Hillhurst Plumbers Calgary — Edwardian Houses, New Infills and Basements Near the Bow
Hillhurst was among the first neighbourhoods built on the north bank of the Bow, and a single block can still hold a 1910s front-gable house, a pair of new semi-detached infills and a four-storey condo. FlameTech's Hillhurst plumbers work on all of it, from galvanized pipe in century-old basements to mechanical rooms finished last year.
The houses here were not built in one wave. Heritage surveys of Hillhurst-Sunnyside describe 1910s Edwardian front-gable houses and 1920s brick apartment blocks along Memorial Drive. Census data shows a large share of homes went up between the 1960s and 1990s, and a steady run of infill since 2000. Each period left different pipe in the walls, so our first question is when your place was built, or last renovated.
The river matters too. In June 2013 the Bow came over the Memorial Drive berm, and the community association has written that most basement flooding in Hillhurst and Sunnyside that year came from river water pushing back through the sanitary sewer, plus overland water through basement windows. The new Sunnyside flood barrier now guards against a 1-in-100 flood, but the drain in your own basement floor is a separate question.
Call 587-834-3668 to talk it through. We dispatch from both Calgary and Airdrie, quotes are free, and you get the price in writing before any work starts.
Old pipe in a Hillhurst house, a basement you want protected from sewer backup, or a condo leak you can't trace? Call 587-834-3668 and tell us when the place was built. Quotes are free.
Call 587-834-3668“Shaun did a great job and was punctual, courteous and took pride in the work. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for plumbing and heating work.”
C Strat
Calgary · 6 months ago
Four building periods, four sets of pipe
Hillhurst was surveyed and sold as a subdivision around 1906 and 1907, when the city laid it out in 25-foot lots, and it has been rebuilt piece by piece ever since. Here is what tends to be behind the drywall, or the plaster, depending on which era your home comes from.
Pre-war houses
Among the oldest homes are the Edwardian front-gable houses of the 1910s. If the original piping has never been replaced, expect galvanized steel supply lines and cast-iron drains. Galvanized pipe rusts inward and narrows, which shows up as weak flow upstairs and rust-tinged water after the house sits unused. Cast iron tends to give out along the bottom of horizontal runs. Often a previous owner has swapped part of it already, so the job is finding where the old pipe starts. We price that through plumbing repairs and leak detection when the source isn't obvious.
The 1960s and 1970s
The 2021 census puts about a quarter of Hillhurst's homes in the 1961 to 1980 bracket. Copper supply is typical of that period. What changes is the equipment: after several furnaces and water heaters, the venting and gas piping don't always suit what's installed now. When we replace a furnace or a hot water tank in one of these homes, we check the venting and gas supply rather than just bolting new equipment onto the old setup.
The Poly-B window
Poly-B was common in Canadian homes built, or replumbed, from roughly the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Here it can turn up in homes built in those years and in older houses renovated during them. Our Poly-B page explains how to spot it. A full repipe runs $3,500 to $7,250 as of September 2026, depending on the size of the house and how easy it is to get at the lines.
Infill since 2000
Census figures date roughly a third of the neighbourhood's dwellings to 2001 or later, including side-by-side semis on lots that once held a single older house. Each half of a semi usually has its own mechanical room, and on a narrow lot it is often a tight one. These homes tend to have high-efficiency furnaces with plastic venting and a condensate drain, sometimes a tankless water heater, and sometimes in-floor heat in the basement slab. The pipe is new, but frozen condensate lines and scaled-up tankless units still bring us out.
Living close to the river
Hillhurst runs down to the Bow, and until recently part of it was mapped as high-hazard flood fringe. The Sunnyside flood barrier along Memorial Drive was built after the June 2013 flood and, according to the City, has been operational since the 2026 flood season, protecting Hillhurst and Sunnyside against a 1-in-100 flood. That covers water coming over the bank. Inside the house, a few things still matter.
Sewer backup is its own risk
The Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association has written that most basement flooding here in 2013 came from river water backing up through the sanitary sewer. A backwater valve on your main sanitary line lets wastewater out and closes if flow reverses. It has to sit where it stays reachable for cleaning, and it normally needs a plumbing permit. We quote it after seeing how your basement drains are laid out.
Groundwater and sump pits
The City notes that during river floods, high groundwater can get into basements through cracks and floor drains. If your house already has a sump pit, test the pump each spring. A failed pump gets replaced, not repaired; a ProFlo 1/2 HP replacement is about $504 as of September 2026. A basement with no pit that keeps taking water may be a candidate for a new pit and pump, at about $2,000.
