First and second fix plumbing with neatly clipped copper pipework installed under a sink unit

1st & 2nd fix plumbing · Renovations & extensions

1st and 2nd fixplumbing in Edinburghfor renovations that run to time

Pipework, waste runs and final fittings set out correctly at first fix so second fix goes in without argument, sequenced around your other trades, priced before we start, and covered by a 12-month workmanship guarantee.

Request an Estimate 07788 373160

20+ years on site · Owner-led scheduling · Gas Safe registered

20+ yrs

First and second fix experience

In-house

Our own team, not subcontracted labour

Gas Safe

Registered for gas first fix and connections

12 months

Workmanship guarantee

£2m

Public liability insurance

The service

Get the first fix rightand the rest follows

What it covers

First fix is everything that has to be in place before walls and floors close up: hot and cold pipework runs, waste and soil connections, heating pipework and radiator tails, gas supply runs, cylinder and tank feeds, and setting out the exact positions of every outlet. Second fix is what happens after decoration: taps, sanitaryware, showers, radiators, valves, cylinders, appliance connections, testing and commissioning.

Who it's for

For homeowners renovating, builders and joiners needing a reliable plumbing trade on site, and anyone extending, converting a loft or attic, splitting or reconfiguring rooms, or building out a new bathroom or kitchen in an Edinburgh property.

When you need it

First fix is booked once the structure and stud work are up and before plasterboard, screed or flooring goes down. Second fix follows decoration. Getting us involved at design stage is better still, because outlet positions, waste falls and pipe routes are cheap to move on a drawing and expensive to move in a finished wall.

Why it needs doing properly

First fix decisions are permanent in practice. A waste run laid with insufficient fall, a shower valve set at the wrong depth for the finished tile thickness, or a radiator tail 40mm off centre are all invisible until second fix, at which point correcting them means opening finished work. Experienced setting out, working from finished floor and finished wall levels rather than the bare structure, is what keeps a renovation on programme.

Leave it and it grows

Where renovationslose weeks and money

Plumbing rarely delays a project on its own. It delays projects when the first fix was set out against the wrong reference point and nobody discovers it until the tiles are on.

What it costs if ignored

Waste runs without adequate fall block repeatedly and cannot be corrected without lifting a finished floor.
Concealed shower valves set at the wrong depth for the tile build-up mean either a protruding plate or breaking finished tiling.
Pipework buried without pressure testing turns a pinhole into a ceiling replacement after plastering.
Notching or drilling joists incorrectly weakens a floor and is a structural problem, not a plumbing one.
Outlets set out before the kitchen or bathroom is finalised end up behind cabinets and unreachable.
Un-lagged pipework in cold voids and loft spaces freezes in an Edinburgh winter and splits.

Common mistakes we're called out to

Starting first fix before the sanitaryware and kitchen layout are actually confirmed.
Setting out from the structural floor rather than the finished floor level.
Leaving no accessible isolation valves, so every future repair means removing finished joinery.
Mixing pipe materials and fittings without allowing for expansion or correct support spacing.
Skipping the pressure test to save an hour before the plasterer arrives.
Booking trades in an order that leaves the plumber waiting for a floor and the tiler waiting for the plumber.

Our process

How the job runs,step by step

Step 1

Design review and setting out

We work from the actual layout and finished levels, confirm outlet and waste positions against the chosen kitchen or sanitaryware, and flag anything that will not work before it is built.

Step 2

Programme and agreed price

The scope and price are agreed before we start, and dates are coordinated with your other trades so first fix lands in the right window.

Step 3

First fix execution

Pipework, waste and soil runs, heating circuits and gas runs installed with correct falls, support, protection and insulation, and joists treated properly where runs cross them.

Step 4

Pressure test before close-up

Everything is pressure tested and confirmed sound before a single board goes on. This is the step that prevents the most expensive category of renovation failure.

Step 5

Second fix and commissioning

After decoration, sanitaryware, brassware, radiators, cylinders and appliances are fitted, then the system is filled, inhibited, balanced and tested under real use.

Step 6

Handover and guarantee

Isolation points shown, controls explained, and 12 months of workmanship cover on what we installed.

