Plumbing · Commercial · Residential

Plumbing subcontractors, and the work they bid

Plumbing splits into work that has to happen before the slab is poured and work that happens at the very end, which makes it one of the few trades that is on your schedule twice. Post the scope with your fixture schedule and riser diagram to get real numbers back, or find open plumbing scopes filtered to your trade and your radius.

Post plumbing work Bid on plumbing work

Free to open an account on either side. No card required.

What gets bid

Scopes plumbing bids usually cover

A posted scope can be any part of this. The more of it the drawings settle up front, the closer the bids come back to each other.

Underslab rough-in, sleeving and site utility tie-ins
Domestic water distribution, hot and cold
Sanitary waste and vent
Natural gas and medical gas piping
Fixture set, trim-out and final connections
Water heaters, booster pumps and backflow prevention

Hiring plumbing crews

What to check before you award

Master plumber of record and permit responsibility: Plumbing permits are pulled against a licensed plumber, not against the GC. Confirm who is pulling it before the award — it is a genuinely awkward conversation to have after the underslab is scheduled.
Speciality certifications for the building type: Medical gas requires a separate brazing and installer certification, and backflow testing requires its own. Neither is implied by a general plumbing licence, so ask specifically when the job needs them.
Fixture supply, and who carries the carriers: Owner-furnished fixtures are common and fine. Carriers, trim and rough-in valves getting missed in the split between owner and plumber is also common, and much less fine.

Post plumbing work

Bidding plumbing work

What makes a bid win this trade

Be explicit about the underslab date: Your underslab rough-in gates the concrete pour, which gates everything after it. A bid that names the date you need to be on site reads as a bid from someone who has thought about the GC's schedule, not just their own.
Price fixtures as a clear allowance or exclusion: If the schedule isn't final, carry a stated allowance rather than a silent assumption. The GC can compare allowances; they cannot compare assumptions.
Include test, inspection and firestopping: Core drilling and firestopping around your penetrations get argued about on nearly every job. Say whether they are in your number.

Find plumbing work

Where plumbing scopes show up

Restaurant and commercial kitchen fit-outsMultifamily plumbing stacksRestroom and tenant renovationsGas service and re-pipes

Whichever side you’re on, the record stays on the job — scope, bids, award, progress, invoices and the review at the end. See how a job runs, or what the plans cost.

Other trades

All twelve trades