New Construction Plumbing in Johns Creek, GA

On a new house, the fixtures you choose in a showroom decide what the plumber installs months earlier inside open walls. New construction plumbing for a home with custom bathrooms and a serious kitchen depends on choices made before rough-in: a wall-hung toilet needs a steel carrier in the wall, a curbless shower needs a recessed floor, and a freestanding tub filler rises out of the floor rather than the wall. For owners building in Johns Creek, a fixture schedule finished early is the surest way to avoid tearing out new drywall.

Selections that must be final before rough-in

• Shower valves and trim. Thermostatic and pressure-balancing valves use different rough bodies, and systems with body sprays or handheld wands need every outlet roughed in at its exact height.
• Wall-hung toilets. They need an in-wall carrier and tank frame, and often a deeper wall to hold them.
• Freestanding tubs. Floor-mounted fillers need supply lines brought up through the floor, and the drain must sit directly beneath the tub's outlet.
• Pot fillers and bar sinks. A pot filler needs a supply line at the right height behind the range, and a bar sink needs its own drain and vent.
• Linear drains and curbless showers. The floor framing or slab must be recessed so the shower floor can slope to the drain without a step.

Flow, pressure and hot water for larger showers

A shower with a rain head, several body sprays and a handheld can use far more water than a standard head. That raises three questions. Will the supply lines deliver enough flow to that shower? Can the water heater keep up for the length of a shower, especially with two running at once? And is incoming pressure steady and within a safe range? Larger supply lines to the main bath, a bigger tank or a tankless water heater sized for the demand, and a correctly set pressure-reducing valve are the usual tools, with our water pressure and PRV service covering the pressure side.

Permits in Johns Creek

The city code requires a permit before a plumbing system is installed, altered, repaired or replaced, and permits go to contractors holding a license or to an owner who occupies the home. A new home's plumbing is permit work from the start. Owners who plan to act as their own contractor have an extra step: the city's homeowner-contractor FAQs call for a notarized affidavit before the application.

Gas for kitchens and fireplaces

Professional-style ranges, outdoor kitchens and gas fireplaces each need a gas line sized for their input, and a long run to an outdoor grill adds to the load. Because the city's permit checklist lists gas piping among the work that needs a permit, these lines belong on the plans before rough-in, alongside the water heater's gas supply.

Ordering and storing fixtures

Specialty fixtures can take weeks to arrive. Rough valves and carriers have to be on site for rough-in, while trims, faucets and toilets are needed for the final stage. Order the rough components first, keep their installation sheets with the plumber, and shield finished pieces from construction dust until they go in. Keep the manufacturer's warranty paperwork together for the owner. Sorting out the order list early is part of planning new construction plumbing for a custom home.

Fixture and permit questions in Johns Creek

Can I change my shower system after rough-in?

Changing the trim style within the same valve family is usually easy. Changing the valve itself, adding body sprays or moving outlets means opening the wall, and if tile is already up, removing it. Decide on the complete shower system before rough-in and have the rough valve on site so the plumber installs exactly what the trim requires.

Do I need a permit to swap fixtures in my new home later?

For a straight swap in the same spot, usually not. Trading one faucet for another where it stands needs no permit under the city's checklist, but relocating a sink, adding a pot filler or anything else that changes the piping does. Replacing the water heater or running new gas pipe also needs one, even years after move-in.

How much water does a multi-head shower use?

It depends on how many outlets run at once and on each one's flow rating, which appears in the fixture's specifications. Add the flows of everything that will run together to get the shower's total demand, then compare it with what the supply lines and water heater can deliver. The plumber can work through that calculation from your selections.

Finalizing your fixture list

Narrowing down fixtures for a new Johns Creek home? Phone Alpha Plumbing and Sewer at (404) 409-4448 and we will go through the rough-in needs of each selection before the walls are framed.