You have the tile picked out and the vanity ordered, and then somebody asks where the drain is going to go. That is the moment most remodels stall. Moving a shower three feet, adding a bathroom in a basement, or putting a sink on an island all come down to what the pipe underneath will allow. From June 2025 through July 2026 our techs ran 164 remodel plumbing jobs across Northern Utah, most of them starting with a walkthrough and a real number before anybody swung a hammer.
Remodel work we actually did this past year
Two failing shower valves in a master bathroom, both replaced with Moen valves and large repair plates. Getting to them meant cutting tile out of the wall. We told the homeowner that up front: we open the wall and we set the valves, and we are not the ones who put the tile back. Knowing that before we start beats finding out after.
What we handle on a remodel
The plumbing side of a remodel breaks into two phases. The rough-in is everything that happens while the walls and floor are open: supply lines, drain and vent piping, tub and shower valves, and the drain locations that everything else gets built around. The finish is the visible part: setting the toilet, hanging the faucets and fixtures, connecting the disposal, and pressure testing before you use it.
Common jobs we get called for: adding a basement bathroom, converting a tub to a walk-in shower, relocating a kitchen sink to an island, adding a wet bar or a laundry hookup, running a line for a new refrigerator or a water treatment system, and moving a water heater to free up floor space. We work directly with homeowners and alongside general contractors, whichever way your project is set up.
What we do not do, so nobody is surprised
We are a plumbing, heating, and air company. We are not a general contractor. We do not do tile, drywall, cabinetry, paint, framing, or foundation work. If your project needs those trades, you will need to line them up, and we will schedule around them so the rough-in is inspected and closed before anybody covers a wall.
We also will not tell you a wall can move when it cannot. Venting rules, joist runs, and where the main drain leaves the house set hard limits on what a fixture can do. It is cheaper to hear that at the estimate than after the cabinets are ordered.
What we find inside older Utah homes
Open a wall in a home built before 1970 and there is a decent chance of galvanized steel supply pipe behind it. Galvanized corrodes and scales from the inside until a one inch pipe is choked down to about the size of a pencil lead, which is why the pressure in those houses is bad no matter what fixture you hang on it. Cast iron drain lines in the same vintage of home get rough and hold waste. Utah water runs extremely hard, measured between 8 and 29 grains across our service area, and that scale accelerates all of it.
When a remodel exposes that pipe, you have a choice most homeowners never get again: replace it while the wall is already open, or close it up and pay to open it a second time later. We will show you what is there and give you a number for repiping that section or the whole home. You decide. We are not going to make the call for you, and we are not going to hide what we found.
How a remodel estimate works
A plumber comes out inside a 2-hour arrival window, walks the space with you, and looks at what is actually under the floor and behind the wall instead of guessing off a photo. You get a written scope and a real number covering the rough-in, the fixtures, the inspection, and the finish. If your city requires a permit for the work, we pull it and we schedule the inspection. If the scope changes because of something we found once the wall was open, you hear about it and approve it before we keep going.
What our customers say
Rare Breed carries 1,712 reviews at 4.9 stars across our three Northern Utah locations. Quoted word for word from our public review pages, click through and check us:
“Fast service. Courteous tech. All around great experience.”
Caleb P. · Facebook review
Fast, Friendly, Fair
We schedule a 2-hour arrival window and we keep it, because sitting home all day waiting on a plumber is not respect for your time. Every job gets done right the first time, no shortcuts. That is the A STEPP standard our whole team is held to: Accountability, Safety, Trust, Excellence, Progress, Positivity.
Rare Breed Plumbing, Heating, and Air
Sandy: 8763 Sandy Pkwy, Sandy, UT 84070
Bountiful: 270 S Main St. Suite #113, Bountiful, UT 84010
Orem: 1197 S 1480 W, Orem, UT 84058
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, 24/7 emergency service
Call 385-449-0144 or book online.
Remodel questions we hear a lot
Can you move my toilet or shower drain?
Usually, within limits. It depends on the direction the drain runs, how much fall we have to work with, and whether the floor is a slab or open joists. A plumber has to see it. That is what the estimate visit is for.
Do I need a permit?
If you are adding or relocating fixtures, generally yes. Requirements differ city to city along the Wasatch Front. We pull the permit and meet the inspector as part of the job.
Will you work with my contractor?
Yes, and it usually goes better that way. We coordinate the rough-in to the framing schedule and come back for the finish once the tile and cabinets are in.
I am selling the house. Can you fix what the inspection flagged?
That is what our home in-transition calls are. We handle the plumbing items on an inspection report and get you documentation of the work for the file.
