Commercial vs Residential Plumbing: 8 Key Differences

What is Residential Plumbing?

Residential plumbers are called to people’s homes, usually to fix problems with things like water pipes, faucets, water heaters, and other fixtures and appliances. The work is sometimes unpredictable, and you won’t always know what you’re dealing with until you arrive at the house or apartment.

On some callouts, you might need to troubleshoot problems, such as leaky pipes, clogged drains, faulty water appliances, or toilet flush issues.

In general, there are three main categories of installation and repair you’ll need to do in people’s homes:

• Water supply systems: You might need to install or fix pipework that brings clean water in and distributes it around the home, such as pipes for the kitchen sink, bath, shower, toilet, and water heating systems.

• Drainage systems: These systems remove wastewater from people’s homes through sewer lines and vents. Residential plumbers usually offer drain cleaning services.

• Appliances: Faucets, toilets, showers, boilers, and water heaters all need somebody to install them and carry out regular checks and maintenance.

What is Commercial Plumbing?

Commercial plumbing differs from residential plumbing in terms of the scale and scope of the jobs. It usually involves bigger contracts, as commercial and industrial buildings tend to have more toilets, wash basins, and heating systems.  

As a commercial plumber, you’ll often work in big office blocks, shopping malls, or industrial facilities with complex pipework and systems. Commercial pipes and fixtures differ from residential ones, and you’ll sometimes need different tools to do the job.

What Are the Differences Between Commercial and Residential Plumbing?

If you’re deciding whether to focus on commercial or residential plumbing as a career, there are plenty of factors to consider. Both commercial and residential plumbers are qualified technicians who need to know what they’re doing when they turn up on a job. 

However, we'll explore some key differences between the two types of plumbing in more detail in this section.

Key Difference 1: Scope and scale

Although this is not always the case, residential plumbing problems tend to be easier to solve. The jobs are typically smaller and can often be finished quickly, within hours or days.

For example, in a residential home, the kind of jobs you’ll be doing include the following:

• Fixing leaky faucets. 

• Unblocking drains.

• Installing or repairing water heaters.

• Occasionally, sorting out more complex issues like sewer line repairs or whole-home repiping. 

These tasks are usually pretty straightforward and confined to a single part of the home. You won’t need unusual tools or materials for most jobs, just the typical plumber’s toolkit.

Homeowners want quick, reliable fixes, so ensure you get good at diagnosing and resolving common issues. You should also aim to build a good rapport with clients. That way, people are more likely to recommend you to friends and family.

By contrast, commercial plumbing jobs are much bigger. Many commercial settings are spread across multiple stories or levels, meaning the water and drainage systems are much more complex. 

Typical jobs for commercial plumbers include the following:

• Installing large-scale plumbing systems in new buildings.

• Maintaining complex networks of pipes and fixtures across multiple floors.

• Upgrading entire systems to meet modern standards. 

Commercial jobs often involve working alongside other contractors and might require specialist tools and materials. 

Key Difference 2: Plumbing codes and regulations

Two separate sets of rules govern residential and commercial plumbing services.

In most countries, including the US, if you’re doing plumbing work in residential buildings, you should follow the International Plumbing Code (IPC) rules. It includes provisions for fixtures, piping, fittings, devices, and water and waste connections to the public utilities. 

There are numerous local, state, and federal regulations as well as licensing requirements  to follow for plumbing work carried out in commercial buildings, such as office complexes, hospitals, and shopping malls:

• Water Efficiency Standards: Some locations require water-efficient plumbing fixtures to reduce water usage. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program specifies performance criteria for water-efficient products.

• Health and Sanitation Codes: These codes are especially relevant in hospitals and food service areas in shopping malls. They set out rules for hot water temperatures, sanitary drainage systems, and non-cross contamination of drinking water.

• Building Codes: Local building codes typically have detailed standards for plumbing system design and installation, including pipe material selection, system configuration, venting requirements, and more. These are usually based on the IPC or Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC).

• Fire Prevention Codes: Fire codes might require the installation of fire suppression systems like sprinklers, which must be integrated with the plumbing system in a certain way.

• ADA Compliance: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all commercial buildings to have accessible plumbing fixtures, including toilets and sinks. The codes specify things like the correct heights of fixtures and space for maneuvering wheelchairs.

In commercial plumbing, the stakes are higher because falling foul of regulations could impact many people and lead to high repair costs or even legal issues.

Key Difference 3: System design and layout

Residential properties usually have a simple network of pipes to supply fresh water and drain wastewater. Repairs are usually fairly easy and affect only a small part of the home.

In contrast, commercial plumbing systems often have intricate pipes, valves, and pump networks. Redundancy should be built into the system, too, so if one part fails, the backups prevent a total shutdown. Consider a hospital, for instance—you don’t want a simple isolated plumbing issue to shut down the whole building.

Another difference is that it’s often much more difficult to maintain water pressure in commercial buildings, as they are larger and more spread out. You might need to install pressure-boosting systems or regulators to make sure water reaches all parts of the building.

Commercial plumbing systems also need more robust venting to manage the odors and gasses released by a larger number of fixtures. This demands a longer and more complex network of vent pipes.

