Plumbing Work in a Burnaby Strata: What to Check Before You Book a Plumber

Plumbing work in a condo or townhouse often comes with strata rules. In the last two months, several people in strata homes have asked us what their strata requires. One wanted to add a fridge water line and listed what the building needs from the plumber before work can start. Another has no shut-off for their own unit.

None of that is hard to deal with if you sort it out before the job is booked. Here is the order we would do it in.

1. Read your bylaws before anything else

Every strata has its own bylaws, and the standard set in the Strata Property Act can be amended, so what is true next door may not be true for you. The Province says bylaws may require written permission from the strata council before making changes to a strata lot, and it names plumbing changes as an example. These are often called alteration agreements.

The line we would draw, in our reading: replacing a faucet with a similar one is a different conversation from moving a drain or adding a new water line. If you are changing where water goes, assume you need to ask. If you are not sure, ask anyway. An email to your property manager costs nothing.

Your strata must give owners and tenants access to its bylaws and rules within one week, and it may charge up to 25 cents a page.

2. Find out who is responsible for the repair

People often assume the strata looks after every pipe. That is not a safe assumption. The strata corporation must repair and maintain common property, but the Province points out that owners may be responsible for plumbing within the strata lot in some strata corporations. Under the standard bylaws, owners maintain their own strata lot, except items given to the strata, such as the building’s structure and exterior. The Act also treats pipes inside a wall, floor or ceiling between units, and pipes meant to serve another unit or common property, as common property. Bylaws vary, so check yours.

If a leak is coming from something that serves only your unit, such as a faucet, a toilet or a dishwasher hose, expect to be asked to deal with it yourself until you learn otherwise. If water has reached another unit or common property, tell your property manager right away. If it is coming from a riser, or from a ceiling with someone else’s unit above it, call your property manager first. They may have their own contractor, and they will want to know right away either way.

3. Ask what paperwork the strata wants from the plumber

Requirements differ from building to building. One strata recently asked an owner we heard from for these four things before work could start:

• a certificate of liability insurance
• a business licence
• a WorkSafeBC clearance letter
• any permits that apply

Get your building’s list in writing and pass it to your plumber when you ask for a quote. It saves days of back and forth.

The WorkSafeBC letter is worth checking even if nobody asks you for it. It shows that a business is registered and up to date on its premiums, and WorkSafeBC warns that a customer could be held responsible for premiums if a business it hires is not. Most clearance letters can be requested online (contact card above). Clearance runs only to the firm’s last payment date, so check close to the job. It does not rate the quality of the work, so read reviews as well.

If the work needs a plumbing permit, that is a separate step with the City. Our Burnaby hot water tank permit guide covers how it works for tanks.

4. Plan the water shut-off early

This is the part that catches people out. Some buildings have no shut-off for an individual unit, so the water to a whole stack or floor may have to be turned off. One owner told us their building needs 48 hours’ notice through the property manager, and the shut-off affects three floors.

Ask three things before you book:

• Does my unit have its own shut-off, and where is it?
• If not, who is allowed to shut the water off, and how much notice do they need?
• Are there hours when work is not allowed?

Knowing where your own shut-off is matters for emergencies too. If a pipe lets go at night, the minutes you spend looking for it are the ones that do the damage.

5. Know what a leak can cost you

This is why we push strata owners to deal with small leaks early. Under the Strata Property Act, a deductible on the strata’s insurance claim is a common expense, but the strata can sue an owner to recover it if that owner is responsible for the loss. The Province says being responsible does not have to mean you were negligent. Its own example is a dishwasher hose that breaks early and sends water into common property and other units.

It also says strata insurance deductibles can range from $100,000 to $750,000 or higher. Ask your broker whether your own policy covers a deductible assessed against you, and for how much.

The warning signs are often small: a musty smell, a soft spot in the flooring, a stain on the ceiling. Our guide to the signs of a hidden water leak walks through them, and if you want it found properly, we do leak detection across Burnaby and Metro Vancouver.

What to do next

Read your bylaws, ask your property manager for their paperwork list and their shut-off rules, and tell your plumber both before the job is booked. If you would like us to quote your strata job, send us that list with your request through our contact page and we will tell you what we can provide.