Have you ever wondered about what’s behind your walls and below your floor? Today we’re talking about the stage of construction known as a top out. This is where we take the pipes that were laid under the slab and get them ready to be attached to the right fixtures and appliances. This is where the hidden magic of plumbing really comes to life.

Now, I mentioned the pipes under the slab. That’s the rough in. Now this is Texas, where just about everything is built on a slab. I know it’s not like that everywhere, but here the rough in is put in before they lay the slab, with just a little bit of pipe sticking up. It’s kind of like the skeleton of the plumbing system, leaving you just enough to know where to start putting in the rest.

When you go into a room with plumbing, once you know what you’re looking at, you can start to see how the room will take shape once it’s fully built. When you go into a kitchen, you can see the pipes that you know will go to the kitchen sink. Right next to that should be the water lines for the dishwasher. And if the stove is gas, you’re going to see the gas lines as well. In the bathroom you can see the pipe in the floor for the toilet. Sometimes the flange will even go in before the flooring. Pipes for bath tubs, showers, and lavatory sinks are all there. Having all of that in early makes it so much easier to install the final fixtures, and everyone knows where everything goes.

You notice I talked about the gas line to the stove? Plumbing isn’t just the water to the sinks and toilets. Plumbers are in charge of the gas lines as well. Do you have one of those great gas fireplaces that you can turn on with just a switch? A plumber installed that gas line. Those vents that go up through your roof? Yep, that’s part of the top out too. We need to account for your washer and dryer, a water line to your refrigerator, and your water heater. Water heaters can be electric or gas, and if it’s gas, we need to plan for that, too.

As you walk through a house after a top out, you can really start to see how the house is going to take shape. Lots of puzzle pieces are put in place, all connected to a network of pipes all throughout the house. There is meticulous planning involved to ensure that everything works  exactly as it should. It’s functional. It’s safe. It’s reliable.

Every pipe, every fitting, and every turn has a purpose. Your sewer system, your water lines, and your gas; all those systems tie together and are integral to the comfort of your home. And this is why you want a skilled plumber to take on this important job. It takes precision and planning because every piece is important and needs to be done right each and every time.