# Plumbing rough-in takeoff

> 3 fixtures: 5 drain fixture units, a 3″ drain branch, 1½″ vents and ¾″ + ½″ water lines, every fitting counted. For plumbers: supply and drain pipe by size, fittings, valves and vents for the fixtures you are adding.

## What to buy (3 fixtures)

Every line shows the quantity to buy and how StudSheet got it: the spacing, the waste and the package size, so you can check it before the supply house or the quote.

| Buy | Material | How StudSheet counts it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **6 × 10′ lengths** | PVC DWV pipe, 1½ in (1½″ PVC DWV, Schedule 40) | vent for 1 toilet 6 ft + 1 lavatory 4 ft + vent for 1 lavatory 6 ft + 1 tub/shower 5 ft + vent for 1 tub/shower 6 ft + vent header 20 ft = 47 ft, + 10% for cuts → 6 × 10′. | Schedule 40 PVC drain, waste and vent pipe, solvent-welded. |
| **3 × 10′ lengths** | PVC DWV pipe, 3 in (3″ PVC DWV, Schedule 40) | 1 toilet 4 ft + branch 20 ft = 24 ft, + 10% for cuts → 3 × 10′. | Schedule 40 PVC for toilet drains, stacks and building drains; also power-vent and tankless vent pipe where the maker allows PVC. |
| **27 fittings** | DWV fittings, 1½ in (PVC or ABS) (1½″ PVC DWV) | Allowance: the trap or bend, tees and elbows at each fixture (3–4), 3 per vent, a wye or combo per fixture on the branch, long sweeps, and a coupling between lengths. | Sanitary tees, wyes, elbows and couplings for drains and vents; match the pipe (PVC or ABS). |
| **10 fittings** | DWV fittings, 3 in (PVC or ABS) (3″ PVC DWV) | Allowance: the trap or bend, tees and elbows at each fixture (3–4), 3 per vent, a wye or combo per fixture on the branch, long sweeps, and a coupling between lengths. | Closet bends, wyes, combos, long sweeps and couplings; match the pipe. |
| **2 pint sets** | PVC primer and cement (pint set) | About 130 joint-equivalents (a 3″ joint takes about 2½ times the cement of a 1½″ one); a pint does about 90 of the small ones. | Purple primer and PVC cement. Some places don’t require the primer — use it anyway unless the inspector says otherwise. |
| **1 × 100′ coil** | PEX-A tubing, ½ in (½″ PEX-A) | 5 branches × 6 ft = 30 ft, + 10% → 1 × 100′ coil. ½″ to every fixture (the codes allow ⅜″ for some — lavatories and toilets — but ½″ covers all). | Expansion PEX (ASTM F876) for water lines; joined with expansion rings and fittings. |
| **1 × 100′ coil** | PEX-A tubing, ¾ in (¾″ PEX-A) | cold trunk 25 ft + hot trunk 25 ft = 50 ft, + 10% → 1 × 100′ coil. Sized for 3.6 WSFU → 7.4 gpm on Hunter’s curve, under 8 ft/s (¾″ minimum). | Expansion PEX for trunks and manifold feeds. |
| **15 fittings** | PEX-A expansion fittings (½–1″) | A tee and two elbows per outlet (5 outlets). | Tees, elbows and couplings for expansion PEX (ASTM F1960), ½ to 1 in. An average fitting. |
| **41 rings** | PEX-A expansion rings (sized to the tubing) | About 2½ tube ends per fitting (15) + 1 per stub-out (3). | One ring on every tube end. |
| **2 valves** | Ball valve, ¾ in (¾″ full port) | Shutoff where each new trunk leaves the main, so the new work can be isolated. | Full-port shutoff for a new trunk, a water heater’s cold supply or a manifold feed. |
| **3 stub-outs** | Stub-out elbows (½″) | One per supply at sinks, lavatories, toilets and laundry tubs. | Copper stub-out ells or drop-ear elbows that bring each supply through the wall at the right height. |
| **3 caps** | Test caps for stub-outs (½″) | Caps the stub-outs for the water test and keeps them clean until trim-out. | Push-on caps that hold the pressure test and keep the stubs clean until trim-out. |
| **3 stops** | Quarter-turn angle stops (½″ × ⅜″ compression) | 2 per sink, lavatory and laundry tub, 1 per toilet. Bought now, set at trim-out. | One per supply at sinks, lavatories, toilets and laundry tubs; set at trim-out. |
| **1 valve** | Tub/shower valve body (pressure-balance or thermostatic) | One per tub/shower and shower: an individual shower valve must limit the temperature (ASSE 1016 or 1070). | Pressure-balance or thermostatic rough-in valve (ASSE 1016 / 1070) that limits the outlet temperature; trim later. |
| **1 kit** | Tub drain and overflow (match the tub) | Drain and overflow for each tub. | Bath waste and overflow kit for the tub. |
| **1 flange** | Closet flange (3″ × 4″) | One per toilet, set to the finished floor height. | Toilet flange with a steel or stainless ring, on the 3 in or 4 in closet bend. |
| **1 trap** | P-trap, 1½ in (DWV) (1½″) | Tubs and showers: traps that go in at rough-in. | Solvent-weld P-trap for tubs, showers and laundry tubs roughed in below the floor. |
| **1 adapter** | Trap adapters, 1½ in (1½″) | The wall stub for each sink, lavatory and laundry tub trap. | Wall stub for a sink or lavatory P-trap (the tubular trap goes in at trim-out). |
| **1 cleanout** | Cleanout fittings with plugs (3″) | At the upper end of the branch (IPC 708: at the base of each stack and every 100 ft); add one at each change of direction over 135°. | Cleanout tee or adapter with a plug, full size of the pipe up to 4 in; reachable after the walls close. |
| **11 plates** | Nail plates (steel) (16-gauge) | One where each drain (3), supply (5) and vent (3) passes a stud or plate within 1¼″ of its face. | Steel shield plates over pipe that runs within 1¼″ of the face of a stud or plate. |
| **18 hangers** | DWV pipe hangers (for PVC) | One every 4′ on horizontal pipe (IPC Table 308.5). | J-hooks, straps or clamps for drain and vent pipe at the code spacing. |
| **30 clips** | Supply pipe clips (for PEX-A) | One every 2′ 8″ along 80 ft of water pipe (IPC Table 308.5). | PEX, copper or CPVC clips and straps at the code spacing. |

