How big of a deal is it to move pipes four or five feet? We are reconfiguring the island.

In a slab, most likely a big deal; unless some things work in your favor. Then its kind of a big deal.

If you were able to locate the drain line and the new location is right over the top of the existing line; you might be able to cut a hole in the slab and connect the new drain. It would be luck more than anything.

If you are close to an exterior wall, you could tunnel easier than in the middle of the house.

I would get multiple bids, more than the standard three. Around 2010ish I had to have a plumber cut a hole in the slab and repair an old cast iron drain line. Every plumbing contractor seemed to have a completely different way of doing things and the prices on bids were all over the place.

What I learned from that was, not to steer them in in any direction and let them recommend a solution. Then call the ones back you are seriously considering for some follow up.

I feel for anyone doing big projects right now. I hope you can get it done for a fair price and in a reasonable amount of time.

Thanks. We have vent loop, water supply and electrical behind dishwasher. We are moving dishwasher and removing the end of the island. I don't understand why everything didn't surface closer to the sink. Maybe the layout changed during construction.

I'll get a few bids. My biggest question is what if the existing electrical wire won't reach new location?

Ok, it sounds like you have entered the "it's a really big deal" phase, lol.

I hope you are just trying to swap the dishwasher from the opening in the top of the pic to the opening where the counter is cut at the bottom right. However…… I am assuming moving the dishwasher to the island means the island is to the left where you can see the edge of a countertop, and the dishwasher was top center of the pic.

I am not sure what code is; but, I recall seeing dishwashers on their own circuit in the panel. This would mean you cannot share an existing circuit if the island has electrical already run.

Is there already electricity run to the island? Can you pull more wires through whatever opening supplies the island? If not then you are probably in a similar situation as with your plumbing and need to come up through the slab.

This sounds like a lot of work for an island reconfig.

What parts of this project are you going to DIY and which parts hire out?

It's in between those cases...I've confused the issue.

The dishwasher is moving to the left of the sink. The old dishwasher spot and the area to the right (below the air fryer) will be removed.

Yes, the dishwasher is on its own circuit. My curiosity on the routing of the circuit had me open the wall.

The hole to the right of the sink had a compactor and will now have a trash/recycling drawer.

My role is to write checks.

Kitchen, family room, wet bar, bathroom, laundry room and replace tile downstairs. Counters, lots of paint, hardwoods, sinks, etc.

Yes, those plates are grouted into the backsplash. It was like that when we moved in!

Does the sink drain all the way over there at the loop vent?

I don't think this will be as difficult as it appears on the surface. Contractors will have to run wire and plumbing a bit along the far inside of the cabinets, but I don't think you will need anything crazy under slab stuff. The dishwasher has a pump and it drains to the sink drain, so the plumber will just have to stretch tubing a little farther than normal. Same with electrical. It will look like hell instead the cabinet, but who cares.

Unrelated, but your house is really yellow in the pics. Maybe look into painting the ceiling white and swapping some bulbs. Unless you are really old and like the yellow.

southernskies said:

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Does the sink drain all the way over there at the loop vent?

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I believe so. The dishwasher drain runs back to the disposal.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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I don't think this will be as difficult as it appears on the surface. Contractors will have to run wire and plumbing a bit along the far inside of the cabinets, but I don't think you will need anything crazy under slab stuff. The dishwasher has a pump and it drains to the sink drain, so the plumber will just have to stretch tubing a little farther than normal. Same with electrical. It will look like hell instead the cabinet, but who cares.

Unrelated, but your house is really yellow in the pics. Maybe look into painting the ceiling white and swapping some bulbs. Unless you are really old and like the yellow.

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Thanks, there will be plenty of painting.

The dishwasher drain run will actually be shortened. The vent stack will be moved closer to the sink and the area where the dishwasher was and vent/pipes/electrical come up throught the slab will be covered in flooring.

