Plumber in Vantaa

Veterans' houses and other older homes

Vantaa's older residential areas have many veterans' houses (rintamamiestalo), detached houses built in large numbers after the Second World War. Their water and waste pipes were often added or renewed in stages over the decades, so pipes can run in surprising places and materials from different eras are mixed.

Before the installation we locate the main shut-off valve and check the visible pipes. If you want the washing machine in the basement or utility room, the old floor drain and trap are worth checking too. Many of these houses have an old boiler room in the basement where pipes and valves are exposed and easy to assess.

Their washroom and sauna are often in the basement or a later extension. In a wet-room renovation, plumbing and waterproofing are separate jobs: the plumber makes the water and drain connections, and a specialist does the waterproofing.

If the pipework is original or has been patched many times, water pipe replacement may make more sense than repair after repair. In a detached house, new pipes can often be surface-mounted, so walls and floors don't need to be opened.

1970s apartment blocks in Hakunila, Koivukylä and Myyrmäki

Vantaa's large suburban estates, such as Hakunila, Koivukylä and Myyrmäki, were mostly built in the 1970s, as were many apartment buildings in Martinlaakso and Länsimäki. In buildings of this age, many housing companies (taloyhtiö) have already carried out a pipe renovation (putkiremontti) or have one coming up, and that directly affects how a fixture replacement is handled.

In an unrenovated building the water is often shut off for the whole riser, so the shut-off is arranged with the maintenance company (huoltoyhtiö) that looks after the building, and the neighbours are told in advance. In a renovated one the flat usually has its own shut-off valves, so replacing a toilet, for example, doesn't cut off anyone else's water.

1970s bathrooms often still have the original floor drain and old fixtures. When a toilet or sink is replaced, we check the drain connection, and an adapter may be needed for the old drain. Replacing a fixture in the same place rarely needs a heavy approval process, but many housing companies want to know about all wet-room work, so check your company's practice – see our guide to the renovation notice.

Kivistö, Aviapolis and other new areas

Kivistö and the Aviapolis area have many new apartment buildings and houses with modern pipework and connections usually in place. Typical jobs are appliance connections and bathroom additions, such as towel warmer installation.

Towel warmers come in two types. A water-heated model connects to the heating or hot water pipes; in a housing company this is agreed with the property manager (isännöitsijä), as the connection is made to shared pipework. Hard-wiring an electric towel warmer is a job for an electrician and is arranged separately.

New flats usually have their own water meter, and the water bill is often based on measured use. A dripping tap (faucet) or a constantly running toilet is therefore worth fixing soon – the fault is often minor, and the repair is one of our small plumbing jobs.

In new areas, parking may be in a multi-storey car park or on a courtyard deck. When you book, tell us where to leave the van and how to get into the stairwell, so the work can start at the agreed time.

Prices and the household tax credit

Washing machine installation costs €78.44, dishwasher installation €125.50, tap replacement €125.50 and toilet replacement €235.31. These consumer prices include 25.5% VAT (ALV); extra fittings and hoses are charged separately. See the full list in our price list.

If you buy the fixture yourself, check the connection dimensions before ordering: for a toilet, the direction and height of the waste outlet decide whether it fits without extra parts. Combine small jobs into one visit – if you are replacing a tap, check whether the toilet keeps running or the dishwasher hose needs replacing.

You can claim the household tax credit (kotitalousvähennys) for the labour part of work done in your own home, unless the work is the housing company's maintenance responsibility. It doesn't cover materials or appliances, installing an appliance as a separate job doesn't qualify, and the company must be in the prepayment register (ennakkoperintärekisteri). You can include it in your tax card in advance or claim it later in your tax return. Check the current terms on vero.fi or read our deduction guide.