Commercial Plumbing vs. Residential Plumbing: What Are the Differences?


When most people think of plumbing companies, they imagine a few people with a truck, some tools, and some basic knowledge about pipes. In reality, the industry is much more complicated. Did you know there are a range of differences between residential plumbing jobs and commercial ones?

The Size of the Plumbing Job

The most obvious difference between commercial and residential plumbing jobs is the size of the project. Residential jobs typically only include a hot water heater and one or two bathrooms. Commercial spaces are much more complicated because they must provide plumbing for customers and employees. Family homes usually only require a team of a couple of people to get the job done, but a business project has many more pipes and outlets and often needs a larger team. Of course, the permit requirements are different for single-family homes than they are for larger buildings as well.

The Type of Equipment Required

Because the size of the jobs are so different, residential and commercial plumbing requires different types of equipment as well. Plumbers who work in a family home usually deal with minor issues like water heater maintenance, backed up drains, or other small-scale issues. Large buildings have much larger needs that require much larger plumbing equipment. Consider the large boilers, industrial-grade piping, and complicated sewer lines the crew must work on.

The Time the Jobs Take Place

Even the hours that a plumbing team works tend to differ depending on whether the project is for a residential home or commercial business. Residential plumbing typically keeps a 9-5 schedule, except for those who deal with emergency calls on the evenings or weekends. Projects that need commercial plumbing Batavia, especially large ones for places like malls or office spaces, usually happen overnight. This is because the buildings are less likely to be in use overnight, so the plumbing doesn’t affect business or create other inconveniences.

The Number of Floors

What you might not know is that the number of floors a building has matters when it comes to plumbing. Residential plumbing jobs usually do not focus on more than two floors, although there are some exceptions for larger houses. Those who work in large structures that have multiple floors must have specialized knowledge. When every floor requires toilets and sinks, a lot of piping is required. Commercial plumbers understand how a pipe on the 12th floor must function differently than one on the first floor because of how gravity affects it.

When you need a commercial plumber, you need a company that has experience with a job as large as yours. When hiring a company, verify credentials, ensure excellent customer service, and ask for references for buildings they’ve worked on that are of similar size to yours.

Visit  www.aceplumbersworcester.co.uk for more information regarding how best to find the best commercial plumbers.

Elements used to create Featured image Artwork provided by Created by Jill.

Leave a Comment