If you have to relocate the vent loop that will involve cutting a trench in the slab and relocating it to the sink. I imagine the vent loop underground piping is taking the shortest path to a wall which would be the the left of the old dishwasher location (guess). If your actual kitchen drain is right there behind the old dishwasher and you are extending the underground run to your sink, I hope you can create enough slope without having to route piping too close to the top of slab. If the drain goes down under the slab instead of elbowing horizontally immediately then you should be fine.

Sorry, I misread. I thought you were moving the dw to where you just purpled out. I'm out of my league. Good luck.

I'm thinking the new vent loop location will be under where the air fryer is. I'm pretty sure the sink drain line connects to the highlighted area in the picture.

Busting slabs and moving plumbing gets expensive quick


Call a few plumbers to look at it and get some estimates but could be anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 as a rough guesstimate

First plumber said $800 - 1,200. Let's hope that's where it ends up.

If that $800-$1200 includes concrete demo and placeback that is a steal. Make sure he drills and epoxies new dowels into the trench that he cuts when he does the placeback. Also repair the moisture barrier that he will cut.

Very odd that the main drain isn't right behind the sink. I wonder what their reasoning for that was.

southernskies said:

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Very odd that the main drain isn't right behind the sink. I wonder what their reasoning for that was.

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That's what I thought and what the first plumber said.....

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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Maybe look into painting the ceiling white and swapping some bulbs. Unless you are really old and like the yellow.

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I think the yellow is from the the camera settings. It is set very warm. I bet it actually looks more like the photo below.

I have those exact 90's vintage cabinets. Are you repainting them?

2wealfth Man said:

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I have those exact 90's vintage cabinets. Are you repainting them?

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Yes, 95 ish. The grain is pretty stout. I expect to still see some, but it will look much better.

I'm just curious why you've already done all the flooring before this?

htxag09 said:

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I'm just curious why you've already done all the flooring before this?

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Just working with schedules and different contractors. I was planning on cabinet and counter demo, flooring, and then the rest. The flooring contractor (this is my third job with him and he's done new builds for my brother) had some time open up earlier and moving him up provides some cushion for the rest of the work.

Cabinet mods and counter demo is early next week and then the wood guys will finish in a day. Now we have time for slab/relocating work 3/2-7. Due to my schedule, work is then shut down 3/10-15.

It would have been better to have the cabinet mods first, but that crew wasn't available until 2/28. This would have allowed cabinet mods, slab work, flooring, then rest.

Not sure what you've thought through, but are you ripping out entire counter top for a new one, to match the new island configuration? If you can't get the slope to work from sink to where it drops under slab, you can always swap sink/dw positions so dw is on the right (most people are right handed).

Just thinking out loud. Sometimes you just have to open up that concrete to see what's really going on there.

That would be too easy....eliminating a section of an island to open up kitchen. Everything has been rerouted and about to pour concrete.

rme said:

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That would be too easy....eliminating a section of an island to open up kitchen. Everything has been rerouted and about to pour concrete.

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not sure if that was to me, but my suggestion still includes taking the 'L' off of the island.
I was saying, move existing sink over one section to left, then new dishwasher where sink exists now. that way sink is closer to drain pipe.

62strat said:

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rme said:

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That would be too easy....eliminating a section of an island to open up kitchen. Everything has been rerouted and about to pour concrete.

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not sure if that was to me, but my suggestion still includes taking the 'L' off of the island.
I was saying, move existing sink over one section to left, then new dishwasher where sink exists now. that way sink is closer to drain pipe.

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Great suggestion. We effectively just moved the loop vent up the line closer to the existing drain for the sink.

If your slab is reinforced with post tension cables make sure you tell the guy who is breaking out the old concrete so he can be watching out for them.

If you break them you can't replace them and they are under so much stress thay can be dangerous if they get broken.

dead zip 01 said:

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If your slab is reinforced with post tension cables make sure you tell the guy who is breaking out the old concrete so he can be watching out for them.

If you break them you can't replace them and they are under so much stress thay can be dangerous if they get broken.

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He cut one, but it was a non-event. Foundation crew replaced it in about 40 minutes. But yes, now I know to look out for cables.