### In Canada (3 fixtures)

Set to Canada, the Sheet works the job out again for Ontario: metric sizes, bag sizes, the frost depth and the code notes. It doesn't just convert feet to meters. The first lines:

- **5 × 3.66 m lengths, PVC DWV pipe, 1½ in:** vent for 1 toilet 1.83 m + 1 lavatory 1.22 m + vent for 1 lavatory 1.83 m + 1 tub/shower 1.52 m + vent for 1 tub/shower 1.83 m + vent header 6.10 m = 14.33 m, + 10% for cuts → 5 × 3.66 m.
- **3 × 3.66 m lengths, PVC DWV pipe, 3 in:** 1 toilet 1.22 m + branch 6.10 m = 7.32 m, + 10% for cuts → 3 × 3.66 m.
- **26 fittings, DWV fittings, 1½ in (PVC or ABS):** Allowance: the trap or bend, tees and elbows at each fixture (3–4), 3 per vent, a wye or combo per fixture on the branch, long sweeps, and a coupling between lengths.
- **10 fittings, DWV fittings, 3 in (PVC or ABS):** Allowance: the trap or bend, tees and elbows at each fixture (3–4), 3 per vent, a wye or combo per fixture on the branch, long sweeps, and a coupling between lengths.
- **2 473 mL can sets, PVC primer and cement (pint set):** About 128 joint-equivalents (a 3 in joint takes about 2½ times the cement of a 1½ in one); a 473 mL can does about 90 of the small ones.
- **1 × 30.48 m coil, PEX-A tubing, ½ in:** 5 branches × 1.83 m = 9.14 m, + 10% → 1 × 30.48 m coil. ½ in to every fixture (the codes allow ⅜ in for some — lavatories and toilets — but ½ in covers all).

