How Engineers Can Improve Their Plumbing Specs for Better Project Results

3 min read

No matter if a new project includes an under-slab plumbing design or a high-rise drain and waste system, mechanical and plumbing engineers (MEP) want to give their client a high-quality design and end result that has lasting value, while maintaining profitability.

Project specifications play a key role in achieving these goals, but many engineers may not think to review or update their specs until something goes wrong. Being proactive and tightening up your specs today will serve you well in building and maintaining a profitable engineering firm.

We’ll look at the need for and value of being more specific in your specifications to help you achieve these goals and minimize costly project issues.

Why Mechanical and Plumbing Engineers Need High-quality, Detailed Specifications

There are several reasons to get more granular with your specs, and they’re all connected. Here’s why it’s worth the effort.

You Can Save on Job Costs.

Just because you specify a higher quality product doesn’t mean you can’t still stick to the budget. Nor does it mean you have to sacrifice other parts of the project to make up for the cost of using better products. While some plumbing systems may require more investment up front, many products are designed to cut labor costs, helping the project team stay on budget.

HoldRite’s line of engineered solutions and SharkBite PEX systems, for example, are designed to save time on the job site while increasing quality of work. Specifying plumbing solutions like these creates a win for everyone because you can stay on budget while delivering a higher quality job that exceeds client expectations.

You'll Reduce Project Delays and the Need for Value Engineering.

Detailed specs help minimize change orders and reduce the need for value engineering in construction. They also help simplify the submittal process and minimize RFIs — all of which tend to delay projects.

You’ll Minimize Installation Failures.

Without precise specifications, most contractors will gravitate toward the most budget-friendly option, which may not result in a quality installation. Some may even resort to makeshift methods that are unreliable and inconsistent. By listing a specific product or method in your specifications, you outline requirements that ensure proper installs, which help prevent system failures and warranty issues.

You Can Better Build and Maintain Your Firm’s Reputation.

A project that has problems down the line reflects poorly on your firm and the plumbing design team as a whole. Specifications communicate the project standards from the beginning. When you use trustworthy products that support your projects long term, you protect your work and build a reputation for prioritizing the interest of your clients with predictable, high-quality results.

You’ll Have a Higher-quality Project to Show.

The more you produce exceptional, consistent results, the more you become known for your reliability and quality. It all begins with the standards you set forth in the specifications. They set the foundation for your projects by affecting:

Contractors’ quality of work.
How quickly the team can complete installations.
The project’s overall quality.

The more detailed your specifications are, the less room there is for inconsistencies and variations of quality. And you'll look better to current and potential clients.

Improving Your Specs Today is Easy — We’ll Do the Heavy Lifting.

We know updating a spec document probably isn’t high on your priority list, especially when you’re getting paid to design and specify a project, not update paperwork.

But with the right help, you won’t have to do the heavy lifting. Let manufacturers you trust be your allies in tightening up and fine-tuning your specifications.

At HoldRite, we want MEPs to be proud of their specifications and projects without adding undue cost. So, we help by:

Providing free assistance and authorship of your specs. We’ll also help with BIM, 3-D models, tech assistance and training.
Helping contractors with creating submittals, so they’re easier for you to review and approve.
Providing product knowledge and installation training in person or virtually, giving you — and contractors — more confidence in the integrity of the installation.
Conducting CEU training or a Lunch and Learn for your staff.

To gain access to any of these benefits and support opportunities, simply reach out to your HoldRite rep. We’ll help you find the right resource to support you and your projects.