Moving our soil pipe possible?

[Natalie739]

Hi everyone, this is my first post so please let me know if I'm in the wrong place.

We've recently bought a house and are trying to improve the kerb appeal (very ugly 1920s house). We've just moved the door from the side of the house to the front and my next job was hopefully moving the soil pipe from the front of the house (next to the new door) to just around the corner to the side of the house. The pipe from the sink and bath would then be run under the floorboards and exit out of the side too (joists run that way too)

I naively thought this would be a relatively simple job but I had a couple of people in to quote last week and they were both very unsure on if they'd be able to (not heard back from either so that speaks volumes!).

I've included some pictures of the original house plans so you can see how the drains run. I'd like the soil pipe to be on the side wall (where the blue bin is)

Am I asking for the impossible?

[davyp1]

No you are not asking the impossible.

Basicly the work would include the following:_

• Dismantle the existing Soil Stack.
  Break out concrete hardstanding around existing Soil Stack, then extended around corner to include new position.
  Excavate & expose below ground pipework and extend excavation to the new position.
  Extend pipework to the new position to falls, introducing a 'Rodding Point at the change of direction and finishing with a rest-bend at the new stench pipe position.
  Fix Soil stack in new position.
  
  If r#preferred, an inspection chamber could be introduced at the 'Corner' instead of the Rodding Point.
  
  Cheers

[Natalie739]

Thankyou! Do you think you could hazard a guess at how much something like this might cost?

[Natalie739]

Also, would this be a job for a plumber or a general builder? Thanks.

[dewaltdisney]

The thing that is putting them off is digging out as you need a breaker and it is too much like hard work for some tradesmen these days so they charge a high price as they do not want the job. Davy has described the process well and probably you could do much of the work yourself, we could guide you on here and take you through it. You would need to hire a Kango type breaker to get through the concrete but that looks like it will be only about 2" deep and once through you can excavate the earth for a hole for the inspection chamber.( this sort of thing http://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-mini ... 00mm/18837 )

You will probably have to hire a decent clutch drill to drill a core out for the new solid pipe position but the rest of it is basic hand tools.

Go on, have a go you can do it

DWD

[cotswold builders]

Job for a builder, new manhole at every turn.

Price will depend a lot on the depth of invert pipe.

Can it not be moved inside the coal store and boxed in, that way you wouldn't see it from the front or side.

[Natalie739]

There is no coal store anymore, that is all kitchen now! Unfortunately our bathroom is on the front (toilet backs straight into the soil pipe).

I appreciate your optimism dewaltdisney but I'm definitely not up to the task! Will hopefully get some new quotes nect week equipped with a little extra knowledge! Thanks all.

[Natalie739]

I know it's impossible for anyone to give me a definitive answer on this but we've just had a quote back for this of £1250. I was a little shocked as thought it would be less. Do you think this is a fair price?

[dewaltdisney]

No, I think that is high really. Hire a labourer to do the breaking and digging. Once you have that done a good plumber will do the rest. It is the groundwork that no one likes doing and getting rid of the spoil. Have a chat with a plumber and ask for a price without the digging. You can get rid of the spoil yourself to save money.

DWD

[Someone-Else]

Sorry to say, but despite peoples best efforts its never possible to guestimate a job or to say if a job is too much or too little, its because the site needs to be looked at in person, and there are other factors such as parking, waste disposal, your location, labour rate, other.
It would be nice to say yes that is a fair price, but some one may not agree, depending on various factors, and with out all the information (and site visit) its still too hard
Easy for me to say, but see if you can get another quote for the job, and do make sure its a quote not an estimate.

Have you also considered offering to be the labourer for the job? since that is what will bump the price up.

[davyp1]

I know it's impossible for anyone to give me a definitive answer on this but we've just had a quote back for this of £1250. I was a little shocked as thought it would be less. Do you think this is a fair price?

While I do agree with someone-else above, that it is difficult to say whether a price is fair or not without seeing the job. I have listed below the tasks involved with the work , which may enable you to decide yourself. I would also question if the quoter you have receivedt did include for an inspection chamber/manhole at the change of direction at the corner?

• Set out area to be excavated (from old soil pipe to new location including manhole.
  Break out existing concrete path & cart away.
  Excavate to invert of existing drain & set aside spoil removed.
  Dismantle Existing stench pipe & cart away.
  Establish level for concrete base for M/H & cast @ 125mmm thick
  Lay new drain to include new chanel splits through M/H and rest bend at new soil stack location + fit bandseal connection to existing drain.
  Builders work to wall form exit hole for new soil pipe
  Fix new soil stack.
  Make good brickwork (old & new holes)
  Brickwork & bed lid/frame to new M/H.
  Bench M/H
  Surround new drain with pipe-bedding
  Backfill excavation & cart away surplus spoil
  Reinstate concrete path.

• Clear site

One little point also is the errection and dismantling of the Soil Stacks. One man working alone would perhaps need to work off a tower.
If his decision was to work off a ladder, then this would require a second man footing the ladder. In addition, from the photo, that passage did look tight for ladder work.
One more point, get three quotes please.

[Natalie739]

Thanks everyone. We've had 4 people come out to quote and only one has got back to me with an actual price. Hoping to get another quote back tomorrow after chasing it up today but think I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board and probably will do as suggested and treat it as 2 separate jobs.

I did ask the guy who quoted £1250 if he could separate the concrete digging part from the quote but he refused because it was as 'all in' job.

[davyp1]

Thanks everyone. We've had 4 people come out to quote and only one has got back to me with an actual price. Hoping to get another quote back tomorrow after chasing it up today but think I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board and probably will do as suggested and treat it as 2 separate jobs.

I did ask the guy who quoted £1250 if he could separate the concrete digging part from the quote but he refused because it was as 'all in' job.

You have not yet confirmed if this Builder had included the new Man-hole/Inspection Chamber in his quote.
If he has, and taking trade costs of materials into consideration, it is my feeling that the price quoted is realistic.
If he has not included for a new inspection chamber, then forget him!