New Construction Plumbing

How the Work Breaks Down

What We Need to Bid Your Project

A good number starts with good information. The more we see up front, the fewer surprises show up in the field and on the change order log. Send what you have, even if the set isn’t final, and we’ll tell you what’s missing.

• Architectural plans with floor plans, elevations and the finished floor elevation.
• A fixture schedule listing every sink, toilet, tub, shower valve, hose bibb, ice maker and laundry box, with make and model if the owner has picked them.
• Water heater type and location, meaning tank or tankless, electric or other, and where it’s going to sit.
• Site utility information: city water and sewer, private well, septic, or a mix. A survey or site plan showing the meter location and sewer tap helps a lot.
• The plumbing riser diagram if one has been drawn for the permit set, plus any civil sheets on commercial jobs.

On custom homes, fixture selections often lag behind the framing. That’s normal. We just need to know where the owner is leaning, because a freestanding tub, a wall-hung toilet or a body spray shower changes what goes in the slab and the walls. If the selections are still open, we’ll price an allowance and flag the items that need a decision before rough-in.

For commercial work, send the full MEP set and the civil drawings. Grease interceptor size, backflow requirements and the building’s water service size all drive the bid, and we’d rather ask questions now than guess.

Pre-Construction Coordination

Most plumbing trouble on a new build starts before anyone digs a trench. A short walk and a plan review with the builder or GC catches the conflicts early, while they’re still lines on paper.

We look at where the slab steps down, where beams and footings cross the drain runs, and whether the kitchen island or a floor drain lands on top of a footing. We check that the water heater location has room for the unit the owner actually wants. We confirm the sewer tap or septic tank location and the elevation of the connection, because that sets how deep the building drain starts and whether the slope works to the far end of the house.

Things we like to settle before underground

• Finished floor height and the depth of the sewer connection at the property line or tank
• Footing and grade beam locations that the drain lines have to cross
• Shower types, since curbless and linear drain showers need a recessed slab or a different drain layout
• Who orders and sets the termite pretreatment and the vapor retarder, and when
• Whether the owner wants a water softener, filtration, a recirculation line or a future outdoor kitchen roughed in

Future items are cheap when the slab is open and expensive after it’s poured. A capped stub for a summer kitchen or a sleeve under the driveway costs very little on day one.

Underground Plumbing in Detail

Underground is the part of the job you can’t easily fix later. Once the concrete is down, every drain and every under-slab water line is locked in. We treat this phase with the most care for that reason.

Layout and stub-ups

We lay out from the plans and the builder’s string lines, then mark every fixture location. Toilets, tub drains, shower drains, floor sinks and wall stubs each get set to a measured dimension off the framing layout. A toilet flange that lands an inch off makes for a bad day at trim, so we double check the finished wall thickness, tile and all, before we set it.

Slope

The Florida Building Code, Plumbing sets minimum slopes for horizontal drainage pipe. In general, pipe 2-1/2 inches and smaller needs 1/4 inch per foot, and 3 inch through 6 inch pipe needs at least 1/8 inch per foot. We check fall with a level or laser as we go, and we bed the pipe so it doesn’t sag when the trench is backfilled. Too little slope leaves solids behind. Too much on a long run isn’t a code issue but it can make the depth at the end of the building a problem.

Sleeves and penetrations

Pipe that passes through a footing or a grade beam gets sleeved so the concrete isn’t bearing on the pipe and the pipe can move a little as the structure settles. We coordinate those spots with the form crew so the sleeves are set before steel goes in. Water lines coming up through the slab get protected where they penetrate, per code and per the manufacturer’s instructions for the pipe.

Testing and inspection before the pour

The drain system gets tested before it’s covered. A water test fills the system to create at least a 10 foot head of water and holds it for the required time with no leaks. An air test holds pressure on the system instead. Under-slab water lines get their own pressure test. Then the building department’s underground inspection has to pass before anything is backfilled over or concrete is placed. We keep the test on until the inspector signs off.

Termite pretreat and vapor retarder

Florida requires termite protection on new buildings, and soil treatment is the common method. The treatment has to be applied after the plumbing trenches are backfilled and compacted, or the treated soil gets disturbed. We finish and backfill our work so the pest control company can treat the full area. After that, the vapor retarder goes down, and every pipe that comes through it needs to be sealed or taped tight so the barrier stays continuous. Walk the slab before the pour and look at every stub. It’s worth the ten minutes.

Rough-In and Top-Out in Detail

Rough-in, also called top-out, is everything that goes inside the walls and ceilings once framing is done and the roof is on. It’s the water supply, the drain and vent piping above the slab, and the stub-outs for every fixture.

