“The notice letter was what residents kept on the fridge. Every unit knew the day, the hours and who to call before anyone knocked.”
Grazyna V.Board president, condo association
Condo and multifamily repiping, Jersey City
Riser replacement, planned for the whole building
We replace domestic water risers and drain stacks in condos, co-ops and multifamily buildings across Hudson County. Every project starts with a written proposal and a notice letter to each unit.
The board-ready project
A project your board can vote on
Five steps, in the order a board needs them. Each one ends in a document you can put in the building file.
- Step 1
Inspect
We walk the riser closets, the basement and the roof vents, open a few access points and scope the drains. What we find goes into a written condition report with photos.
Pipe material, by riser line
Shutoff valves that hold, and ones that don't
Which units each line passes through
- Step 2
Propose
A written proposal the board can vote on and compare with any other bid. It is priced and scheduled by riser line, and says what the walls are left like.
Scope and schedule for each line
The access each unit must give
Payments tied to finished lines
License, insurance certificate and references for the board packet
- Step 3
Notice
Before any water is shut off, every affected unit gets a letter. In plain words, it tells a resident when, for how long, and what to do.
The day their line is worked and the hours water is off
What to clear: the closet, the cabinet under the sink, the wall behind
A name and a phone number that is answered on access days
What to do if no one can be home
- Step 4
Work
One riser line at a time, inside the posted window. Night crews take the work a building can't have during the day. The manager gets a log every working day.
Shutoff windows posted in the lobby
Walls closed to primed drywall at the end of each line
Floors and common areas protected
- Step 5
Close out
Pressure test and inspection, a punch list walked with the manager, and a closeout binder for the building file.
Permit sign-off and test results
A marked-up riser diagram
The final lien release
Staging
One riser line at a time, or the whole building at once
Boards ask which one to choose. Here is how the two compare in an occupied building.
| Whole building at once | One line at a time | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Whole building at onceOff for every unit together | One line at a timeOff for one line, inside a posted window |
| Residents affected a day | Whole building at onceAll of them | One line at a timeThe units stacked on that line |
| Notice | Whole building at onceOne building-wide letter | One line at a timeA letter to the affected units, with the dates for their line |
| Length | Whole building at onceShorter overall, harder on each household | One line at a timeLonger overall, shorter for each household |
| Fits | Whole building at onceVacant buildings, or very small ones | One line at a timeOccupied buildings with several riser lines |
Access
Most of a riser job is getting to the pipe
Risers sit in closets, behind vanity walls and in kitchen chases. We map which units each line crosses before we write the proposal, so the access each household gives is known in advance.
Mapped by line
A drawing of every riser line and the units on it, kept with the condition report.
Walls opened and closed
Opened where the pipe is, closed to primed drywall. Tile, paint and wallpaper are named in the proposal.
Floors and lobbies covered
Corridors, elevators and lobby floors are protected before the crew carries pipe in.
Logged every day
The property manager gets a short log of what was done and what is next.
The board packet
What the board gets before it votes
Put these in the board packet next to the proposal. Ask any bidder for the same.
Licenses
Plumbing ContractorVerify
NJ Lic. 000000 · New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
Can pull plumbing permits for the building's work
Insurance
General liability and workers' compensation
A certificate for the building file comes with every proposal
In the packet
Condition report
Photos and notes, by riser line
Written proposal
Scope, schedule and payments by line
Draft notice letter
For the board and manager to approve
References
Other buildings, on request
Scope
What we replace
Three kinds of pipe do most of the damage in an older building, and each gets its own line in the proposal.
Domestic water risers
Cold and hot supply lines that run floor to floor, replaced line by line with a new shutoff valve at every unit.
Drain and waste stacks
Cast iron and galvanized stacks that leak, crack or clog, replaced from the basement to the roof vent.
Hot-water return lines
Return lines corrode first. They are replaced with the supply, insulated and tied back to the building's pump.
Service area
Buildings we go to
Hudson County, with Newark, and the Bergen County towns along the river. If your building is somewhere else, call before you assume.
Hudson County
- Jersey City
- Hoboken
- Bayonne
- Weehawken
- West New York
- Guttenberg
- North Bergen
- Secaucus
- Kearny
- Harrison
Essex and Bergen counties
- Newark
- Fort Lee
- Palisades Park
- Ridgefield
We don't work in New York City, where a New York license applies, or south of Elizabeth. For a building there, we can point you to who to call.
ZIP codes: 07302, 07304, 07305, 07306, 07307, 07310, 07311, 07030, 07002, 07086, 07093, 07094, 07047, 07029, 07032, 07024, 07102
Boards and managers
What a project looks like from the board table
“The proposal broke the job out by riser line, so we could set it next to the other bid and compare them line for line.”
Takashi O.Board treasurer, co-op
“The daily log was in my inbox before I asked for it. Residents had their questions answered before they came to my office.”
Zahra J.Property manager, mid-rise rental
Sample reviews.
Questions
Before the first survey
Does anyone have to move out?
No. Water is shut off for one riser line at a time, inside a window that is posted in the lobby. Units on other lines keep their water.
How long is a unit without water?
The notice letter gives the hours for that unit's line. The proposal states the window for each line before the board votes.
What if you find asbestos or a surprise in the wall?
We stop, tell the property manager the same day, and put any added work in writing as a priced change. The board decides before anything continues.
Do you pull the permits?
Yes. Permits are pulled in the licensed firm's name, and the inspection dates go in the notice letter.
Who talks to residents?
A project manager assigned to the building. Their name and phone number are on the notice letter.
How should a board compare bids?
Ask each bidder for pricing by riser line, what the walls are left like, how many days of access each unit gives, and when payments are due.
Property managers and boards
Request a building survey
Tell us about the building. A project manager will call to set a survey date.
Phone(201) 555-0101
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.