the drain. We also make sure the shower pan or curbless floor slopes properly to the new drain.
When should the plumber come during a bathroom remodel?
Plan for two visits at minimum: rough-in after demo and framing, and finish after tile and paint. Many jobs add a short visit in between so the tile setter can confirm valve depth and drain height, which avoids rework later.
Should I replace galvanized pipe during my bathroom remodel?
Yes, if it is exposed. Galvanized rusts from the inside and loses flow, and the open walls make replacement far cheaper than it will ever be again. If the rest of the house is galvanized too, ask about repiping the whole house during the same project.
Coverage
Where we handle bathroom remodel plumbing most
These are the communities that call us for this most often, with their main ZIP codes. The same 24/7 line covers every one of our 68 service areas.
- Los Angeles 90014
- Long Beach 90802
- Santa Clarita 91355
- Glendale 91205
- Pasadena 91101
- Torrance 90503
- Downey 90241
- Burbank 91502
- Reseda 91335
- Sylmar 91342
- Pacoima 91331
- Panorama City 91402
- North Hills 91343
- San Pedro 90731
- Granada Hills 91344
- Inglewood 90301
- El Monte 91731
- West Covina 91790
- Anaheim 92805
- Santa Ana 92701
- Whittier 90601
Often booked together
Related plumbing work
Toilet Installation
New toilets set on a sound flange with a fresh seal and supply line, shimmed level, caulked properly, with the old fixture hauled away.
See the detailsWhole-House Repiping
Whole-house repiping for Los Angeles homes with corroded galvanized or pinholing copper, using copper or PEX routed through attics and walls instead of the slab.
See the detailsFaucet & Sink Installation
New kitchen, bath, bar and laundry sinks with faucets fitted to the deck, fresh angle stops and supply lines, and a trap that lines up.
See the detailsNeed bathroom remodel plumbing today?
Call the line any hour. A plumber answers, asks what you are seeing and tells you what happens next.