Condo & Multi-Unit Building Plumbing

Problems we see in shared buildings

• Water through the ceiling from the suite above, with nobody home upstairs.
• A kitchen stack that backs up into lower-floor sinks when upper floors run dishwashers.
• Suite shut-offs left untouched for a decade that refuse to close when someone finally needs them.
• Laundry standpipes overflowing because the shared line is lined with lint.

How we trace a leak between floors

1. We check the suite above first: toilet base, tub overflow, shower valve, dishwasher supply.
2. A moisture meter and thermal camera narrow the wet area before any ceiling is opened.
3. If the source is a common pipe, we isolate the smallest section possible and tell management.
4. The repair is pressure-tested and the opening left clean for the drywall trade.

Stacks and risers

Multi-unit buildings usually run a vertical drain stack per kitchen or bathroom column, with cleanouts at the base and sometimes on each floor. Grease and soap build up at the bottom of kitchen stacks, which is why the lowest suites flood first. Jetting from the base cleanout, followed by a camera, clears the whole column. On the supply side, older buildings may have riser valves in the parking level or a mechanical room that need exercising before they can be trusted in an emergency.