Eastside Costa Mesa plumber for older homes, remodels and ADUs

Eastside calls are different from the rest of Costa Mesa. In Mesa Verde most homes are the same age, so the problems repeat. On the Eastside a 1950s house can sit next to a two-year-old rebuild with an ADU behind it. The plumbing questions change from lot to lot, and many of them start with a remodel plan.

Citywide, the City's April 2021 Housing Element shows 4.2% of Costa Mesa housing built in 1949 or earlier and 19.2% built in the 1950s. Another 49.5% came in the 1960s and 1970s. About 73% of the city's housing is from before 1980. Recent Eastside listings describe new construction, renovated bungalows and contemporary rebuilds. That mix means a plumber cannot guess what is in the walls from the curb.

One thing we see again and again on the Eastside is a beautiful remodel sitting on an original sewer lateral. The kitchen is new, the floors are new, the fixtures are new, and the clay pipe under the front yard is the same one the house was built with. When it fails, the new finishes are what get damaged.

The City of Costa Mesa says new state and City rules streamline accessory dwelling units in all residential districts. The minimum ADU size is 150 square feet, parking is optional, and objective design standards apply, including setbacks for second floors. The Planning Division answers ADU questions at (714) 754-5245.

For a plumber, the ADU questions are practical:

• Drains. Does the ADU tie into the existing lateral, and is that lateral sound enough to reuse under the CMSD camera rule?
• Water supply. Is the existing service and meter big enough for two households of fixtures, and is the main house's pipe worth keeping?
• Hot water. Where will the ADU's water heater go? The City water heater standard does not allow water heaters in bedrooms or bathrooms, and the heater must not be visible to the public.
• Gas. Will the ADU have a gas range, dryer or water heater? That means a gas line sized for the added load. See our gas line plumber page.
• Cleanouts. Is there an accessible cleanout so the shared line can be cleared without going through the ADU?

Those are national published estimates, not quotes. Call (657) 669-4766 for an exact quote on your ADU. Our tankless water heaters page compares the two in more depth.

Travel Costa Mesa describes Upper Newport Bay as about 1,000 acres of coastal wetlands, with the 10.5-mile Back Bay Loop Trail circling it and up to 35,000 birds gathering in winter migration. It is home to rare and endangered species such as the Light-footed Clapper Rail and Belding's Savannah Sparrow.

Storm drains and sewers are separate. Storm drains carry rain and anything else in the gutter toward channels and the bay without treatment. Sewers carry household wastewater to treatment by OC San. Remodel season is when the wrong things go into the gutter.

• Rinse paint brushes and drywall tools in a utility sink, not on the driveway.
• Drain a water heater into a floor drain, laundry sink or cleanout, not the street.
• Keep tile saw slurry and grout water off the gutter.
• Ask the City how to drain a pool or spa before you start.
• If you see sewage flowing into a gutter, report it to CMSD right away, and call 911 in an emergency.

These are published estimates, not our prices. Call (657) 669-4766 for an exact quote. Angi also notes sewer replacement can run $60 to $250 per foot, with trenching adding $4 to $12 per foot, which is why the length of an Eastside lateral matters. Our plumbing costs guide has more ranges.

See our who to call guide for more. Work is performed by independent CSLB-licensed C-36 plumbing contractors. You get a written price before work starts and an honest arrival window.