Equipment that has sat in water
A furnace, boiler or water heater that has been under water should not simply be switched back on. The gas valve and controls may be damaged even if the unit looks dry. Our Alberta-licensed gas fitters can check it and tell you whether it can go back into service.
Big trees, old sewer laterals and shared walls
Old sewer laterals under established trees, and a housing stock that is now part detached house, part semi and part apartment, both shape the work these homes need.
Roots in the line
Where a large tree stands over an older sewer lateral, roots can work into the joints. The usual sign is a basement floor drain that gurgles or backs up when the washing machine drains. We run a camera down the line to see what's there, then clear it through drain cleaning if the pipe is intact. If the camera shows a broken or collapsed section, that needs excavation or lining, which we don't do. You get the footage so a sewer contractor can quote the repair.
Condo and apartment units
The census counts about half of Hillhurst's homes as apartments. In a condo, the corporation's bylaws decide where your plumbing ends and the building's begins. We handle faucets, toilets, in-suite water heaters and leaks that start inside the unit. If the water is coming from a shared riser or a neighbour's unit, we'll say so and put it in writing for the board.
Hillhurst plumbing and heating questions
My Hillhurst house is over 100 years old. Is the original plumbing still in there?
Sometimes, but rarely all of it. Many houses from that era have been partly replumbed at some point. The quick check is the basement: grey threaded steel pipe is galvanized, a thick black or rust-coloured drain stack is cast iron. We can trace what's left and quote replacing it in stages or all at once.
Now that the flood barrier is operating, do I still need a backwater valve?
The barrier holds back river water at the bank. A backwater valve stops sewage from coming up through your own floor drain when the sanitary system is overloaded, which the community association says was the main way basements flooded here in 2013. They solve different problems. If your basement is finished or has a suite, the valve is worth pricing.
Do you work in condo buildings near Kensington?
Yes, inside individual units. When the building has to shut off a riser, we coordinate with the property manager. Give us the building, unit number and where we can park when you call.
How do I know if I have Poly-B?
Look near the water heater and under sinks for flexible plastic pipe, usually grey and often marked PB2110. It was common in homes built or replumbed from about the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. Our guide to whether you need to replace Poly-B covers the decision.
Can you run a gas line for a new range or backyard barbecue?
Yes. We have Alberta-licensed gas fitters on the team for new gas lines, appliance hookups and gas-fired equipment like furnaces, boilers and water heaters. We'll pull the permit and quote the run before starting.
My basement floor drain smells and gurgles. Is that roots?
Possibly, but a dried-out trap or a partial blockage does the same thing. A camera run tells us which before anyone recommends anything. We clear blockages and roots; broken pipe goes to a sewer repair contractor.
Which nearby areas do you also cover?
All of the NW quadrant, including Montgomery upstream, as well as Bridgeland further east along the north bank of the Bow. Call 587-834-3668 for anywhere else in the city or Airdrie.
Simple, honest, on your schedule.
Call or request a quote
Tell us what's going on. We listen first and ask the right questions before we schedule anything.
Free written estimate
We assess the job and give you an all-in price in writing. No pressure, no surprise add-ons.
Book the work
We give you a realistic booking date up front and confirm it with you before the day.
Clean, code-compliant service
Licensed technicians complete the work to Alberta code, clean up, and walk you through what we did.
Also under Plumbing
Bathroom Plumbing Calgary | Professional Bathroom Services
Calgary's hard water and extreme temperature swings wreak havoc on bathroom plumbing — we see it every day. FlameTech's bathroom plumbing specialists handle everything from emergency burst pipes in older Mount Royal homes to complete bathroom renovations in new Evergreen developments.
Shower Plumbing Calgary | Expert Shower Installation & Repair Services
Calgary's unpredictable weather puts stress on every part of your plumbing system, but nothing's more frustrating than stepping into a cold shower on a -30 morning. FlameTech's shower plumbing specialists fix pressure problems, temperature swings, and complete shower failures across Calgary.
Toilet Installation in Calgary — Standard, Comfort-Height & Wall-Hung
Most toilet installs are 1-2 hours and look the same on the surface — but how the flange, supply line, and wax ring are handled is the difference between a 15-year toilet and a leak in 18 months. FlameTech installs Toto, Kohler, American Standard, and any owner-supplied unit with a fresh wax ring, supply line, and shutoff every time.
Get a free Hillhurst plumbing or heating quote.
Tell us what's going on and our dispatch team will call you back with pricing and availability.
Book a Red Seal plumber in Calgary.
Free estimates and upfront pricing, from local technicians who treat your home like their own.
Free estimate · No service charge for quotes · BBB Accredited