A little scope creep is normal, but after our carpenter mentioned the need for a plumber and Mick reminded me that I needed someplace for my antique gas stove, I began to think this project might entail more than I expected.  I had no idea...

We learned the answer after the plumber showed up.  Not, as you might suspect, when he assessed moving the pipes.  Nobody knew then how big the project was going to become.  The true extent became apparent  three days after he began jackhammering the concrete slab and discovered a damp spot near the water pipe.  (Running galvanized pipes through concrete slabs has to rank right up there with aluminum wiring as bad ideas for residential homes.)    That's when he discovered how far the leaking and cracked sewer pipe extended. - clear across the kitchen with a couple collapsed sections of Orangeburg (rolled tarpaper saturated with more tar) out near the septic tank.  I had a crew of six jackhammering, hauling broken concrete and digging outside for over a week!  The corner of the kitchen that had been filled with the breakfast nook looked like a junk pile:



After demolition was finished, the plumbers replaced the old pipes with plastic (guaranteed to outlast my lifetime), poured concrete inside,  and shoveled back the dirt outside. The sole exception was a two foot section near the kitchen wall stuffed with bricks and sand.  (The plumbers were unable to replace the entire sewer line due to a utility closet.  That will be demolished later.  To avoid the need to jackhammer an access hole to the joint between new and old pipes, I requested a temporary filler.)  The "small" project got to my expected stop point (studs up and wallboard hung) a week later.

So what did I learn from this project?
1.  Spend more time planning. 
2.  Walls are more complex than we think.  Multiple systems (plumbing, electrical, heating/air conditioning) can be involved in any modification.
3.  Unexpected and expensive problems can emerge at any time;there was no way to project the sewer problem before the plumber started work.  
4.  Make sure you have some money laid aside for surprises.
5.  Ask around to know the names of some reliable tradesmen in your area; you never know when you will need them.
6.  Be flexible. 

What's next on the agenda?  The arrival of my stove!