The Plumbing Checklist for Your Kitchen Remodel

After thirty years of remodel plumbing around Roseville and Sacramento, we can usually predict a kitchen project's schedule by one thing: how early the plumbing decisions got made. Fixtures are easy to swap late; pipe locations are not. Here's the checklist we walk through with homeowners and contractors before demo day.

Decisions to lock in before demolition

Where is the sink going — really?

Keeping the sink in place is the cheapest option. Moving it across the room means rerouting supply, drain, and vent — and the vent is what surprises people. Every fixture needs a vent path up through the framing; islands need special venting arrangements (an island loop vent or, where allowed, an air-admittance valve). None of this is hard, but all of it belongs on the plan before cabinets are ordered.

Gas or induction?

If you're switching from electric to a gas range, we need to run or upsize a gas line and pressure-test it — an easy job with walls open, an annoying one after backsplash tile is up. Going the other way (gas to induction)? We cap and label the line properly so it passes inspection and future owners aren't guessing.

Pot filler: yes or no?

A pot filler is a small luxury with a real requirement: a dedicated cold line inside the wall behind the range, decided before drywall. If you're on the fence, rough it in anyway — capping a stub costs almost nothing, and you keep the option.

Disposal, dishwasher, fridge, filtration

Each needs its own consideration: a properly wired and switched disposal, a dishwasher drain with a high loop or air gap (required around here), a fridge water line you can actually shut off, and space under the sink if a filtration or instant-hot system is on your list.

Worth doing while the walls are open

This is the once-a-generation chance to fix things cheaply. We always recommend evaluating:

• Angle stops and supply lines — replace the crusty originals; they're pennies during a remodel
• Old galvanized or first-generation plastic supply lines — if the house still has them, remodel time is repipe time
• The drain line under the sink area — old cast iron or undersized 1¼" drains get upgraded now, not after the new cabinets are in
• A recirculation return line if the kitchen is far from the water heater — instant hot water at the sink forever after

How the plumbing phases fit your schedule

1. Disconnect & demo support — we disconnect and cap everything safely so demo can proceed
2. Rough-in — new supply, drain, vent, and gas runs to the new layout; then the rough inspection happens before insulation and drywall
3. Top-out & pressure test — lines tested and signed off
4. Finish — after counters are in: sink, faucet, disposal, dishwasher, pot filler, fridge line, and final checks

The critical path item is almost always the rough inspection. A plumbing contractor who shows up when promised and passes inspection the first time keeps the drywallers, tilers, and cabinet installers all on schedule — this is where our inspection record earns its keep.

One contractor for water and gas

Because JJB Plumbing does gas work in-house, you don't need a second sub (or a second inspection headache) for the range line. One crew, one schedule, one call.

Planning a kitchen or bath project? Send us your layout — we'll flag the plumbing implications and give you a free, itemized estimate before you commit to the design. Call 916-501-6039 or reach out here.