New Construction Means New Plumbing

You are building a new home; what an exciting time! You've probably spent hours figuring out the design of this building, whether it's a home that you're going to live in yourself or one that you're building for a client. You've worked out the landscaping and the layout of the rooms, discussed where amenities could be added in and even figured out how to make the place more energy-efficient for saving costs down the line. But have you thought about the plumbing?

A house can be beautiful and decorative but if the plumbing doesn't function efficiently, you've got some problems on your hands. Here is a five -step guide to making sure that you've laid the groundwork for good plumbing in your new construction home:

1. Hire a plumber. Even if you're doing all of the rest of the work yourself, you want to get a professional in to help you make decisions. If you want to be hands-on, he can be just a consultant to guide you through your options.

2. Create a plan on paper. Make your mistakes on paper, not on your plumbing.

3. Consider all of the plumbing in the home as a package deal. The dishwasher and kitchen sink go hand-in-hand, so do the tub and bathroom sink, but don't just think piece-meal. You want to create plumbing that fits together as a whole system. Remember things like the water heater and the outside faucets.

4. Be a square. Literally. As you connect everything, you're going to one to think in ninety degree angles. So you won't necessarily run a pipe directly from one place to another but rather up and then over.

5. Get your hands on a copy of the builder's plumbing code. You don't want to do something that's going to fail building inspections so make sure you double-check this book before actually installing any plan.