Cost To Move Plumbing In A Concrete Slab
You may be thinking of moving your toilet a few feet or you may want to move your whole bathroom or kitchen to another part of the house. Since you will likely have to get a professional to do it due to most city and state regulations, getting a quote may be enough to make you change your mind.
Depending on what you are moving and how far you are moving it, the cost is going to be high. The average cost to move a fixture is between $1,500 to $6,500. Just for a toilet, the distance from the sewer pipe to the new location, drain slope increase, and rerouting can run you the full $6,500 or more.
Even if you are just moving your toilet a few inches to install a bigger tub or shower, the cost for doing this may be more than you think just to move the lines. It is not just the cost of the job but the hourly charge for the plumber that can get you. Charges for a plumber range from $75 to $200 per hour depending on where you live.
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Cost Per Job: Bathroom
Moving your bathroom fixtures is a big job if you are dealing with a concrete slab. Even if you do the concrete part yourself, the cost to move the toilet is the most expensive. Here are the average costs per job.
| Fixture | Low Price | High Price |
| Sink | $200 | $3,000 |
| Shower | $750 | $6,000 |
| Bathtub | $1,100 | $13,500 |
| Toilet | $2,000 | $6,500 |
Moving the Sink
The cost of removing the sink alone is about $100 on average and about $50 for the disposal of the sink. What you are replacing the sink with is another large part of the cost. The style of sinks include:
- Drop-ins that run $200 to $500
- Bar sinks that run $250 to $550
- Corner sinks that run $300 to $600
- Undermount sinks that run $300 to $2,000
- Farmhouse style sinks that run $500 to $2,000
The material of the sink is also a factor with the prices running from $50-$500 for porcelain to $500-$2,000 for natural stone.
Moving the Shower
The cost of moving the shower depends on many factors like the surround/walls, pan, and shower screen. A prefab shower can be done the cheapest at about $750 to $900. The material of the walls is the first choice.
| Material | Cost per Square Foot |
| Ceramic tile | $5 to $10 |
| Porcelain tile | $10 to $15 |
| Glass or stone tile | $20 to $50 |
| Stone slab | $100 to $150 |
The layout is also a big part of the price. The walk-in shower is only about $500 to $1,000 while a tub/shower combo is $750 to $1500. Shower pans can be acrylic, tile, or custom made with costs from $200 to $1,000. There are several choices for the doors.
| Type of Door | Cost |
| Spray panel | $100 to $200 |
| Framed | $200 to 300 |
| Sliding | $300 to $500 |
| French | $900 to $1,500 |
| Frameless | $1,000 to $1,800 |
Moving the Bathtub
Just like everything else, the cost of moving the tub varies depending on many factors. For just the cheapest fiberglass tub installation, you can expect to pay at least $1,100 on up to $13,500 for a whirlpool bathtub. You will also have to consider the cost of the surround, which ranges from composite for $80 to $1,400 to Quartz, which can cost up to $1,900. Materials come in several types as well such as:
- Steel for $120 to $1,500
- Fiberglass for $160 to $6,500
- Acrylic for $200 to $13,750
- Cast iron for $375 to $7,500
- Cultured marble for $2,000 to $11,700
The configuration may be the most important choice to make about your tub. There are five popular types to choose from.
| Type | Cost |
| Alcove | $125 |
| Drop-in | $250 to $12,500 |
| Undermount | $545 to $9,000 |
| Freestanding | $615 to $12,000 |
| Walk-in | $1,500 to $9,900 |
Moving the Toilet
Although the cost of the toilet itself is not nearly as much as a tub or shower, the expensive part is the pipes. Just running the pipes is typically about $1,500 to $3,500. You can choose from certain name brands that will raise the price though too.
| Brand | Cost |
| Eljer | $100 to $300 |
| American Standard | $175 to $400 |
| Kohler | $200 to $800 |
| Toto | $225 to $1,000 |
| Saniflo | $300 to $1,200 |
Cost Per Job: Kitchen
If you are considering moving your kitchen sink, which is the main plumbing fixture in the kitchen, you will probably be moving the dishwasher too. You may be thinking of moving your sink to the kitchen island or adding another sink in the island. Either way, the cost will be less than a toilet but more than a shower. Let’s look at some of the costs:
| Fixture | Low Price | High Price |
| Moving kitchen island | $1,000 | $7,000 |
| Moving dishwasher | $1,200 | $2,000 |
| Moving sink more than three feet | $2,000 | $7,000 |
| Moving pipes | $10 per linear foot | $50 per linear foot |
Moving a Kitchen Island
The most expensive thing in the kitchen may be moving the sink more than three feet but kitchen island installation is just under that price. For a cheap kitchen island installation, you can get it done for about $1,000. But for a higher-priced model with a dishwasher, it will be about $7,000 or more.
