Plumber for Lido Isle, Newport Island and Lido Village

The biggest plumbing difference between these two islands is height. When W. K. Parkinson developed Lido Isle, he spent more than a quarter of a million dollars dredging the harbor and raising the island more than ten feet above high tide. Newport Island and Lido Village did not get that lift, and the City names both as flood-prone.

On Lido Isle

Because the island sits higher, most Lido calls are about the house itself rather than the tide: original and remodeled supply lines, water heaters, fixtures, and plumbing on the bayfront side. Waterfront homes often have water and sometimes power running out to a private dock. Dock hose bibs and supply lines live in salt spray all day, and they fail more often than anything inside the house.

Lido Isle has a community association that every resident belongs to, along with shared beaches and a clubhouse. Work in shared areas follows association rules, so check with the association before any work on common property.

On Newport Island and in Lido Village

Lower ground means the same issues as the rest of the flood-prone harbor front: sewer surcharging when streets flood, garages and water heaters close to street level, and cleanouts that let floodwater in if the cap is loose. Newport Island is small and surrounded by channels, so tide and storm timing matters when planning any work that opens the sewer line.

Salt air everywhere

On both islands, exterior metal takes a beating. Gas risers, hose bibs, shutoff valves and the relief line on the water heater corrode faster within a block of the water. A green or crusty fitting is worth replacing before it fails.

Older homes and rebuilds side by side

On both islands, original homes sit next to recent rebuilds. Original homes may have older supply lines and drains that have been patched over the years. Rebuilds tend to have more bathrooms, tankless water heaters and recirculation systems, which bring their own maintenance. The first visit is about finding out which you have, so tell us the year the home was built or last remodeled when you call.

Lido Isle bayfront

About 250 of Lido Isle's roughly 800 homes are on the water. Bayfront homes have seawalls, private docks and exterior plumbing in constant salt spray. Dock water lines, seawall-side hose bibs and corroded shutoffs are the typical calls.

Lido Isle interior

Interior streets hold the rest of the island's homes, with the community association's beaches and clubhouse shared by all residents. Because the island was raised more than ten feet above high tide, interior calls are usually about the house itself: water heaters, supply lines, fixtures and drains.

Lido Village

Lido Village, around Via Lido and Via Oporto at the base of the Peninsula, is on the City's flood-prone list. It mixes shops, restaurants and homes, with the historic Lido Theater at 3459 Via Lido. Commercial kitchens bring grease line and drain jetting work.

Lido Marina Village

The shops and restaurants along the bay at Lido Marina Village share the same low ground and the same mix of commercial plumbing needs.

Newport Island

Newport Island is a small residential island in West Newport, with streets such as Channel Place and 38th Street. It is on the City's flood-prone list, so the questions here are the same as on Balboa Island: cleanouts, backwater valves and water heater placement.

The Finley Tract

The Finley Tract near the base of the Peninsula is also on the City's flood list. Homeowners there face the same tide risks as Lido Village.

Nearby areas we also serve

The Balboa Peninsula wraps around these islands, and Newport Heights and Cliff Haven sit on the bluffs across Coast Highway. Balboa Island is farther east across the harbor.

For association members and owners who rent

Every Lido Isle resident belongs to the community association, and owners pay an annual assessment. Shared beaches, the clubhouse and other common areas follow association rules, so contact the association before any work that touches common property. If you rent your home, the City of Newport Beach has its own short-term lodging permit rules; check them with the City before listing. Leave guests a note showing the main shutoff and the dock shutoff.

A dock water line usually branches off the house supply, runs along or through the seawall, and then out onto the dock. Every part of that run is exposed to salt spray, sun and movement as the dock rises and falls with the tide. Flexible sections, unions and hose bibs are where failures usually start.

What to look for

• Green or white crust on brass fittings and hose bibs
• A hose bib that drips with the handle closed
• Wet spots along the seawall cap when nobody has used the dock
• A water meter that moves when every fixture in the house is off

Simple upgrades

• A dedicated, labeled shutoff valve where the dock line leaves the house supply
• Corrosion-resistant hose bibs and fittings
• A vacuum breaker or backflow device on hose connections, so dock water cannot siphon back into the house

If a dock line leaks and you cannot find a separate shutoff, close the main and call. We trace the run, repair it and add the shutoff so the next problem stays small.