When to install plumbing

[markert2523]

Howdy,

I'm planning a cabin build and I'm trying to flesh out when certain systems will be going in.  I want the water supply system to be pex.  When should I have the supply and waste lines installed?  The cabin will be on a footer/block wall on a slope.  Seems like it would be easier to wait until interior walls are framed to run the supply.  Unfortunately most of the plumbing will be on the "uphill" side of the cabin so there will be maybe 16" of space below the engineered floor trusses.  It's on a fairly steep slope so the space will open up fairly quickly--just tight along that uphill wall. 

So--I was planning on having the contractor run the sanitary line from the septic and cap off until waste lines are ran.  Will also have him run a water supply from an existing supply system that serves several other cabins.  I assume he'll have to do this before the foundation/block wall is built?  Or do the contractors just punch through the footer/block wall to get the waste line and water supply lines in?

Obviously I'm going to pay someone to do this as I don't know what I'm doing.  But I want to frame up the interior walls myself and it would give more flexibility if the plumbing came later.

Thanks

[muldoon]

I think you should plan your septic before you even start the foundation.  You need to ensure that wherever you are building will support your goals.  Some locations will not perc water and are unsuitable for septic systems.  Some home-sites are beautiful but the slope of the land does not move waste in a direction that is helpful. 

I think you should have a detailed, and viable plan for plumbing before you do anything.  Then incorporate your pre-existing plan into your build and move along as you go. 

[metolent]

One option is to just put sleeves when you pour in the approximate positions where you need to run lines out.  If it's block wall, it's pretty easy to bust through those later if need be. 

I had sleeves put in for 1) my water supply line (1" poly from meter to house), another for my electrical (ran conduit underground to the house, through the foundation, and up into the wall), and a third for my septic line.  Then I installed all later.... however, most of my plumbing was on the downhill side of my crawlspace, where I have >6' headroom. 

good luck....

[markert2523]

Thanks for the replies. 

Muldoon--You're right, I need to shore up the septic plans.  There seems to be a good site for the field and the soil for a site about 200 yards away recently did well on a perc test, but you never know.

Metolent---I hadn't thought about sleeves.  I did that under my driveway when I ran utilities to my Manshed that I built in my back yard.

Thanks again

[UK4X4]

On my build I'm planning 3 off 2" ducts out to a manhole 4ft away from the foundation

Ie I'm not sure where everything will go yet lines in etc but when I have the foundation dug its easy to add
and I don't want machines back in there digging away alongside my shiny concrete.

The ducts end in the crawl space and I'll plumb from there later


electric /water and gas.

oops forgot will need a 4" line for the septic too but that will be seperate....

[MountainDon]

Generally you work in the plumbing, mechanicals, electrical in order from the hardest to install to the easiest.  That is heating ductwork usually first if of the rigid type. Then DWV, gas,if black steel, and then through the more flexible things like PEX and wiring. It's much easier to snake wires around a duct or 4" pipe than the other way around.