## The order of work, for the licensed pro

> **PRO JOB: a licensed contractor’s job. The order of work is here so you know what’s involved and what to ask.** About 15–22 hours of work for this example.

1. Pull the plumbing permit (plumbing subcode, filed by the master plumber) and post it on site.
2. Lay out from the fixture spec sheets and the finished wall and floor lines: drain centers, trap arm heights and supply stubs (the rough-in card on the drawing has typical heights).
3. Bore and notch within the framing code’s limits — ask the framer or engineer before cutting any joist, beam or truss — and put nail plates where pipe sits within 1¼″ of the face.
4. Set the closet flange, tub and shower drains and the traps, then run the drain branch to the stack or main at ¼″ per foot — wyes and long sweeps for horizontal turns, sanitary tees only from horizontal into vertical.
5. Run the vents: every trap arm within its limit, every vent off the top of its trap arm and up at least 6″ above the flood rim before it turns flat, the header into the existing vent stack.
6. Run the water lines: trunk and branches in PEX-A, hot on the left, strapped at the code spacing; stub out and cap every outlet.
7. Test the drains and vents once the solvent-welded joints have set: filled with water to the top, at least a 10 ft head, for 15 minutes, or air at 5 psi for 15 minutes — plastic DWV only where the pipe maker allows air (IPC 312).
8. Test the water lines: at least the working pressure with water, or air at 50 psi on metal pipe — not on plastic (IPC 312.5).
9. Rough-in inspection with the tests holding, the caps on and the nail plates in — before insulation and drywall.
10. After drywall: stops, traps and fixtures at trim-out, then the final inspection.

## Tools (20)

Must-have tools first, then the ones that help and the ones to rent for the day.

| Tool | Need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| **Tape measure (25 ft)** | **Must have** | The red boxes every 16″ on the blade are stud spacing. |
| **Carpenter's pencil** | **Must have** | Flat, doesn't roll away, marks rough lumber. |
| **4-ft level** | **Must have** | Slope on every drain run |
| **Torpedo level** | **Must have** | Plumb stub-outs and trap arms |
| **Cordless drill/driver** | **Must have** | Drills holes, drives screws, mixes small batches. |
| **Right-angle drill** | **Must have** | Bores studs and joists for drains and supply |
| **Auger bit set** | **Must have** | Clean holes for 1½–2″ pipe |
| **Hole saw kit** | **Must have** | Holes for 3″ drains and the flange |
| **Reciprocating saw** | **Must have** | Opens walls and cuts old pipe |
| **PVC pipe cutter** | **Must have** | Square cuts in 1½–2″ pipe (a saw for 3″ and up) |
| **Handsaw** | Good to have | Cuts 3–4″ pipe with a miter box |
| **Deburring tool** | **Must have** | Clean cut ends before cementing |
| **PEX expansion tool** | **Must have** | Expansion joints on PEX-A |
| **PEX cutter** | **Must have** | Scissor cutter for clean, square cuts in PEX and plastic tubing. |
| **Test plugs** | **Must have** | Seal the drains for the water or air test |
| **Pressure test pump** | **Must have** | Pressurizes the water lines for the test |
| **Tongue-and-groove pliers** | **Must have** | Adjustable pliers for slip nuts, fittings and drain parts. |
| **Safety glasses** | **Must have** | Every cut, every nail, every time. |
| **Work gloves** | **Must have** | Primer, cement, flux and freshly cut pipe |
| **Work light** | **Must have** | Inside walls, under floors and in crawl spaces |

