7 Tips for Designing a Plumbing System for a New Home

Planning a new plumbing system can be a daunting task without the right skills and experience. Here are 7 top tips to help you figure out what you need from your plumbing system and how you can go about planning a new system.

Here are 7 tips for designing a plumbing system for a new home:

Research and apply for permits and permissions.
Assess your needs and wants.
Make a list of rooms that need plumbing.
Create a centralized point.
Pick an accessible water shut-off switch.
Water treatments.
Contact a qualified plumber.

Keep reading to learn more in detail about the process of how a plumbing system is designed. We’ll explore some key points and tips and tricks to ensure a result you can be proud of. By the end of this article, the task of planning your new plumbing system will be much easier and straightforward.

1. Research and Apply for Permits and Permissions

The first step in planning a new plumbing system is gathering the necessary permits and permissions before you continue. You’ll want to get the needed permits to avoid legal prosecution.

Permit requirements and costs vary greatly depending on where you live and what work you want to be done.

If you fail to attain the necessary permits for your new plumbing system, you may end up being fined in court. On top of this, you may have to remove the new installation, which can be a very extensive job.

This will result in expensive fees for an expert plumber to clear your system.

You will also be liable for any accidents or injuries during building if you don’t have a permit. This is due to the fact that insurance companies will not cover the workers when working on a job without the necessary licenses. This could result in very expensive medical and legal fees if an accident occurs.

Your home insurance provider will also refuse to pay for damages caused by a system that’s been stalled without the required permissions. If this happens, an accident could result in repairs that cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

Check with your local authorities or government to find out more about permits requirements in your area.

Ensuring that you have the necessary permits protects your new home, your finances, and your plumber. You can also end up in court if you fail to attain permits which could result in fines and legal issues.

2. Assess Your Needs and Wants

Once you’ve figured out what permits you’ll require for your plumbing system, it’s time to figure out what your needs and wants are from your system. Many factors influence your requirements for a plumbing system, including your budget, tastes, number of bathrooms in your new home, and how many people will be living in the new home.

Some people want specific functions from their plumbing system, whereas others wish fancy water features to impress guests. Different people want different things from their plumbing systems.

The number of bathrooms in your new home will have a significant impact on your system requirements. A house with one bathroom will only need plumbing, one shower, bathtub, toilet, and sink.

A four-bedroom home may need four toilets and sinks, two batteries, and one bathtub.

Your appliances can also influence your plumbing system design. Household appliances that require water, like a dishwasher or washing machine, will need to be considered. You should also decide on any outdoor water faucets as well.

Many homeowners enjoy installing water features in outdoor areas of their property.

Depending on the scale of your water feature, you may need to install main pipes connected to your plumbing system for them to operate.

3. Make a List of Rooms That Need Plumbing

After you figure out what you want, it’s time to make a list of what rooms in your home will require plumbing and what features within each room need. Let’s now talk more about some likely suggestions for where you’ll need plumbing in your new home and what appliances and features will require a water supply.

Kitchen – In your kitchen, there will likely be a sink, maybe even two. You’ll also probably have a dishwasher, and you will also have a water faucet. Some people also choose to pay extra for a filtered drinking water faucet installed on top.

All of these aspects need to be considered when planning your kitchen’s plumbing.

Bathrooms – Bathrooms are an area of your new home that requires plumbing planning.

You’ll need to account for toilets, sinks, drains, showers, bathtubs, and perhaps even more. If there is going to be more than one bathroom in your new home, you will need to decide on what features will be included where.

Outdoor Areas – Although outdoor areas, by definition, are not rooms, they’re still on your property and need to be accounted for in your plumbing planning. Outdoor faucets, hoses, and even artificial waterfalls or swimming pools must be accounted for during the planning stage.

You also might want to add a sprinkler system for your new lawn.

Laundry Room – Your laundry room will need pipes installed for appliances like washing machines, and gas or ventilation pipes for tumble dryers. These appliances usually need to be connected to your primary plumbing system to operate.

Therefore it’s crucial to include them when planning your new plumbing system.

Basement – Your basement is another room in your home that may have some vital plumbing features. If your area is prone to flooding, you may require a sump pump to evacuate excess water runoff. Sump pumps are an essential feature in some areas as they prevent damages to foundations and structures.

However, if your area is somewhat prone to flooding, but it doesn’t necessitate a sump pump, you can have a portable water pump on standby.

4. Create a Centralized Point

One great benefit to designing your plumbing system is the added convenience that you can incorporate into your design.

