Fixture Replacement near you

Plumbing and electrical fixtures fall under different rules. On the plumbing side in Quebec, the CMMTQ allows owners to do their own work only in the single-family home they live in, so replacing a faucet or a toilet for someone else goes to a contractor holding the RBQ plumbing licence. Other provinces set their plumbing rules through the provincial trade body and the municipality.

Electrical rules tend to be stricter about who touches the wiring. In Ontario, ESA says that only you can do electrical work in your own home, that friends, family members or neighbours cannot do it for you, and that a notification must be filed even for little jobs; hired work goes to a Licensed Electrical Contractor. In Quebec, the CMEQ states that no one may do electrical work of any kind for others without being an electrical contractor. In British Columbia, Technical Safety BC lists replacing light fixtures or ceiling fans among the alterations that need an electrical permit.

Federal energy efficiency regulations now cap the flow of new plumbing fittings. For products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026, a showerhead is limited to 7.0 litres per minute measured at 552 kPa (80 psi). A private lavatory faucet is limited to 4.7 litres per minute and a kitchen faucet to 7.0 litres per minute, both measured at 414 kPa (60 psi), with an optional temporary flow of up to 8.5 litres per minute for the kitchen faucet. The limits apply by date of manufacture, so read the flow rating on the packaging when you compare models.

A lower flow at the tap also means less hot water drawn from the heater. If a new efficient fixture feels weak right after the swap, debris shaken loose in the pipes has often lodged in the aerator or the showerhead screen, so clean it before judging the fixture.

A toilet is where a like-for-like swap saves the most water, and some municipalities reward it. Their programs usually set the bar by certification and flush volume: the City of Guelph's toilet rebate, for example, requires a WaterSense certified high-efficiency toilet using 4.8 litres per flush or less, replacing one that uses 6 litres or more. Programs come and go and each sets its own conditions, so check your city's rules before you buy.

The existing drain decides which toilets fit without moving anything. Measure from the finished wall to the centre of the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor, note the bowl shape and height you want, and have the installer replace the wax ring or seal, the floor bolts and the supply line as part of the swap.

Old fixtures don't all belong at the curb. Before a light fixture goes out, check it for fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescent bulbs: Environment and Climate Change Canada says to look for the Hg symbol on the bulb or the words Contains mercury on the packaging, then take them to a lamp recycling depot in provinces with a producer program, or ask your municipality about safe disposal elsewhere.