Building a new home is an exciting process. Watching the walls go up brings a sense of accomplishment to everyone involved. Getting your new home plumbed is one of the major milestones in the construction process. Because we rely on our plumbing every day, it’s important to get it all working properly. For the best results, plumbers usually work on each house multiple times at different stages. Typically, most work is done during the plumbing rough-in phase, which takes about 3-5 days to complete for a small home. For larger or more complex homes, the work can take several weeks. In this article, we’re going to cover the work that’s involved with plumbing a new build and how long you can expect it to take.
What is a Plumbing Rough-In?
There are actually two plumbing rough-in stages for each new home build. The first stage is the underground rough-in, which happens before the concrete slab is poured. The underground rough-in is relatively straightforward. Trenches are dug on the property and pipes are laid to connect the home to water and sewer services.
The second rough-in stage is the one that takes more planning and consideration. A plumbing rough-in will typically take 3-5 days for a smaller house. Larger and more complex homes can take considerably more time. This rough-in is usually only completed once your house is considered weather-tight, but before the plasterboard is installed. With the walls in place, plumbing can be run throughout the house. At this point, your plumber will install your PVC and copper pipes in the walls and ceiling. They’ll do their best to make sure each pipe ends up in its final location to minimise the work they have to do later.
What is Finish Plumbing?
With plasterboard, tiles, cabinets and floor coverings in place, your plumber will come back for the final stage of new home plumbing. The finishing work is exactly what it sounds like. Plumbers will install all fixtures and fittings, like taps, faucets and drains. They’ll also test each of the systems they install to check for leaks before providing certification that the work has been completed by a professional. During the finishing work, your plumber will also install appliances like water heaters, toilets and dishwashers, as well as gas services for appliances like stoves and ovens.
Finish plumbing can take an additional few days, depending on factors like how many bathrooms the home features.
What Causes Plumbing Delays?
Building a new house isn’t a simple process. There are dozens of different specialists moving around on-site at different times, each trying to get through their portion of the work and speed things along. Choreographing large numbers of tradespeople is difficult, and there are a few things that can slow down your plumbing progress:
- The size of your home. The bigger the house, the longer the plumbing work takes. Homes that are bigger or have multiple storeys simply have more plumbing that needs to be installed.
- Complex houses. The shape of your house matters for plumbing. A well-designed house can make plumbing a breeze. Complex homes that need long runs of pipe or have complex twists and turns can significantly increase how long the work takes.
- Mistakes. Most houses aren’t built to the tightest tolerances, and things tend to change during the construction process. This means that mistakes do happen and can add to how long your plumbing work will take.
- Bad weather. The construction industry is always at the mercy of the weather. Performing quality work means waiting until conditions are safe, so events like storms can put a hold on plumbing work.
S&J Plumbing and Gasfitting is Brisbane’s Plumbing Expert!
When you’re building a new home or renovating your existing one, construction delays can be a painful experience. If you want to avoid the hassle, speak to the master plumbers at S&J Plumbing and Gasfitting! We’re equipped to handle a wide range of residential and commercial plumbing work across Brisbane. Our experienced team can design and install plumbing systems on time and on budget, and we always make sure we’re delivering the highest quality service possible. Speak to us about our plumbing and gasfitting work today!