## Mistakes and how the math works

### Mistakes that cost a callback or a second trip

- **Roughing in before the fixtures are picked:** Toilets come in 10″, 12″ and 14″ rough-ins, tub drains go left or right, and wall-mount faucets need their own stubs. Get the spec sheets first.
- **A sanitary tee on its back:** Sanitary tees only turn flow from horizontal into vertical. On a horizontal drain they choke the flow and fail inspection — use a wye or a combo.
- **A vent below the trap weir:** A vent that leaves the trap arm below the weir, or a trap arm longer than the table allows, siphons the trap dry and lets sewer gas in.
- **Air-testing plastic drains:** Many PVC and ABS makers forbid testing their pipe with compressed air: a fitting that lets go can shatter. Water-test unless the maker and the inspector allow air.
- **No nail plates:** A drywall screw through a drain or a water line shows up months later as a stain on the ceiling. Plate every pipe within 1¼″ of the face.

### What the calculator assumes

- Code: the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC 2021), New Jersey’s plumbing subcode. New Jersey enforces the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC 2021, N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.15). These sizes use the IPC tables as a cross-check; the NSPC’s tables differ in places — check each size against it. Confirm with your building department.
- Fixture units (IPC Table 709.1): bathroom group 5 (1.6 gpf toilet), toilet 3, lavatory 1 (1¼″ trap), tub or shower 2 (1½″), kitchen sink 2 with or without a dishwasher, dishwasher alone 2, washer 2 (2″), laundry tub 2, sink 2, floor drain 2 (an emergency floor drain 0).
- Horizontal branches (IPC Table 710.1(2)): 1½″ 3 DFU, 2″ 6, 3″ 20, 4″ 160; stacks of three branch intervals or fewer: 2″ 10, 3″ 48, 4″ 240. Building drains at ¼″ per foot (2%) (Table 710.1(1)): 2″ 21, 3″ 42, 4″ 216. Any drain a toilet uses: 3″ minimum. 2½″ is skipped: stores rarely stock it.
- Trap arms (IPC Table 909.1): 1¼″ 5′, 1½″ 6′, 2″ 8′, 3″ 12′, 4″ 16′.
- Vents: at least half the drain they serve and 1¼″ minimum (bought as 1½″); a 3″ vent through the roof for a new stack (cold climates require it so frost can’t close it).
- Slope: ¼″ per foot (2%) on small drains (IPC Table 704.1).
- Water: fixture units per fixture (IRC P2903.6): toilet 2.2, lavatory 0.7, tub or shower 1.4, kitchen sink 1.4, dishwasher 1.4, washer 1.4, laundry tub 1.4, hose bib 2.5 (1.0 each after the first); a full bath 3.6, half bath 2.6, kitchen or laundry pair 2.5. Peak flow on Hunter’s curve (IPC Appendix E); trunks ¾″ minimum, sized to 8 ft/s (5 ft/s hot in copper, UPC 610.12).
- Allowances (typical): fixture drains 4–5 ft (a washer 7 ft with its standpipe), a 6 ft vent per fixture, 6 ft per branch to a fixture, 10 ft manifold feeds, +10% on every pipe for cuts; PEX in 100′ and 300′ coils.
- Hangers: plastic DWV every 4 ft, cast iron every 5 ft, PEX every 32″, copper every 6 ft, CPVC every 3 ft (typical of IPC Table 308.5 and UPC Table 313.3).
- Gas piping for a range, dryer or water heater isn’t on this Sheet: the licensed gas fitter sizes and tests it.

## Code, permits and safety

The Sheet sets its code notes for the job's state or province. These are New Jersey's and Ontario's; the [code reference](https://studsheet.com/codes) has more. Always confirm with your building department.

