Planning a home renovation or remodel in Tacoma, WA? Before you finalize your budget and floor plans, make sure your plumbing system is part of the conversation.

It’s one of the most commonly overlooked elements of a home remodel and one of the most costly to fix after the fact. An outdated plumbing system can drive up your utility bills, accelerate appliance wear, reduce water quality, and lead to expensive emergency repairs down the road. 

For Tacoma homeowners, this is especially relevant: much of Pierce County’s housing stock dates back several decades, and many homes are still running on original plumbing infrastructure that was never designed to support modern water usage.

A remodel is the perfect opportunity to upgrade your plumbing the right way, with walls and floors already open, access is easier, and costs are lower than doing it as a standalone project. Here are the most important plumbing upgrades to consider.

Upgrade to a Tankless Water Heater

A tankless water heater delivers hot water on demand without storing it in a tank, making it significantly more energy-efficient than traditional tank water heaters. Benefits include lower energy bills, a longer lifespan, and no risk of tank-related water leaks or mold damage.

For Tacoma homeowners, upgrading to a tankless water heater during a remodel is a particularly smart investment. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) offers rebates for qualifying energy-efficient water heater upgrades, which can help offset the upfront cost.

Washington State also has strong energy efficiency standards for residential water heating, and a tankless system puts your home ahead of those benchmarks from day one. With the average Tacoma household using hot water year-round, especially during the colder, wetter months, the long-term energy savings add up fast.

Replace Old Pipes

Old plumbing pipes corrode, rust, develop leaks, and can burst without warning. Replacing aging pipe infrastructure during a remodel is one of the most high-value upgrades you can make, especially if you’re already opening up walls and floors for other work.

In Tacoma and across Pierce County, many homes built before the 1980s still have galvanized steel or cast iron pipes that are well past their functional lifespan.

These older materials are prone to interior corrosion and mineral buildup, which gradually restrict water flow and can contaminate your water supply. If your home is more than 30–40 years old and has never undergone a full pipe inspection or repiping, a remodel is the ideal time to address it.

Replacing old pipes during a remodel rather than waiting for a failure also saves significantly on labor costs. Contractors are already on-site, walls are already open, and the work can be done in conjunction with other upgrades rather than as a separate, disruptive project.

Install Low-Flow Toilets and Showerheads

Low-flow fixtures are one of the most cost-effective plumbing upgrades available. Low-flow showerheads use up to three times less water than traditional models, and low-flow toilets use as little as 1.6 gallons per flush compared to older models that used 3.5 gallons or more without any noticeable reduction in performance or water pressure.

Water conservation is both a priority and a point of pride throughout the Pacific Northwest, and Washington State’s plumbing codes increasingly reflect that. Tacoma homeowners remodeling bathrooms or kitchens are well-positioned to install WaterSense-certified fixtures that meet or exceed current state standards and, in doing so, lower their monthly Tacoma water bills meaningfully over time. It’s a small upgrade with a long tail of savings.

Get a Water Treatment System

A water treatment or filtration system improves the quality of water coming into your home, producing cleaner, better-tasting water, reducing mineral buildup in your pipes and appliances, and filtering out chlorine and other contaminants that can affect both taste and health.

While Tacoma’s municipal water supply is generally clean and well-treated, some homeowners, particularly those in parts of Pierce County with older delivery infrastructure or private well connections, may benefit significantly from added filtration.

Even for homes on city water, a whole-home filtration system can reduce the chlorine level that passes through your shower, which is especially valuable for family members with sensitive skin or respiratory conditions.

Installing a water treatment system during a remodel is also more cost-effective than adding one afterward, since plumbing connections can be integrated directly into the new layout rather than retrofitted into finished walls.

Replace Your Old Sewer Lines

If your home is undergoing a major remodel, old sewer lines shouldn’t be an afterthought. Cracks, tree root infiltration, and age-related material failure can cause slow drains, low water pressure, sewage backups, and burst pipes. The damage from a sewer line failure during or after a remodel, after new finishes and fixtures are already installed, is significantly more expensive to repair than addressing it proactively.

In Tacoma and throughout Pierce County, older clay and cast-iron sewer lines are a widespread issue. The dense, mature tree canopy throughout the South Sound means root infiltration is a persistent and ongoing risk. A sewer camera inspection before or during your remodel is a low-cost way to confirm the condition of your lines and identify any issues while access is still easy and affordable.

Since walls, floors, and crawlspaces are already exposed during a major remodel, sewer line access and replacement are far less labor-intensive and disruptive than they would be in a finished home. It’s one of the most practical upgrades to bundle with a remodel and one of the most expensive to delay.

Planning a Home Remodel in Tacoma? Make Plumbing Part of the Plan

Don’t let outdated plumbing undermine your renovation investment. Whether you’re upgrading a single bathroom or doing a whole-home remodel, Spartan Plumbing Inc. can help you plan and execute the right plumbing upgrades on schedule and on budget.

Our licensed team has been helping Tacoma and Pierce County homeowners modernize their plumbing systems. We work alongside your remodeling contractors seamlessly, handle all required permits, and back every job with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Contact us today to learn more!