Key Difference 4: Usage demands

In residential homes, water demands are spread out over the day. In many homes, water is used in the mornings and evenings only during the week, while people are out at work.

Typical households only use water for cooking, cleaning, bathing, and heating, which demand low volumes of water. That’s why standard materials and fixtures like PVC pipes and household-grade faucets are sufficient.

Commercial plumbing systems need to accommodate much higher volumes of water and more frequent use. In places like hotels, office buildings, or restaurants, for example, hundreds or even thousands of people might rely on the plumbing system daily. 

More durable materials, such as copper or galvanized steel pipes, and industrial-grade fixtures are used in commercial buildings. The materials need to withstand constant, heavy use without failing. Components like high-capacity water heaters and pressure regulators might also be needed to manage the increased load.

Key Difference 5: Maintenance and repairs

Residential plumbing systems don’t need as much maintenance as commercial ones. Residential plumbers are typically called out for quick fixes, such as fixing a leaky faucet or routine checks on water heating systems.

Commercial plumbing services demand more regular maintenance. Issues like pipe blockages and pressure imbalances are more common. Repairs might need specialized tools and expertise and sometimes involve coordination with other building systems.

For example, industrial-grade boilers or large-diameter pipes might need heavy-duty wrenches and cutters. You might also need advanced pipe inspection cameras to diagnose issues deep within the complex layouts.

Key Difference 6: Plumbing fixtures and equipment

Residential fixtures are usually designed to be both practical and stylish, whereas in commercial buildings, function is more important than form. Commercial fixtures must withstand heavy and frequent use, rather than look good.

For example, commercial-grade fixtures are often made from tough materials like stainless steel or heavy-duty ceramics. They sometimes have built-in features like automatic sensors to reduce daily usage of water and improve hygiene, too.

Key Difference 7: Health and safety concerns

The main health and safety concerns in residential plumbing are preventing leaks and ensuring a clean water supply. Ventilation is also important to stop the buildup of mold in high-moisture areas.

Commercial plumbing has similar concerns but also includes the more serious risk of contaminating large water supplies and undermining sanitation in public facilities. For this reason, advanced filtration systems are built for most commercial properties. Water systems should be inspected frequently to meet regulatory compliance, especially in hospitals or food service facilities.

Key Difference 8: Cost considerations

Residential plumbing systems usually cost less to repair than commercial ones, as fewer materials and less labor are involved. The cost of ongoing maintenance is lower, too, with only occasional one-off repairs. Most homeowners are looking to balance quality with budget.

Commercial plumbing jobs usually cost more across the board. Initial installations demand larger quantities of durable materials and specialized labor. Ongoing maintenance is also more expensive due to the systems' complexity. Regulations and codes mean that regular inspections and more frequent repairs are needed.

Pro tip: No matter which market you want to serve, you’ll likely need to become licensed before providing your services. Check out our detailed guide on the licensing process and requirements for plumbers.

Should Plumbers Focus on Commercial or Residential Plumbing?

To help you decide between pursuing commercial or residential plumbing as a career, we’ve created a table that compares the features of each type.

Streamline Your Commercial and Residential Plumbing Business

Whether you specialize in commercial or residential plumbing, ServiceTitan's software for managing service agreements is ideal for any plumbing business. It automates a lot of the paperwork and scheduling, which means you get to spend more time on the job rather than sitting in the office. 

Using ServiceTitan makes everything look professional when you send out custom proposals, which helps you win more work. It also keeps track of all your costs and appointments and sends automated reminders.

The job costing feature is really useful for plumbers. It makes it easy to monitor costs like materials, labor, and equipment for each project in real time. This helps you keep a tighter grip on your budget and stay profitable. It also ensures you bill your clients at the right time to keep the cash flow steady. 

ServiceTitan For Managing Commercial Clients

• Commercial service agreements: Monitor service schedules, manage billing, and optimize workflows

• Inventory management: Real-time tracking of stock levels, automated replenishment to prevent shortages, streamlined purchase order management, and mobile integration for field updates. 

• Job costing: Track all job-related expenses, integrate with other digital tools like the pricebook, and automatically update material costs as purchase orders are received. 

• Reporting and analytics: Track KPIs, schedule automated reports, and customize your dashboards.

ServiceTitan For Managing Residential Clients

• Scheduling and dispatch: All bookings are updated in real time.

• Customer relationship management (CRM): Maintain detailed customer profiles, including service history and specific preferences.

• Marketing Automation: Use customer data to automate email and direct mail marketing. Also integrates with Google Ads to boost ROI.

• Mobile App: Access all ServiceTitan features and data while out and about with the easy-to-use mobile app.

The Bottom Line

Suppose you’re trying to focus on residential or commercial plumbing. In that case, you need to decide whether to work on smaller, less complex residential jobs or larger and more complex commercial contracts.

Either way, you can use ServiceTitan’s powerful features to help you run your business more efficiently.

The ServiceTitan cloud-based app streamlines plumbing management, from scheduling to cost management and payments. The mobile app keeps your plumbers connected in the field. Overall, the app boosts your productivity and helps you deliver better, faster service to your customers.