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Does moving the toilet location involve a major work

13 years ago

Just starting to formulate our master bath remodel on the 2nd flr. I would like to relocate the existing toilet(water closet) but only if it does not involve a tremendous amount of work.

It currently sits along the exterior wall . Any insight would be helpful.

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Comments (6)

chrisk327
13 years ago
yes and no.... is it doable? yes. does it take work, yes, is it major, it really depends.

Probably the biggest factor in it is where is the current waste line run in your bathroom compared to where you want to move it. they'll have to cut up the floor, remove the toilet flange, put in a straight piece. then have to run the waste pipe over to where you want the toilet. Dependingg on where you want it, and where it is, the waste line may need to run through beams, which makes the job harder.

its not a super easy quick thing to do, it probably is the hardest of the things to move in the bathroom, mainly due to the size of the pipe that needs to be accomodated, but it is doable.
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pricklypearcactus
13 years ago
Also, it is critical that the slope of the waste pipe is appropriate and that the waste pipe is vented properly. Exactly as chrisk327 said, it really depends on the location of the current waste line and how that relates to the location where you want to move the toilet.
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@Jan Moyer we are hiring a professional contractor. I sent the plans to him yesterday. waiting on his estimate. i have spent a lot of time on it. during my initial consultation with him he didn’t think to turn the tub. He did however say that a 34 inch wide shower was fine since it’s 54 deep. i actually don’t want the chandelier direcyltky over the tub. I’m thinking id like it centered in the section of the “room” with the tub. my husband wants to keep the tub parallel to the window and says 34 inches will be fine in the shower. so yes i got more gray hair over this for nothing. cest la vie! we kept the wood louvered doors original to the house so thats why I’m putting the mirrors on the wall. i am toting with the idea of having them trimmed up on the walls likr this the original 70s bathroom had giant unframed mirrors surrounding the tub like walls. I still have all those mirrors. i know this type Of trim work will be expensive. I‘d like to get an estimate on it though. i just moved the closet door away from tub. That was still the original/existing location.. back to the hall. I’m not sure why my blue & yellow lines pic didn’t post. Trying again one yellow line is the wall I’m talking about. The other yellow line is the distance/walking space I’m talking about. The blue line is where the wall exists now. I know 56” is enough in the bathroom and that 40 or more is enough in the hall. I have to move the wall no matter what though so i‘m trying to figure out the best place to move it to. The hall is 20 feet long. and is currently 40 inches wide then widens to 64” wide after you pass the kids bath. as it is on the plans, the hall is 48” inches after the kids bath, and the space between the vanity counter and the wall with shower and water closet is 56”. The contractor thought i should give the other 8” inches to the bathroom and make the hall 40 inches. Then he went and looked at the hall and said well it is a long hall so i can see why you like some extra width here.
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Stacey Collins
13 years ago
I've done it (DIY) in two houses. The most recent one was on the first floor, so that was super easy to do from the basement.
The previous one was on the second floor, so we had to take the flooring up.
As the two previous posters said, the location of the waste stack in relation to where you want the new toilet to be is the main issue. If it's further away than it was before, it may need a new vent. And if the new drain pipe can't run between floor joists, but must go through them, it'll be a lot more difficult... you'll need to put the hole in the correct to-code location in the joist while keeping the correct to-code pitch in the pipe: tricky! If you're running in the same joist bay it'll be a lot easier! You should be able to tell which way your joists go from the basement.
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davidro1
13 years ago
skeetie219
"Any insight would be helpful" : if it's a hassle to move the drain, it might make it economical to buy a wall-mount toilet (and " wall-mount carrier"). Search using these terms. Some brands are Grohe, Geberit, Toto, Caroma.

I got a wall hung toilet and it allowed me to relocate the toilet (water closet) without "a tremendous amount of work".
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skeetie219
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks everyone.... its a 2nd flr bath and i think we were planning to rip up the flr because every flr and wall in our house is uneven. The waste line runs along the back part of the house since we just renovated the kitchen and opened up the soffits.
I was open to where I might be able to move it either along the same wall about 4 or 5 feet to the right or I could move direct across from where it is now.
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kudzu9
13 years ago
Others have mentioned the issue of which way the floor joists run. If they run the "wrong" way and you have to drill holes through them to run the waste line, it could be a major problem. The plumbing code specifies what minimum diameter your waste line can be, and the building code specifies how big a hole can be placed in a structural member and where it can be located. Depending on the size of the joists and the slope you have to achieve with the waste line, this sometimes presents a challenge. Check with your local code authorities before just cutting in to your joists.
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