- **Sized with the IPC tables:** Code here: the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC 2021), New Jersey’s plumbing subcode. Fixture units and trap sizes from IPC Table 709.1; branches and stacks from IPC Table 710.1(2), the building drain from 710.1(1); trap arms from Table 909.1. New Jersey enforces the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC 2021, N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.15). These sizes use the IPC tables as a cross-check; the NSPC’s tables differ in places — check each size against it. Confirm with your building department.
- **License and permit:** New Jersey: plumbing is done by a master plumber licensed by the NJ State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, or by workers under one; the master plumber’s license number and seal go on the plumbing subcode permit application at the town’s construction office (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.15). Inspections: rough-in with the tests holding, before the walls close; final once the fixtures are in.
- **Tests the inspector watches:** Drains and vents: filled with water to the top, at least a 10 ft head, for 15 minutes, or air at 5 psi for 15 minutes — plastic DWV only where the pipe maker allows air (IPC 312). Water lines: at least the working pressure with water, or air at 50 psi on metal pipe — not on plastic (IPC 312.5). Final inspection with the fixtures set and working.
- **Sized with the NPC tables:** Code here: the Ontario Building Code (Part 7, Plumbing). Fixture units and trap sizes from OBC 7.4.9.3; branches, stacks and building drains from OBC 7.4.10.6; vents from OBC 7.5.7; trap arms from OBC 7.5.6.3. Confirm with your building department.

## Questions

### What materials do I need to rough in plumbing?

For the worked example, a 3 fixtures, the Sheet counts 22 lines with waste included, starting with pVC DWV pipe, 1½ in (6 × 10′ lengths), pVC DWV pipe, 3 in (3 × 10′ lengths), dWV fittings, 1½ in (PVC or ABS) (27 fittings), dWV fittings, 3 in (PVC or ABS) (10 fittings). Each line's math is in the table above. Put in your own sizes in the [plumbing calculator](https://app.studsheet.com/p/plumbing) and every line is counted again.

### How long does it take to rough in plumbing, and can I do it myself?

About 15 to 22 hours for the worked example, in 10 steps. StudSheet stamps it **PRO JOB**: hire this out (pros get the full Sheet).

### What tools do I need to rough in plumbing?

20 in all. The must-haves start with tape measure (25 ft), carpenter's pencil, 4-ft level, torpedo level, cordless drill/driver, right-angle drill. On the Sheet you mark each one as owned, to buy or to rent.

## Ask about it

Stuck while you rough in plumbing? Ask in the [Plumbing rough-in group](https://studsheet.com/forum/plumbing-rough-in) of the StudSheet community with this Sheet attached. Homeowners who've done it and verified pros answer, and anyone can read it.

## More plumbing Sheets

- **[Plumbing for contractors](https://studsheet.com/trades/plumbing)**: run this takeoff at your own prices, send the estimate, and get it signed and the deposit paid.
- **[Water heater replacement](https://studsheet.com/sheets/waterheater)** (Gas water heater, 4 people): For plumbers: tank or tankless, venting, expansion tank, relief line, connections and the permit.
- **[Replace a toilet](https://studsheet.com/sheets/toilet)** (Toilet, 12″ rough-in): Measure the rough-in, pick a toilet that fits, and swap it with a new seal, bolts and supply line — plus what to do about a broken flange.
- **[Replace a bathroom vanity](https://studsheet.com/sheets/vanity)** (30″ vanity): A vanity that fits the space and the pipes, its top and faucet, new supply lines, trap, shims and sealant — swapped in an afternoon.
- **[Replace a faucet](https://studsheet.com/sheets/faucet)** (Kitchen faucet): A kitchen or bathroom faucet that fits your sink’s holes, new supply lines, the right sealant, and a leak check — or a cartridge for a drip.
- **[All 45 Sheets](https://studsheet.com/sheets)**, across 16 trades.
- **[Code reference](https://studsheet.com/codes):** frost depths, guard heights, stairs, retaining walls.