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New construction plumbing gets bid two ways: per fixture or by the whole house. Both methods work, but if you don't understand the math behind each one, you'll either leave money on the table or lose the bid entirely.
I've bid new construction jobs ranging from simple three-bedroom tract homes to custom builds with six bathrooms and a pool house. The approach changes, but the fundamentals stay the same. Here's how to think about rough-in pricing in 2026.
Per-fixture pricing: the standard approach
Most plumbing contractors in new construction price by the fixture. A "fixture" is any connection point: toilet, sink, shower, dishwasher, hose bib, etc. Your per-fixture price covers the rough-in pipe, fittings, and labor to get supply and drain lines to that location.
| Fixture | Rough-in cost (labor + materials) |
|---|---|
| Toilet | $350-$550 |
| Bathroom sink (single) | $300-$475 |
| Bathroom sink (double vanity) | $450-$650 |
| Bathtub / shower combo | $500-$800 |
| Walk-in shower (custom) | $600-$1,000 |
| Kitchen sink | $400-$600 |
| Dishwasher | $150-$250 |
| Washing machine | $250-$400 |
| Utility / laundry sink | $300-$450 |
| Hose bib (exterior) | $125-$225 |
| Water heater connection | $200-$350 |
| Gas line (per appliance) | $200-$400 |
| Floor drain | $175-$300 |
These numbers include your pipe, fittings, hangers, and labor but not the fixtures themselves (toilets, faucets, etc.). Those get installed during the trim-out phase, which is a separate line item.
Whole-house pricing
Builders often want a single number for the whole plumbing package. To get there, you count fixtures and multiply, then adjust for the specific house.
A typical new construction home breaks down like this:
| Home type | Fixture count | Rough-in total | Complete plumbing (rough + trim) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-bed / 2-bath (1,400 sq ft) | 12-15 | $4,500-$7,500 | $7,000-$12,000 |
| 3-bed / 2.5-bath (1,800 sq ft) | 15-18 | $5,500-$9,000 | $8,500-$14,500 |
| 4-bed / 3-bath (2,400 sq ft) | 18-22 | $7,000-$11,000 | $11,000-$18,000 |
| Custom home (3,500+ sq ft) | 25-35 | $10,000-$18,000 | $16,000-$28,000 |
The per-square-foot shortcut: rough-in plumbing in new residential construction typically runs $3.00-$5.50 per square foot of finished living space. That's a quick sanity check, not a bidding method. Always count fixtures.
Material costs: what you're actually buying
Your material choice affects both cost and labor time. Here's where things stand in 2026:
PEX (supply lines). Most new construction uses PEX for supply because it's faster to install than copper. Material runs $0.40-$0.80 per foot for 1/2" and $0.60-$1.20 for 3/4". A typical house needs 200-400 feet of supply line. Your material cost for PEX supply: $120-$400.
Copper. Still required by some jurisdictions and preferred by some builders. Material is $2.50-$4.50 per foot for 1/2" and $3.50-$6.00 for 3/4". Same house, copper supply: $600-$2,000. The labor is also slower because of soldering, so your hours go up 30-40%.
PVC/ABS (drain, waste, vent). Standard for DWV in most areas. 2" PVC runs $0.80-$1.50/foot, 3" runs $1.20-$2.50, and 4" runs $1.80-$3.50. A typical house uses 150-300 feet of DWV pipe. Material cost: $200-$600.
Fittings, hangers, and miscellaneous. Budget $300-$700 per house for fittings, test plugs, pipe hangers, nail plates, and consumables. This is where people get sloppy on estimates. Those $3 fittings add up fast when you need 80 of them.
Labor: how many hours does rough-in actually take?
For a journeyman plumber working with a helper:
- Slab work (underground DWV before concrete): 8-16 hours depending on fixture count and layout
- Top-out (supply and DWV in walls and ceiling): 16-32 hours
- Testing and inspection prep: 2-4 hours
Total rough-in labor for a 3-bed/2-bath on slab: 26-52 hours. On a crawl space or basement, deduct the slab work and add 6-12 hours for the under-floor DWV (it's faster than trenching but still takes time).
At $85-$130/hour for a journeyman (check your market with the contractor rate lookup), plus $35-$55/hour for a helper, your loaded labor rate runs $120-$185/hour. For a 3/2 home, labor cost: $3,120-$9,620.
The things that change your number
Slab vs. crawl space vs. basement. Slab work means trenching in the slab before it's poured. It's not hard work, but the timing is critical. If the concrete crew is ready and your underground isn't done, you're holding up the entire build. Some plumbers add a premium for slab work because of the scheduling pressure.
Multi-story homes. Running DWV up through two or three floors adds complexity and hours. Budget 15-20% more per fixture on upper floors compared to ground level.
Custom fixtures. A standard shower rough-in is straightforward. A multi-head custom shower with body sprays, a steam generator, and a linear drain takes 3-4x the labor. Get the fixture specs before you bid.
Distance between wet walls. A compact layout where the kitchen backs up to a bathroom is much faster to plumb than a spread-out floor plan where every wet area is 30 feet from the next. If the architect put the master bath on the opposite end of the house from the kitchen and laundry, your pipe runs are longer and your hours are higher.
Bidding strategy for builders
If you're doing new construction, you're usually bidding against other plumbers. Here's what I've learned about winning bids without giving away margin:
Break your bid into phases. Rough-in, trim-out, and gas piping as separate line items. Builders appreciate the transparency, and it protects you if the scope changes mid-build.
Include allowances for fixtures. The builder might not have picked fixtures yet. Quote the rough-in firmly and provide fixture allowances that give you room to adjust at trim-out.
Build in a site visit per phase. You'll need to check underground before the pour, verify rough-in before insulation, and do a final walkthrough at trim. Your bid should account for these trips.
Run your bid through the plumbing pricing calculator to verify your margins. On new construction bids, it's easy to get competitive and accidentally price yourself at 20% gross margin, which, after overhead, leaves you almost nothing.
What good margins look like on new construction
Target 40-50% gross margin on rough-in work. That means if your labor and materials total $6,000, you're pricing the job at $10,000-$12,000. After overhead (truck, insurance, tools, office), your net profit should be 15-22%.
New construction volume can make up for slightly thinner margins compared to service work, but don't let builders push you below 35% gross. At that point you're working for wages, not building a business.
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