Water supply layout

PEX is the most common supply pipe in new homes around here. It runs with fewer fittings, handles the heat in a Florida attic better than people expect when it’s installed right, and it’s easy to run home runs from a manifold. A manifold lets each fixture have its own line and shutoff, which helps with pressure balance and makes future service easier. Some commercial jobs and some specs call for copper or CPVC, and we pipe to what the plans and the owner call for.

Venting

Every trap needs a vent. We run vents to keep traps from siphoning and to let the drain system breathe, and we tie them through the roof or use approved air admittance valves where the code and the local official allow them. Island sinks and fixtures far from a wall are where venting gets tricky, and that’s one more reason we like to see the plans before the framing crew starts.

Blocking and stub-outs

Shower valves, wall-hung fixtures, grab bar locations and wall-mounted faucets need solid backing. We set valve heights to the owner’s selections and confirm the rough-in dimensions for each valve body. Stub-outs are capped and labeled so drywall and cabinet crews don’t bury them or knock them loose.

Testing and inspection

Before the rough inspection, the new drain and vent piping above the slab gets a water or air test, and the water distribution system is pressure tested. The rough plumbing inspection has to pass before insulation and drywall go up. If the insulation crew is scheduled for the same morning as the inspection, move one of them. An inspector who can’t see the pipe won’t pass it.

Trim-Out and Fixture Set

Trim comes after cabinets, countertops and tile. This is where the house starts working. We set toilets, install faucets and sink drains, hook up the dishwasher and disposal, trim shower valves, connect the ice maker and set the water heater if it wasn’t set earlier.

We flush the lines before we install aerators and cartridges. New construction lines carry cutting debris, PEX shavings and sand, and that material ends up in faucet screens and valve cartridges if nobody flushes. After trim, we run every fixture, check every connection for drips, and fill and check every trap.

For more on fixture choices and layouts, see our pages on bathroom plumbing and kitchen plumbing.

Water Heater Selection and Placement

The water heater decision affects the slab, the walls, the electrical service and sometimes the flood elevation. Make it early.

Tank or tankless

A standard tank is simple and takes a predictable amount of space. A tankless water heater saves floor space and can serve a large house well, but it needs the right electrical or venting setup and proper sizing for the number of fixtures that run at once. We go over the options on our water heaters page, and we’ll talk through it with the owner and the electrician before rough-in.

Garages and flood elevation

A lot of Southwest Florida homes put the water heater in the garage. In a flood zone, the garage slab is often below the design flood elevation, and the code requires water heaters and similar equipment to be elevated or otherwise protected. That can mean a raised platform, a wall-hung tankless unit set high, or moving the heater into the conditioned space. We want that answer on the plans before the permit goes in, not at the final.

• Plan for a drain pan and a discharge route for the relief valve
• Leave clearance for service and replacement
• Consider a recirculation line if the heater is far from the main bath

Water Service and Sewer or Septic Connections

The house plumbing is only half the job. It still has to connect to water and to sewer or septic, and those connections are where site conditions matter most.

Water service and the meter

On city water, the utility typically installs the meter once fees are paid and the account is set up. We run the water service line from the meter or the point of connection to the house, install the main shutoff and any required backflow device, and pressure test it. Get the meter ordered early. A house can’t pass final without water, and meter timing is one of the most common reasons a closing slides.

Sewer lateral and cleanouts

We connect the building drain to the sewer lateral at the tap and install cleanouts where the code requires them, including near the junction of the building drain and the building sewer. Cleanouts need to stay accessible. A cleanout buried under pavers or sod turns a simple drain cleaning call into a dig. More on connection problems is on our sewer line repair page.

Septic lots

Where there’s no sewer, the septic system is permitted through the Florida Department of Health and installed by a septic contractor. We don’t install septic systems. We coordinate with the septic contractor on the tank location and inlet elevation, then run the building sewer to the tank connection point. That inlet elevation sets our starting depth, so we need it before underground begins.

Inspections and How to Avoid Failed Ones

Every plumbing permit on a new house goes through a set of inspections. In Lee, Charlotte and Collier Counties, and in cities like Cape Coral and Fort Myers, that usually means an underground or ground rough, a rough or top-out, and a final. Commercial jobs may have more, depending on the building.

Most failed inspections come from a short list of causes. Knowing them saves a trip and a day on the schedule.