What you get out of it

Specific outcomes,not vague promises

Programme protected

Correct setting out and reliable dates keep the plumbing off the critical path instead of on it.

No opening finished work

Everything referenced to finished floor and wall levels, so second fix lands where it was meant to.

Tested before it is buried

Pressure testing before close-up is non-negotiable here, because a buried leak is the most costly failure on any renovation.

Serviceable for the future

Accessible isolation valves and sensible routing mean the next repair is a call-out, not a joinery project.

One trade, whole scope

Plumbing, heating and gas first fix from the same in-house team that does your second fix.

Guaranteed workmanship

12 months of cover, £2m public liability insurance, Gas Safe registration for gas work.

In detail

Methods, materialsand project types

First and second fix specifications change with the building. A tenement conversion, a rear extension and a loft conversion each impose different routing and support constraints.

Pipework selection and routing

Copper for exposed and mechanically exposed runs, barrier plastic and push-fit for long buried runs, floor voids and awkward retrofits where flame is undesirable in an occupied building. Runs are supported at correct centres, allowed to expand, sleeved where they pass through structure, and insulated wherever they pass through unheated voids or loft spaces.

Waste, soil and falls

32mm, 40mm and 50mm waste with 110mm soil, set to correct fall so the run actually clears. Where a new bathroom or WC is a long way from the existing stack, options include re-routing, a new stack connection or a macerator; each has consequences worth discussing before, not after, the floor is down.

Structural considerations

Notching and drilling joists has rules, and following them is what keeps a floor sound. Where a run cannot be accommodated within those rules we change the route or use a different build-up rather than weakening the structure.

Heating first fix

Radiator tails set out to the sizes chosen for the room's heat loss, zone valve and manifold positions planned, underfloor heating loops laid and pressure tested before screed, and provision made for a magnetic filter and accessible isolation.

Kitchens and utilities

Feeds and wastes for sinks, dishwashers, washing machines and fridges with water supply, positioned against the actual cabinetry drawing. Appliance isolation kept accessible instead of trapped behind a fixed panel.

Project types we work on

Rear and side extensions, loft and attic conversions, tenement flat renovations, kitchen and bathroom refits, full property refurbishments, and new-build domestic work. We are a domestic business, so this is all housing rather than commercial fit-out.

Questions

1st & 2nd Fix Plumbingquestions, answered

Anything we haven't covered, ask us directly on 07788 373160.

When should I book first fix plumbing?

Once the structure and stud work are up and before plasterboard, screed or flooring. Speak to us earlier than that if you can; reviewing the layout at design stage costs nothing and prevents the changes that are expensive later.

How much does first and second fix plumbing cost?

It scales with the number of outlets, the routing complexity and whether heating and gas are included. We look at the drawings and the property, then agree a price before starting rather than working on an open-ended day rate.

How long does first fix take?

A single bathroom or kitchen first fix is usually one to two days. A full house renovation or an extension with heating and gas runs is typically several days, scheduled around the other trades on site.

Do you coordinate with my builder or joiner?

Yes. Owner-led scheduling means the person planning our dates is the person on site, so coordination happens directly rather than through an office.

Do you pressure test before the walls close?

Always. Pipework is tested and confirmed sound before anything is boarded, screeded or floored. A buried leak discovered after plastering is the single most expensive failure on a renovation.

Can you move a bathroom or kitchen to a different room?

Usually, and the deciding factor is normally the waste and soil route rather than the water supply. We assess what can be achieved with proper falls and tell you honestly where a macerator or a new stack connection becomes the sensible answer.

Do you handle gas runs as well?

Yes, gas first fix and appliance connections are carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer and notified correctly.

Is the work guaranteed?

Yes, 12 months of workmanship cover, with manufacturer warranties on products and appliances in addition.

Will pipework in my loft be protected against freezing?

Yes, any run through unheated voids or loft space is insulated as standard. It is a small cost at first fix and a burst pipe if it is skipped.

What areas do you cover?

Edinburgh and the Lothians, including Leith, Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Corstorphine, Currie, South Queensferry, Bonnyrigg and Loanhead.

Keep the plumbingoff your critical path

Send us the drawings or the scope. Set out properly, pressure tested before close-up, second fix that lands first time, 12-month workmanship guarantee.