The material you choose for the countertop is the first cost and can vary quite a bit. For example:
- Granite is $45 to $200 per square foot
- Quartz is $55 to $155 per square foot
- Wood is $55 to $200 per square foot
- Marble is $75 to $225 per square foot
- Stainless steel is $80 to $250 per square foot
The type of cabinets you choose can also make a big difference in the cost of your kitchen island.
| Type | Cost |
| Laminate | $50 to $75 per linear foot |
| Oak | $80 to $100 per linear foot |
| Birch | $80 to $125 per linear foot |
| Pine | $85 to $150 per linear foot |
| Cherry | $100 to $650 per linear foot |
| Walnut | $120 to $700 per linear foot |
Moving the Dishwasher
Unless you are moving the dishwasher without the sink, your cost will be included in the sink. However, the cost of the dishwasher itself is one difference.
| Brand | Cost |
| SPT | $200 to $300 |
| Magic Chef | $200 to $400 |
| Frigidaire | $300 to $700 |
| Danby | $500 to $700 |
| GE | $300 to $800 |
| Samsung | $400 to $600 |
| Kitchen Aid | $800 to $1,000 |
Moving the Sink
Because moving the sink and the dishwasher are typically done together, the costs are usually combined. However, the labor costs for changing the layout of the plumbing will be about $1,000 for about 10 hours of work. The sink itself can change the cost, of course.
- Stainless steel costs between $350 to $500 for a single and $475 to $600 for a double
- Porcelain is $400 to $550 for a single and $500 to $675 for a double
- Natural stone costs about $1,000 to $1,250 for a single and $2,000 to $2,500 for a double
Moving the Water Lines
Again, anything that has to do with both inlets and outlets for water is expensive when your home is on a slab. It is a time-consuming and messy job and even if you get the cheapest materials you can get, the hourly wages you have to pay the plumber is going to get you.
The average cost for moving the plumbing in a 200 square foot kitchen with a slab floor is $2,000 to $7,000. And the cost for the pipes themselves ranges from $10 to $50 per linear foot. And this does not include any concrete work that it would take to get to the pipes.
DIY Concrete Work
You may want to consider doing the concrete work yourself. A sledgehammer is an effective way to break up a slab up to four inches thick. Get a 12-pound sledgehammer and try it out. If that does not work or if your back just cannot handle this type of job, you can rent a jackhammer to make it easier.
If this still does not sound like a job you are comfortable with, try a handyman. Or one of your friends or relatives. It is best to get someone who is licensed and bonded though, just in case they bust open a pipe or hit a power line.
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Related Questions
Why is Moving a Toilet So Expensive?
To move a toilet, you have to move both the water supply and the drainage. The floor will also have to be torn up and other piping will need to be moved or capped off. The slope has to be correct, so that can be a big job as well.This does not take into account the cosmetic costs you will accrue. You will need new flooring and tiles and possibly new wall patching or paint. Just to install a toilet it costs between $500 and $1,000.
Do I Need a Permit to Do My Own Plumbing?
You cannot do any kind of major plumbing installation or replacement without a permit in almost all states. You will also have to be a licensed plumber to get the permit. Some of these include:
- Changing out pipes
- Replacing drains
- Sewer work
- Replacing a water heater
- Moving your plumbing
This is for safety reasons. There are many national and state plumbing codes that need to be followed, which is why plumbers have to go to school to get licensed. No matter what type of work you plan on doing, always check with the city or county you live in to find out if you need a permit.
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I am a DIYer who loves writing about anything home-related. When I am not writing, you can find me studying for my PhD in Psychology, photographing nature, and swimming at the lake with my grandkids.
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