Can i add a kitchen island with a sink and dishwasher in my Riverview home without tearing up the whole floor for plumbing?

Yes, you can add a kitchen island with a sink and dishwasher in Riverview — but the plumbing connection is the real challenge, and how invasive it gets depends entirely on where your existing drain stack and supply lines are located.

The good news is that supply lines (hot and cold water) are relatively easy to extend under the floor or through a cabinet run. The harder part is the drain. A sink and dishwasher both need to drain by gravity to your main stack, and that means your drain line needs a proper slope — roughly ¼ inch drop per foot of horizontal run. If your island is close to the existing drain stack, you might get away with a short run through the subfloor with minimal disruption. If it's across the kitchen, you're likely looking at cutting into the floor to run drain pipe at the right pitch.

In a typical Riverview home — many of which are 1970s-1990s split-levels or bi-levels with a basement or crawl space below — a licensed plumber can often access the drain run from below without tearing up your finished kitchen floor at all. That's the first question to ask: is there accessible space under your kitchen? If you have an unfinished basement or crawl space directly below, the job becomes dramatically less invasive and less expensive.

On the permit side, the Town of Riverview requires a plumbing permit for any new drain or supply work — this is issued through the province via NB Dept. of Justice and Public Safety — Technical Inspection Services (TIS) at 1-888-659-3222. Your licensed plumber will pull this permit. You'll also need a building permit from the Town of Riverview Development Services for the island itself if it involves any structural or permanent fixture installation — check with townofriverview.ca for their current threshold on what triggers a permit for interior work.

This is not a DIY plumbing job in New Brunswick. Plumbing work must be done by a TIS-licensed plumber — homeowners cannot legally do their own drain rough-in. Electrical for the dishwasher also requires a licensed electrical contractor and an NB Power wiring permit if it's a new dedicated circuit (which it should be — dishwashers need a dedicated 15A or 20A circuit).

Cost-wise, expect to pay roughly:

• Plumbing rough-in (supply and drain): $1,500–$3,500 depending on distance to stack and floor access


• Electrical for dishwasher circuit: $400–$800 for a new dedicated circuit


• Island cabinetry and countertop: $2,000–$8,000+ depending on materials


• Fixtures (sink, faucet, dishwasher): $800–$3,000+ depending on your selections

The single biggest variable is floor access. Have a licensed plumber assess the run from below before you commit to a design — they can tell you in 20 minutes whether this is a half-day job or a week-long floor demo. That assessment visit typically runs $100–$200 and is worth every penny before you finalize your island placement.

Browse licensed plumbers and kitchen contractors in our directory at New Brunswick Construction Network to find professionals serving the Riverview area.