Staging plumbing and electrical when building and renovating houses

Plumbing and electrical – why it happens in stages when you construct your home

Plumbing and electrical installations have to be coordinated with the other trades and contractors, and it usually requires a number of visits from plumbers and electricians. So for instance, these installations could include:

• Before casting the ground floor slab plumbers would have to install pipes under and in the floor slab. Electricians would have to install wires or cable ducts under and in the floor slab.

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• Depending on the design of the walls:
  • Framed walls would require pipes and wires or cable ducts installed after the frame is erected but before the walls are boarded closed. Taps, plumbing waste pipes, electrical switches and outlets must all be fixed in the correct position.
  • Concrete walls and columns would require everything installed before the concrete is poured.
  • Block and brick walls which will be rendered may have pipes, wires, ducts and outlets cut into them after the walls are constructed but before the walls are plastered or rendered.
  • Block and brick walls which are ‘face’ (exposed) will not be covered over by a finish such as render, plaster or tiles, so require that pipes, ducts and wires are built into the wall as the wall is constructed.

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• Upstairs concrete floor slabs will need pipes and electrical ducts and wires that go in the floor to be installed before the concrete is poured.
• Once the roof is installed, but before the ceilings are installed, hot water systems and air-conditioning units that go in the roof must be installed. Air-conditioning ducting and plumbing pipes should be installed. In many cases the electrician should install wiring or ducts to the light points.
• Before bathrooms are tiled, the toilets and fitted bathtubs should be installed.
• When ceilings are installed then lights and air-conditioning grilles can be installed.
• When the walls and floors have been tiled in bathrooms and the walls rendered or finished-off in the house then free standing bathtubs can be installed. Toilets, basins and sinks can be connected. Taps can be installed. Electrical switches and sockets can be finished off. Usually it’s best that the last two steps aren’t completed until the house is lockable since many of these items are expensive and could be stolen.

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• Before final landscaping, paving and driveways are completed all external pipes and cables should be installed.

Check plumbing and electrical is complete and sound before next stage

​It can be seen that plumbers and electricians may have to return to the project four or more times, and air-conditioning contractors usually two or three times. It’s important to check that all electrical wires and ducts and all plumbing pipes have been installed correctly, at the right location, with no visible leaks and faults, before:

• Concrete is poured.
• Framed walls are closed.
• Waterproofing is applied in bathrooms.
• Brick and block walls are rendered.
• Tiles are installed.
• Ceilings are installed.

Coordinating the trades during construction

​But even these trades must be coordinated between them. Plumbing waste and sewer pipes have to be installed at the exact locations and levels. They usually have little room to change so they should be installed first. Air-conditioning ducting is usually premade in sections, unless it’s flexible ducting installed for smaller airflow or at the ends of the main ducts. So non-flexible air-conditioning ducts should be installed next. Water pipes can go up or down and there’s some flexibility in location so they’re installed next. Electrical wiring has the most flexibility, so can be installed last. However, having said this, it’s important to note that pipes and ducts can’t obstruct where lights, switches and outlets must go.
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This is an extract from 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses: Volume 1' from the chapter 'Understanding Building Processes' written by Paul Netscher.
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