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City of Vancouver

Your careful plumber
in Vancouver.

From our base in North Vancouver, we repipe Poly-B homes and strata buildings, replace water service lines and test backflow assemblies across the City of Vancouver.

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False Creek, Vancouver · Photo: Bernard Spragg, CC0
Homes in Vancouver

A city of apartments, and a lot of 1990s homes.

More than 83,000 of Vancouver's homes were built between 1981 and 2000, a period that includes most of the years when Poly-B was used. The 1990s alone account for 15.4% of the city's homes. And six in ten homes are in apartment buildings, so many repipes here are strata projects.

Occupied homes305,335
Built 1981 to 200083,160 (27.2%)
Built 1991 to 200015.4%
Apartment buildings62.2%
Condominium36.7%
Single-detached houses14.7%

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population (occupied private dwellings).

Strata repiping in Vancouver

Repiping a strata building, without the chaos.

Which pipes are part of a unit and which are common property depends on the strata plan, and the strata's bylaws set who repairs what. So a strata repipe starts with the council and the property manager, not with a wall.

  • Access, water shut-downs and notices planned with the council and property manager
  • Contained, tidy work in occupied homes
  • The permit, the inspection and the paperwork the strata asks for

For a house, it is a whole-home repipe from the main shut-off to every fixture. The Poly-B replacement page has our price ranges and monthly payments through iFinance.

Vancouver water rules, explained

What the City asks of homeowners.

Vancouver writes many of its own building and water rules. Plain-language summaries, each with its source; always check the current version for your property.

Backflow

Tested every year, filed within 15 days

Backflow preventers in private plumbing are the owner's responsibility. Each one is tested when installed, every year after, after any cleaning or repair, and on the City's request, and a certified tester files the result within 15 days. The City lists swimming pools, hose bibbs and underground irrigation among the places that need one.

Sources: Protecting water quality; Water Works By-law No. 4848, s. 4.11
Backflow

Reports go through an online portal

Backflow Solutions Inc. runs the online portal where certified testers register and submit test reports for the City, with a $30 fee per report. Reza is a BCWWA-certified backflow assembly tester, and we file the report for you.

Source: Protecting water quality
Your pipes

The City's pipe stops short of your property line

The City owns the service pipe up to its last fitting, on City property 0.3 to 1.0 metre from your property line. Past that point the pipes are yours, and the by-law makes owners keep their pipes, pressure reducing valves and meter chambers in repair and free of leaks. The City does not guarantee water pressure.

Source: Water Works By-law No. 4848, definitions, s. 3.1 and 5.2
Meters

Meters coming to every home

The City is installing water meters on all residential homes that do not have one, aiming for universal metering by 2040. Since 2012, every new single- or two-family home, and every one being renovated or rebuilt, has needed a meter.

Source: Accelerated city-wide water metering
Permits

A permit for any change to the plumbing

A permit is needed to install, change or upgrade any part of a plumbing system, but not to repair a leak, clear a stoppage or replace a fixture in the same place. To apply, you need a City of Vancouver or inter-municipal business licence. You do not need to be a licensed plumbing contractor for work on a single detached home you own and live in, or to install outside services or backflow preventers. All permitted work is inspected.

Source: Plumbing permits
Repairs

Backflow repairs by a plumber

The by-law allows a backflow assembly to be repaired only with manufacturer-approved parts, by a journeyman plumber or an indentured apprentice plumber.

Source: Water Works By-law No. 4848, s. 4.10
Vancouver, answered

Questions Vancouver homeowners ask us.

Do I need a permit to repipe my home in Vancouver?

Yes. The City requires a plumbing permit to install, change or upgrade any part of a plumbing system, and a whole-home repipe changes the water piping throughout. Repairing a leak, clearing a blockage or replacing a fixture in the same spot does not need one. We advise you on the permit, apply for it and book the inspections at no extra service charge, and every permitted job is inspected before the permit is closed. The permit and inspection fees are charged at the City’s actual cost, with no markup.

How often does a backflow preventer have to be tested in Vancouver?

Under the City's Water Works By-law, every backflow assembly is tested when it is installed, every year after that, after any cleaning or repair, and whenever the City asks. A certified tester files the result within 15 days through the City's online portal, run by Backflow Solutions Inc., which charges a $30 filing fee. Reza is a BCWWA-certified backflow assembly tester.

Who owns the water pipe between the street and my house in Vancouver?

The City owns the service pipe up to its last fitting, which sits on City property 0.3 to 1.0 metre from your property line. From there to the house, the pipe is yours, and the by-law makes you responsible for keeping your pipes, pressure reducing valve and meter chamber in repair and free of leaks.

Is the City putting a water meter on my home?

Probably, if you do not have one yet. The City is installing water meters on all residential homes that lack one, with a goal of universal metering by 2040, and since 2012 every new, renovated or rebuilt single- or two-family home has needed one. Once your home is metered, water lost to a leak shows up on your bill.

Do you have an office in Vancouver?

No. Prosafe is based in North Vancouver, and we come over to Vancouver for repipes, water service lines, backflow testing and other plumbing work, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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