• The test isn’t on, or it lost pressure before the inspector arrived
• Work is covered before the inspection, such as insulation over rough pipe or dirt over underground
• The permit card or approved plans aren’t on site
• A cleanout is missing or inaccessible
• Pipe isn’t supported or protected where the code requires it
• Something was changed in the field and doesn’t match the approved plans

We schedule inspections when the work is ready, not when we hope it’ll be ready. If a field change affects the plumbing, we’d rather update the plans than argue with an inspector.

Common New-Build Plumbing Problems and How to Prevent Them

The same problems show up in new homes over and over. Nearly all of them are avoidable.

Poor slope or bellies

A drain line that loses its fall under the slab causes slow drains and backups for the life of the house. Bedding the pipe properly and checking grade before backfill prevents it.

Missing or buried cleanouts

Without a usable cleanout, clearing a line means pulling a toilet or cutting into something. Install them where required and keep them visible through landscaping.

Crushed or damaged lines

Heavy equipment, dumpsters and concrete trucks driving over the sewer or water service is a classic. So is a landscaper’s post hole digger. Mark the lines and keep traffic off them. A camera inspection before closing catches damage while it’s still the builder’s problem.

Debris in the lines

Construction debris, drywall mud and grout washed into drains cause clogs weeks after move-in. Keep drains capped until trim and tell the tile and drywall crews not to rinse buckets in them.

Fixture changes after rough-in

An owner who switches to a different tub or moves a vanity after rough-in means reopening walls. Lock selections before rough. When changes happen anyway, we price them fairly and do them right, but they cost more than doing it once. If something is leaking and you can’t find it, our leak detection service can help.

Flood Zones and Elevated Construction

A lot of new building near the coast is going up on stem walls, raised slabs or pilings. Elevated construction changes the plumbing in a few ways.

On a piling or open foundation home, drain and water lines run through the open area below the living space and have to be supported and protected. Lines exposed below the design flood elevation need to be designed and installed to resist flood damage. Mechanical and plumbing equipment, water heaters included, generally has to be at or above the required elevation. Long vertical drops to the sewer or septic connection need proper support and cleanout access.

Many rebuilds in places like Fort Myers Beach are built this way. We plan the supports, cleanouts and equipment heights for it from the start.

Cape Coral UEP Areas and Lehigh Acres Well and Septic Lots

Cape Coral

Cape Coral is a patchwork. Some neighborhoods have city water and sewer, some are in or waiting on the Utilities Extension Project, and some still use well and septic. Where city utilities are available, a new home has to connect before it can get a certificate of occupancy. That means the lot’s utility status drives the whole underground plan. Check it before you design the house, and check it again before the permit. More on local work is on our Cape Coral plumber page.

Lehigh Acres

Many Lehigh Acres lots are on private wells and septic systems. The septic permit comes through the health department, and a licensed well contractor handles the well. We don’t drill wells or install septic. We connect the house to both, run the water line from the well equipment and the building sewer to the tank, and coordinate elevations so everything drains. See our Lehigh Acres plumber page for more.

Commercial New Construction Differences

Commercial jobs follow the same basic stages, but the details change. Plans come engineered, with a full plumbing design and riser diagrams. Pipe sizes are larger, and material specs are often set by the engineer. There may be grease interceptors for restaurants, backflow assemblies, mop sinks, floor drains, and ADA fixture requirements throughout.

Coordination is tighter too. Ceiling space is shared with ductwork, electrical and sometimes fire lines, and a clash in a corridor ceiling can hold up three trades at once. We review the coordination drawings and flag conflicts before we hang pipe. Learn more on our commercial plumbing page, or see residential plumbing for home work.

Schedule Coordination With Other Trades

Plumbing touches almost every phase of a build, so our work has to fit around everyone else’s. Here’s the order we see work best on a typical slab-on-grade home.

• Site work and pad, with sewer and water points marked
• Footings and forms, with our sleeves set
• Plumbing underground, testing and inspection
• Termite pretreat, vapor retarder, then the slab pour
• Framing, roof and windows
• Plumbing, HVAC and electrical rough-in, then inspections
• Insulation and drywall
• Cabinets, countertops and tile
• Plumbing trim-out and fixture set
• Final inspections and certificate of occupancy

Give us a call a few days before each phase is ready. Clear communication with the superintendent on the job keeps the schedule moving. If you’re adding onto or reworking an existing home instead of building new, our plumbing renovations page covers that work.

When to Call Us

Call early. The best time to bring a plumber in is while the plans are still being finalized, so we can catch conflicts and help you price the job accurately. The second best time is before the pad is built.

We work across Lee, Charlotte and Collier Counties, including Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs and Punta Gorda. Check our service areas page for the full list. Call (239) 518-4198 or send your plans through our request form and we’ll get back to you about your project.