Walk the basement with a flashlight
- Where is the main cleanout? It must stay reachable.
- Where is the main shut-off and meter? They need an access door.
- Is the stack cast iron with rust streaks or damp joints?
- Any galvanized supply still in the ceiling?
- Has the floor drain ever backed up?
Do these first
- Camera the main line. If the lateral is failing, you do not want to find out after new flooring is down.
- Install a backwater valve. Finished basements have more to lose. The City has offered a subsidy for this; check current terms.
- Replace the main shut-off when it is still an old gate valve.
- Repipe galvanized lines that run through the ceiling you are about to close.
- Rough in a bathroom or wet bar now, even if fixtures come later.
Pipes running along exterior walls in a finished basement sit in a colder spot once insulation goes in on the room side of them.
From the counter
Insulation and cold lines
Pipes running along exterior walls in a finished basement sit in a colder spot once insulation goes in on the room side of them. Move them inward, or make sure insulation is placed between the pipe and the outside wall, not between the pipe and the warm room.
North York basements
Many postwar bungalows here have low basement ceilings with drains and ductwork hanging below the joists. Rerouting a drain to gain ceiling height is possible but involves slope requirements. Plan that with us before the ceiling height is set in drawings.
Permit and inspection
New plumbing work, including a basement bathroom, needs a building permit in Toronto. Inspections must happen before walls close. Book the plumber early so the inspection does not hold up the drywall crew.
Questions
Can I box in a cleanout behind drywall?
No. Cleanouts must stay accessible. Use an access panel or a removable cover.
Do I need a separate shut-off for a basement bathroom?
It is not always required, but stop valves at each fixture make future repairs far easier.