New build plumbing in Christchurch
New houses, sleepouts and self-contained units, plumbed and gasfitted from scratch. Certifying work, our own council inspections booked in, and a record of work at the end of it.
New homes
We install the plumbing and the gas for new residential builds — the full run, from the water main at the boundary through to the last tap turned on at handover.
- Water supply. The main in from the toby, sized for the house rather than for whatever is cheapest, and the hot and cold reticulation through the building.
- Sanitary plumbing. Wastes and vents for every fixture, set out to the consented plans and to the gradients they actually need.
- Hot water. Cylinder or gas continuous flow, sized to the number of bathrooms and the way the house will be used, not guessed at from the floor area.
- Gasfitting. Bottled or reticulated natural gas, appliance connections, and the gas certificate issued on completion by a certifying gasfitter.
- Fixtures and fit-off. Tapware, sanitaryware, laundry and kitchen connections, commissioned and tested.
Sleepouts, minor dwellings and self-contained units
A sleepout with a bed in it is one thing. Put a kitchen or a bathroom in it and it becomes a self-contained unit, and the plumbing behind it changes completely — water supply, hot water, wastes, and usually a building consent.
We plumb both, and the honest conversation at the start saves money later:
- Water to the unit. A separate supply line run from the toby, sized so the main house and the unit aren't fighting each other for pressure. Teeing a unit off the nearest convenient pipe is where most retro-fitted sleepouts go wrong.
- Hot water for a small dwelling. A small cylinder, a gas continuous flow unit or an extension of the main house system — each has a different running cost and a different failure mode, and which one suits depends on how the unit will actually be used.
- Wastes and connection. The plumbing inside the unit is ours. Getting the foul waste from the unit to the existing drainage is drainlaying work — see below.
- Isolation. Its own isolating valves, so the unit can be worked on without shutting the house down. Worth the small cost at install, expensive to retro-fit.
Worth knowing before you start: once a building has its own cooking and sanitary facilities, the council generally treats it as a separate dwelling, which can bring building consent, development contributions and sometimes a second water connection into the picture. That is a conversation with the council rather than with us, but we would rather you had it early than late.
Where our work stops. Flush & Flow is a certifying plumber and gasfitter, not a registered drainlayer. On a new build we do the plumbing and the gasfitting. The foul and stormwater drainage — the buried pipework outside the building — is drainlaying work and has to be carried out by someone registered for it.
That is normal on any build, and it is not a problem: the two trades work alongside each other on every job. We will tell you plainly which parts are ours, and we can put you onto a drainlayer for the rest.
How a build runs
- Pricing off the plans. Send the consented drawings and we will quote the plumbing and gas from them rather than guessing off a floor area.
- Rough-in, before lining. Pipework in the walls and floor, set out, pressure tested and inspected before anything gets covered. This is the stage where mistakes get expensive, so it is the one we take our time over.
- Inspections. We book our own plumbing and gas inspections with the council where the consent requires them, rather than leaving it with the builder to chase.
- Fit-off and commissioning. Fixtures, tapware and appliances installed, hot water commissioned, everything tested under real pressure.
- Paperwork. Record of work for the restricted building work, and the gas certificate for any gasfitting. That is what the council and your lender will want to see.
New commercial premises and fit-outs
The same work applies to a new shop, cafe or office — a new tenancy fit-out or a new light commercial building is plumbed on the same principles, with the trading programme rather than a handover date driving the timing. That work is covered on our Light Commercial page.
Working with builders
Most of this work comes through builders, and what they want from a plumber is simple: turn up when the programme says, do not hold up the lining, and answer the phone when something changes on site. We are a small team, which means you get the same people on your job from rough-in to fit-off rather than whoever was free that week.
We are also happy to work directly for an owner-builder. If you are project managing your own build, we will tell you where the plumbing sits in the programme and what has to happen before we can start.
Get a free quote for this job
Tell us what needs doing and we'll come back to you quickly with a price. No obligation, and no charge for the quote.
If you smell gas, or have a burst pipe actively flooding your property, don't wait on a form — call 027 811 5916 now.
Common questions
Do you do plumbing for new houses?
Yes. We install the plumbing and gasfitting for new residential builds — water supply from the main, hot and cold reticulation, sanitary plumbing, hot water, gas and fit-off. We price off the consented plans, book our own council inspections, and provide the record of work at the end.
Can you plumb a sleepout or a self-contained unit?
Yes. A sleepout with a kitchen or bathroom is a self-contained unit, and it needs its own water supply, hot water and wastes rather than being teed off the nearest convenient pipe. We size the supply so the unit and the main house aren't competing for pressure, and we fit isolating valves so one can be worked on without shutting down the other.
Do I need a consent for a sleepout?
That depends on what is in it, and it is a question for the council rather than for us. Broadly, once a building has its own cooking and sanitary facilities it is generally treated as a separate dwelling, which can bring building consent, development contributions and sometimes a second water connection with it. Worth finding out before the slab goes down.
Do you do the drainage on a new build?
No. Drainage — the buried foul and stormwater pipework outside the building — is drainlaying work and must be carried out by a registered drainlayer. We do the plumbing and the gasfitting, which is the work inside the building and the water supply. The two trades work alongside each other on every build, and we can put you onto a drainlayer.
How do you price a new build?
Off the plans. Send us the consented drawings and we will quote the plumbing and gas rather than working to an hourly rate on a job of that size. For variations and extras during the build, our standard rates apply and we tell you before we carry on if something changes.
Will I get the paperwork for council?
Yes. We provide the record of work for the restricted building work we carry out, and a gas certificate for any gasfitting. Those are the documents the council, your lender and your insurer will ask for.
Where we work
We're a family owned business based on Wilsons Road South in St Martins, and we work right across greater Christchurch — including these suburbs and more.