Site Measures – Part 2: Documenting Home Systems: Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing

Measuring a home is more than sizing and locating walls, windows, and doors. There are many more complex parts of a home that need to be captured in order to set our design team up for success during the design process. With remodeling comes moving openings, walls and fixtures, which inevitably means moving systems. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are typically hidden within walls and between floors, requiring a bit of know-how and experience to properly document, which is crucial for helping our design team to determine the feasibility and cost implications of our choices.

Mechanical Systems:

Basement utilities are easily accessible or hidden with a gliding door

Furnace: Locating and sizing the volume of the existing furnace is important when the area around the furnace is being remodeled. It is most cost effective to keep the furnace in its existing location and plan the space around it, so knowing exactly where it sits is key. Noting whether a furnace is gas or electric also helps us to communicate to our mechanical subcontractors which type of system they’ll be working with.

Plumbing Systems:

Fixtures: Locating the centerline of each pluming fixture (sink, toilet, tub or shower drain, etc.) within a space allows us to plan around existing fixture locations, determine where new fixtures can be located, and how they’ll tie into the plumbing stack.

Electrical Systems:

Electrical Panel: The electrical panel tells us how much power is supplied to the house, and how much of that power is currently being used. Seeing empty spots on an electrical panel is always a good sign, telling us that the panel has the capacity to handle additional load. Locating the panel is important since planning around its existing location is more cost effective than having to relocate it.