Bathroom plumbing – Säker Vatten, waterproofing and certificates

What bathroom plumbing covers

Bathroom plumbing is everything in a bathroom to do with water and drainage: pipework for cold and hot water, waste pipes, the floor drain, connections for the shower, bath, washbasin and toilet, and sometimes underfloor heating or a towel rail connected to the heating system.

During a renovation the plumber works alongside the tiler or wet-room contractor. The plumber does the first fix before the walls and floor are waterproofed and then returns to fit sanitaryware and taps. The whole chain has to work – a badly placed penetration can ruin an otherwise correct waterproofing membrane. For an overview of the renovation as a whole, also read our bathroom renovation guide.

Säker Vatten – the industry rules you should know

Säker Vatten is the plumbing industry's set of rules for preventing water damage. Among other things, it describes how pipes should be routed, how penetrations in wet rooms should be made and how the installation should be checked. An authorised company has staff trained in the rules and can issue an installation certificate.

• As far as possible, pipes should not be routed so that leaks can be hidden in walls or floor structures.
• Penetrations through the waterproofing should be kept to a minimum and made with approved collars.
• The floor drain must be correctly positioned and connected so that the membrane can be clamped properly.
• The installation should be pressure tested or leak checked before it is closed in.

Waterproofing and wet-room certificates

The waterproofing is normally carried out by a tiler or building firm qualified for wet rooms and should follow industry rules such as GVK or the Swedish Tile Council's rules (BBV). Those qualified under these rules can issue a wet-room certificate or quality document showing that the work has been done correctly.

Ask for both the plumbing installation certificate and the wet-room certificate and keep them. They are valuable if water damage occurs, and many buyers ask for them when the home is sold.

What affects the price?

The cost of bathroom plumbing varies a great deal and depends mainly on how much is being changed. Ask for a quote that specifies the work stages.

• Whether pipes and the floor drain stay where they are or are moved.
• Replacing old riser pipes or connecting to the existing riser.
• Wall-hung toilet with frame or a floor-standing model.
• Underfloor heating – water-based or electric (the electric kind requires an electrician).
• Tenant-owned flat: whether the housing cooperative has special requirements or is coordinating a pipe replacement.

Tenant-owned flats, permissions and responsibility

If you live in a tenant-owned flat (bostadsrätt), you usually need the board's permission to make changes in the bathroom, especially if pipes or the floor drain are affected. Read the cooperative's statutes and contact the board early. If you live in a house, a bathroom renovation does not normally require a building permit, but if you are changing load-bearing structures or making more extensive changes to installations, a notification may be required – contact the municipal building committee if you are unsure.

ROT deduction and the content of the quote

Plumbing work during a bathroom renovation in a home you own qualifies for the ROT deduction of 30 % of the labour cost. ROT and RUT combined may not exceed SEK 75,000 per person per year, of which at most SEK 50,000 may be ROT. Materials do not qualify.

The quote should include:

• Work stages for first fix and final fitting.
• Which materials and products are included, such as floor drain and frame.
• That the work is done according to Säker Vatten and an installation certificate is provided.
• Coordination with the tiler and who is responsible for the waterproofing.
• Labour, materials and ROT deduction shown separately.

Questions to ask and common mistakes

• Are you authorised under Säker Vatten and do you provide an installation certificate?
• Who is responsible for penetrations through the waterproofing?
• How and when do you pressure test the installation?
• What liability insurance do you have?

Common mistakes include hiring different tradespeople who do not talk to each other, forgetting to ask for certificates, concealing joints inside the wall and choosing a floor drain position that gives a poor fall. Another is not checking with the housing cooperative in time.

Getting quotes through Fixtorget

Post your request for free and describe what needs doing, preferably with photos and measurements. Up to four vetted companies can contact you. You can see whether the company has the Liability insurance badge and ask to see the insurance documents in the chat. Once you have chosen a company, you approve a cost specification in the portal, and if something unexpected comes up during the job it is handled with a supplementary specification.

Frequently asked questions