New Construction Plumbing
New construction plumbing is scheduled work: underground, rough-in, and finish, each landing between other trades and each inspected. Getting it right early is what keeps a project moving.
New Construction Plumbing
When to call
What usually brings people to this
Root intrusion is relentless here. Mature landscaping and old clay or cast-iron joints are a bad combination that shows up as a backup every few months.
These are the symptoms that usually prompt the call. Any one of them is worth a conversation, and most of them get cheaper to deal with the earlier they are looked at.
A ground-up residential build
An addition needing new supply and drainage
A structure being brought onto a septic or sewer connection
A build needing a gas system
Coordinating plumbing around a construction schedule
Delay converts a scheduled repair into an emergency, and emergencies cost more and happen at worse times.
How we work it
We start by finding out what is actually happening, not what it looks like from the fixture.
Underground first
Drain, waste and vent below slab, laid out and inspected before concrete.
Rough-in
Supply, drain and vent through the framing, tested and inspected before walls close.
Finish
Fixtures, appliances and water heater set and commissioned.
Coordinate throughout
Plumbing sits between concrete, framing, drywall and finish, and the schedule has to work.
Worth knowingWhat new construction plumbing actually involves
Being straight about scope is why most of our work comes from repeat customers and people they sent us.
The stage that causes the most trouble on a build is underground, because it happens first and gets covered in concrete. Drain positions, slopes and vent locations set at that point determine what the finished building can do. Errors found later are found after the slab is poured. We would rather spend the extra time on the underground layout, checking it against the plans and the finished design, than be the reason somebody is breaking concrete in month four.
Our equipment is chosen around not having to guess, because guessing is what produces unnecessary work and surprised customers.
Our coverage reaches from the mountain-adjacent communities down through the valley floor and out to the desert cities. If you are outside the usual radius, call and ask. We cover more ground than most shops our size.
We start by finding out what is actually happening, not what it looks like from the fixture.
Keeping it from happening again
Delay converts a scheduled repair into an emergency, and emergencies cost more and happen at worse times.
Knowing your own system is worth real money. Where the main shutoff is, where the sewer cleanout is, how old the water heater is, and whether the property is on sewer or septic. Those four facts shorten every future service call you will ever have.
Watch your water bill. A bill that climbs without a change in habits is often the only warning a hidden leak will give you before the damage shows.
If you have had a line cleared more than once, ask for a camera inspection rather than a third clearing. Repeated blockages nearly always have a physical cause worth finding.
Check the pressure at a hose bib occasionally. Above about eighty psi you are shortening the life of every fixture, valve and appliance in the building, and a regulator is a cheap fix.
Who you are calling
Call and a person picks up, day or night. If it is urgent we will often tell you what to shut off before we are on the road.
Three of Big Mike's family run this company now. They grew up in it, learned the work from him, and took it over because he knew they would look after people the same way.
Licensed for plumbing and for sanitation systems, and as a general engineering contractor, which between them cover everything we are asked to do here.
No sales pitch, and a straight explanation of what we found.
Big Mike's · Yucaipa, California
Questions we get about new construction plumbing
If yours is not here, call and ask. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
Do you work from plans?
Yes, and we will flag anything that will cause trouble before it is built rather than after.
Can you handle the septic side too?
Yes. We are licensed for sanitation systems as well as plumbing, so a property on septic is one contractor rather than two.
When do you need to be on site?
Three main stages: underground before slab, rough-in before drywall, and finish after surfaces.
Do you pull the permits?
Yes, permits and inspections are part of the work.
Are you licensed?
Yes. We hold plumbing, sanitation and general engineering contractor licensing, which lets one shop handle work that runs from inside the house out to the septic field.
What should I do before you arrive?
Know where your main water shutoff is and whether it turns. Clear access to the work area. If you smell gas, leave the building and call from outside.
Do you work on commercial property as well as homes?
Yes. Residential, commercial and industrial, including offices, apartment complexes, hotels, restaurants and plant systems.
How soon can you get here?
We run a 24-hour line and same-day service is normal. When you call we will give you a realistic window rather than an optimistic one that slips.
How this fits the rest of the system
Water pressure is worth understanding because too much of it quietly destroys a house. Above about eighty psi, fixtures wear faster, appliance valves fail early and pipe joints take stress they were not designed for. A great many homes in this region run higher than they should because the supply pressure in the street is high and nobody has ever checked the regulator.
Before we come out
Before we arrive it helps to know where your main water shutoff is and whether it turns. Clearing access to the work area and putting pets somewhere else speeds things up considerably too.
The reach across San Bernardino, Riverside and eastern Los Angeles counties is a consequence of longevity rather than a marketing decision. Customers move, recommend us to people in other towns, and the map fills in over four decades.
Related work and where we do it
Other work we do in homes
- Slab Leak Repair
Pressurized lines failing under a concrete slab.
- Sewer Line Replacement
Full lateral replacement when repair is past the point.
- Drain Cleaning
Slow and stopped drains, cabled and cleared.
- Gas Line Installation
New gas runs for appliances and outdoor kitchens.
- Water Heater Repair
No hot water, leaking tanks, failed elements.
- Sewer Line Repair
Cracked, offset and root-invaded laterals.
Where we go
We run new construction plumbing out of Yucaipa across Glendora, La Quinta, Menifee, Covina, Jurupa Valley, Pomona and Baldwin Park, and the rest of San Bernardino, Riverside and the eastern edge of Los Angeles County.
Call the shop. A person picks up.
Tell us what it is doing and we will tell you what it takes to fix it. Plain language, no sales pitch, and the number before we start.
Yucaipa, California · Serving San Bernardino, Riverside and eastern Los Angeles counties · Open 24 hours