New Construction Plumbing in Rex, GA

A factory-built modular house comes off the truck with much of its piping already installed, so it is easy to assume the plumbing is done. It is not. Everything that joins the modules to each other, to the foundation and to the public water and sewer systems is site work, and it follows the same discipline as any other new construction plumbing: lay it out, test it, have it inspected, then cover it. For an owner placing a modular home in Rex, knowing that split ahead of time keeps set day from turning into a scramble.

What comes from the factory and what does not

• Usually installed at the factory: supply and drain piping inside each module's walls and floors, fixtures in many cases, and sometimes the water heater.
• Done on site: the building drain beneath the house, connections between modules, the building sewer to the public main, the water service from the meter, any gas piping to the meter, and the vents that could not be finished before the roof was raised.

The factory's drawings show exactly where each module's drains drop through the floor and where its supply lines stop. Ask for them as soon as the order is placed, because the work under the house depends on them.

Lining up the foundation with the factory drawings

The building drain in the crawlspace, basement or slab has to meet stub-downs that were set in a factory miles away. If the foundation is off by a few inches, the connection gets awkward; if a stub lands on a footing or a pier, it gets expensive. The plumber lays out the underground from the factory drawings, leaves enough flexibility at each connection point to absorb small differences, and confirms dimensions with the foundation contractor before concrete is placed. For slab foundations especially, this step has to be right the first time.

Crossovers at the joints between modules

Where two modules meet, drain and water lines cross from one section into the other. These crossover connections are made after the set, often in tight spaces under the floor or above a ceiling. Each joint has to be supported, tested and left accessible enough to inspect. Vents that run between sections or up through a roof that was hinged for shipping are finished at the same time.

Water service and sewer hookup

Outside, the home needs a water service from the meter and a building sewer to the public main, laid in trenches that are often dug while the foundation is going in. Getting those lines in early means the house can be connected soon after it is set. Our main water line crews take on long or difficult service runs, and the sewer trench gets the same grade and bedding work as a sewer excavation job.

Permits, the sewer connection and inspections

Factory work does not replace local permits for the site plumbing, so check with the city or county that serves the address. Where Clayton County has jurisdiction, plumbing permits for new construction come from its building permit section. The county code adds a step for the sewer: the tie-in to the CCWA system needs a building sewer permit from CCWA, and the county building inspector supervises the connection and its test.

Planning around set day

A crane day is expensive and tightly scheduled. The underground plumbing should be finished, tested and inspected before the modules arrive, with stubs capped and clearly marked so the set crew does not crush them. Book the plumber for the days right after the set to make crossovers, finish vents and test the whole system. Working out that sequence with the set contractor is the part of new construction plumbing a modular home depends on most.

Modular home questions in Rex

Does a modular home still need a plumber on site?

Yes. Think of the factory piping as the inside of the walls only. Everything that ties the modules to each other or to the ground, from the drain under the floor to the water and sewer lines in the yard, is site plumbing with its own tests and inspections, and any mismatch with the factory drawings shows up there first.

Who approves a new home's connection to CCWA sewer?

Both CCWA and the county. CCWA issues the building sewer permit, and the line goes into service only after its fees are paid and the Clayton County building inspector has approved the connection. Leave room for both steps in the move-in schedule, because a house without a working sewer connection is not ready to live in.

Can the factory-installed fixtures be changed?

Usually, but it is simpler to settle them in the factory order. Swapping a faucet or toilet after the set is ordinary trim work. Moving a fixture means altering factory piping inside finished walls, which is real work and may need a permit and inspection like any other plumbing alteration, so decide on layouts before the modules are built.

Get ready for set day

Ordering a modular home for a lot in Rex? Send Alpha the factory drawings or call (404) 409-4448, and we will plan the underground and the post-set connections so the house is ready to hook up as soon as it is set.