Perhaps the best way to achieve this is by choosing a designated central control point. Here you can manage different aspects of your plumbing system all from one place.

If your new home has a basement, this could be an ideal location for your central control location. However, many homes won’t have a basement. If this is the case, choose a storage closet or spare room elsewhere in your design. Wherever you choose for your control point, ensure that it has adequate space for different plumbing features.

Some of the appliances that should be installed together include:

Sump pump
Water heater
Furnace
Sewage system

These appliances are often seen as an eyesore that spoils the room’s aesthetic they’re stored in. Therefore you should designate a specific space where you can keep all of these appliances out of sight.

Another great advantage to creating a central control point is the time and hassle that you will save during maintenance. Maintaining plumbing appliances is essential to increase the longevity of your system and to save you money on repairs and replacements.

Even if you hire a plumber to carry out your plumbing maintenance, they’ll greatly appreciate easy access to different appliances. On top of this, the plumber would also likely finish their work earlier, which in turn could save you money on labor expenses.

5. Pick an Accessible Water Shut-Off Switch

Another convenient feature you should include in your plumbing system is the accessible water shut-off point. This can be at any location of your choosing, but you may want to pick a place where you can quickly and easily access the switch.

This switch will be used to turn off all water in your new home.

A switch to cut the water is essential during issues with your plumbing system. If a pipe bursts in your new home, it could pour enough water to fill a swimming pool into your home in just a few hours.

This amount of water entering a home will cause extensive damage that will likely result in thousands of dollars worth of damages.

However, if you switch to turn off the water supply, you can turn off the water and prevent severe floods. Flooding in your home can cause water damage as well as allow mold to start to form. Mold thrives in damp conditions, so flooding in your home may lead to large-scale mold growth, which can cause health problems and unpleasant smells.

Choosing a spot in your new home that’s easy to find and access could save you some time after a pipe burst. Every second counts when water is flooding your home, so choosing a convenient spot could save you a lot of money in the event of a burst pipe.

6. Water Treatments

Depending on where you live and the water quality in your new home, you may need some water treatments for added protection. Treating the water that passes through your plumbing system can have massive implications for your plan, wallet, and even your health.

Hard water is a term used to describe water full of limestone and calcium. It is not harmful to humans, but it can lead to lime buildups in your appliances and sinks. Over time this lime can accumulate and cause serious harm to your kitchen appliances or washing machines.

To prevent hard water from damaging your jew home, add water softeners into your plumbing design. This will prevent hard water from entering your appliances and causing damages. Hard water can also have a taste that some people dislike.

A water softener will also remove this taste.

In some areas, the main water supply may not be completely safe to drink. As a result, homeowners invest in water filtration systems that remove chemicals and contaminants from the water. This results in a clean water supply that you can use for drinking, free from pollutants and harmful substances.

7. Contact a Qualified Plumber

After completing your plan, you will need to find a trusted, qualified, capable plumber to carry out the installation. A good plumber will be able to execute your plan with precision so you can have all of the features and necessities working flawlessly in your new home.

One of the main reasons for choosing a qualified plumber is to ensure that your insurance and building permits are valid, as tickets in most locations require work carried out by skilled and experienced workers.

This is to provide trained professionals safely to install quality plumbing work.

Depending on what appliances and features you wish to include in your plumbing system, you may require a plumber with specific skills and experience. For instance, some plumbers may have more expertise in a niche area in their fields, such as sump pumps and foundation protection. In contrast, other plumbers may install more bathrooms.

Therefore it makes sense that you consult with any plumber about what you want to be done and what features you desire in your design. The plumber will then be able to tell you whether your plan has any flaws and whether or not they’re the right person for the job.

After the consultation, you can agree on a price, and again this will vary depending on the scale of the job and your location as prices vary greatly. Installing a plumbing system in New York is likely more expensive than in a small rural town as labor, and material costs would likely be higher.

Hiring a qualified plumber also helps if you ever need to file an insurance claim against any work they’ve completed in your new home. If your insurance provider finds out qualified workers did not meet the job, they’ll refuse to pay compensation.

This could result in expensive fees for you at some stage in the future.

Only Design Your System If You Have Knowledge and Experience

Devising your plumbing system is a great way to provide your new home with a personal touch. However, planning a plumbing system can be a daunting task without the proper knowledge and experience.

Follow the tips listed above, and you should have all you need to get your plan started.

You must remember to apply for adequate permits and hire qualified plumbers for installation. This ensures that you will receive the result that you desire without risking litigation or accidents. Also, you should plan a convenient system with accessible water shut-off and centralized control.