WASTE & OVERFLOW 101 Primarily there are two types of waste & Overflows, the conventional slip joint type and the permanent installation type. If the finished tub is a free standing clawfoot type or if the built-in tub will have a 12" x 12" service access panel either through an adjacent wall or up from underneath we are permitted to use the conventional slip joint type waste & overflow. Slip joint type waste & overflow kits are generally manufactured from ABS, PVC or lightwall brass tubing which may or may not be plated for final appearance. If there will be no service access we are required to use a permanently installed waste & overflow. The premanet type brass waste and overflow has heavy guage brass tubing and all joints must be soldered. Although the permanently installed brass type are seldomly used in single family residential work they are often required in institutional applications(schools, hospitals, nursing homes etc) or in commercial residential applications (multi-family residential structure exceeding 3 stories in height or having four or more living units). The permanent type ABS or PVC waste and overflow kits provide the overflow head, the tub shoe and the Tee connection. All required tubing is made up in the field from sched.40 PVC or ABS pipe and all connections are permanently glued in place. Code prohibits glueing dissimilar plastic piping materials so the choice between PVC or ABS is determined by which product is used to make your house DWV (Drain,Waste & Vent) piping. There are basically three types of stoppers available, lift & turn, toe tap or lever lift type. While they may not all be readily available at your local hardware or home supply store, all waste and overflow kits are available with the differant types of stoppers or they can easily be converted in the field.

What is the feature/dimension about the Kaldewei overflow drain that does not meet your county codes? I have a Klassikduo and recall DH and the plumber saying it was a non-typical assembly (by US standards), but they made it work. The building inspector checked it along with everything else, but otherwise paid it no mind. I'll ask DH and try to post back here. Great tub, by the way.

It looks like it will work fine

This is a bad install of the overflow drain fitting to the tub. There should be a gasket between the overflow and back side of the tub and some mechanical means on the inside of the tub to pull the overflow drain and gasket tight to the back side of the tub forming a water tight seal. Then, a trim piece is attached to the overflow on the inside of the tub to make things look pretty. You likely do not want to do a total tear-out to fix this, right? One solution would be to cut an access hole in the wall on the other side of the bad overflow (is that room a closet, bedroom, etc.?), remove the existing overflow from the backside and install new hardware to the tub, then install a plumber's access cover over the hole you cut in the wall. Not perfect (from the closet/bedroom side) but its typical of how things like this are repaired in an existing home.