22 - Plumbing
Plumbing bid estimating, without the grind.
The plumbing number lives in which code governs, where the 5-ft site-utility line sits, and the specialty-waste and backflow scope that's too easy to miss. Drop in your package and get back a cited first-pass: fixtures by schedule, pipe by LF per material, the IPC-vs-UPC and demarcation flags, and the RFIs that keep a plumbing bid from bleeding out on un-priced scope.
✓ PE-reviewable✓ Cited to source✓ Your plumbing workflow
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REVIEWED
REVIEWED
Underground / below-slab — sanitary, storm, domestic watermeasure EA (by type per the fixture schedule)— cite
Above-ground rough-in — DWV + domestic water distributionmeasure EA (by type per the fixture schedule)— cite
Fixtures — furnish + set + trim (by schedule)measure EA (by type per the fixture schedule)— cite
Water heating — heaters, recirc pumps, mixing valves, expansionmeasure EA— cite
Specialties — backflow preventers, interceptors, cleanouts, hydrantsmeasure EA (by type per the fixture schedule)— cite
7
governing codes
9
line-item groups
6
units of measure
6
risk flags
What it surfaces for plumbing
Priced for the way plumbing is actually bid.
The engine reads your package and flags exactly what bites plumbing estimators — before it costs you.
Governing codes named: IPC (or UPC — flagged as jurisdictional, confirm before citing), the fixture-unit (DFU/WSFU) sizing method, ASME A112/CSA (fixtures), ASSE (backflow/cross-connection), ASME B31/ASTM (pressure piping + materials), IECC/ASHRAE 90.1 (water heating/insulation), local AHJ + health dept (medical gas NFPA 99, grease/waste).
Line-item groups your bid breaks into: underground/below-slab (sanitary, storm, domestic); above-ground rough-in (DWV + domestic); fixtures furnish+set+trim; water heating (heaters, recirc, mixing valves, expansion); specialties (backflow, interceptors, cleanouts, hydrants); roof/area drainage; natural/medical gas; pipe insulation; testing/disinfection/commissioning.
The plumbing risks ranked: IPC vs UPC + local amendments changing sizing/fixtures; site-utility demarcation (the 5-ft line); fixture availability/substitution; special/process piping (acid-resistant, lab, medical gas) easy to under-scope; backflow/interceptor requirements; copper price escalation.
The RFIs drafted (verbatim): "Which plumbing code governs — IPC or UPC — and are there local health-department amendments (grease, medical gas, backflow)?" "Storm vs. sanitary vs. site utility demarcation — where does our scope end (typically 5 ft outside the building)?" "Natural gas or medical gas (NFPA 54/99) in scope, and what purity/brazing/certification applies?"
The trade's anatomy
Everything plumbing needs, structured.
Line-item groups
Underground / below-slab — sanitary, storm, domestic waterAbove-ground rough-in — DWV + domestic water distributionFixtures — furnish + set + trim (by schedule)Water heating — heaters, recirc pumps, mixing valves, expansionSpecialties — backflow preventers, interceptors, cleanouts, hydrantsRoof + area drainage (storm) — drains, leaders, overflowNatural gas / medical gas (if in scope — NFPA 54/99)Pipe insulationTesting, disinfection, and commissioning
Governing codes
IPC (or UPC) · plumbing code — WHICH ONE IS JURISDICTIONAL; confirm before citingIPC/UPC fixture-unit method · DFU/WSFU pipe + drain sizingASME A112 / CSA · plumbing fixtures + fittings standardsASSE · backflow prevention + cross-connection control device standardsASME B31 / ASTM material specs · pressure-piping design (ASME B31) + pipe material standards (ASTM)IECC / ASHRAE 90.1 · service water heating + pipe insulationLocal AHJ + health dept · amendments, medical-gas (NFPA 99), grease/waste
Units of measure
fixtures → EA (by type per the fixture schedule)pipe → LF (by size + material: copper, PEX, CPVC, cast iron, PVC, carbon steel)valves / specialties / cleanouts → EAequipment (water heaters, pumps, backflow, interceptors) → EAinsulation → LF (by pipe size + thickness)roof/floor drains → EA
The risks that usually bite
IPC vs UPC + local amendmentsSite-utility demarcationFixture availability / substitutionSpecial waste / process pipingBackflow + interceptor requirementsPipe material escalation
“"Plumbing's a commodity fixture-and-pipe bid; the code is the code."”
The code is jurisdiction-specific — and that's the point. The analysis names which code governs (IPC vs UPC, flagged when the docs are silent), prices off the fixture-unit method, and nails the three under-scope traps most likely to cost a plumber money: the 5-ft demarcation line, specialty/medical-gas piping, and backflow/interceptor coordination. So the estimator prices the real scope instead of discovering it in the change-order phase. Cited output hands clean to review.
Run this on your own plumbing package.
30 minutes. Bring a real set — a core-and-shell build, a medical office, or a job with a murky site-utility line — and watch the cited line items, the code-governance flags, and the demarcation RFIs on your actual drawings.