There’s this master bath at Big Tree Trail in Leander we worked on, where the tub was built in, boxed in, and set right where the plumbing came up through the concrete. The original builder put it there about twenty years ago, like most houses around here, and the question was: could it be moved?
So here’s what it took. Most homes here sit on a slab foundation, with the water lines and drains set in concrete, exactly where the builder decided back then. If you want to move the tub or switch from a built-in to a freestanding tub, you’ve got to open that concrete up. On Big Tree Trail, we took the old tub out, got the concrete chipped away, relocated the drain and supply lines for the new freestanding tub, and sealed the floor again before laying the new tile down.
There was more to the job, too—new vanity with double sinks, new medicine cabinets and mirrors, updated light fixtures, and a whole new shower with fresh glass. But let’s circle back. Moving plumbing buried in a slab is real work and costs real money. I’ll always be straight with you about when it’s worth doing and when it’s not. Sometimes, the best bathroom leaves the plumbing right where it is.
The real question isn’t whether it can be done; it can be. The real question is if the builder will tell you what it costs before you fall in love with the idea.
In a slab house, you can put the tub anywhere you want, as long as someone tells you up front what it takes to move the plumbing there.
Show us the bathroom that’s been bugging you, and we’ll come walk it with you—no pressure and no obligation. Reach us through the website or at (512) 948-9802.
