Unless you are a plumber, or are very good friends with a plumber, the whole plumbing industry probably is probably a bit of a mystery to you. Plumbers are not all the same, and there are actually a wide array of plumbing types and focus areas that plumbers can work in. If you are someone looking for plumbing help, it is crucial to understand if you need residential plumbing or if you need commercial plumbing. Keep reading to understand the differences between the two!

What is Commercial Plumbing?

Commercial plumbing typically focuses on plumbing needs of office buildings, large-scale commercial buildings, and buildings with industrial-grade pipes or outlets, and recreational areas. To simplify things, you can typically think of a commercial plumber as someone who works on any building that is not residential in nature and that has people frequently using it. 

You may wonder how the day-to-day of commercial plumbing differs from that of residential, but in reality the actual work activities that are done are very similar. Commercial plumbers work on general plumbing repair as well as perform preventative maintenance. They also look at water heaters, pressure sensors, etc. to make sure everything is working correctly. They act as consultants to property owners and service any plumbing emergencies

A few major things that set commercial plumbers apart is that they tend to focus on much larger sized plumbing systems. That means their jobs are typically more complex and take longer to complete. Similarly, commercial plumbers often have to work in buildings with many stories and gravity impacts how water behaves. Commercial plumbers also have to abide by different local codes and inspection frequency. So the general knowledge they need to have differs in that area from residential plumbers.

What is Residential Plumbing?

Plumbers who focus on residential plumbing typically work on houses, duplexes, and townhomes. The scale of the plumbing system they work on is smaller than commercial plumbing and therefore their expertise is tailored to the intricacies of those smaller systems. This also results in them needing different tools than commercial plumbers, because they are usually working on smaller pipes and plumbing fixtures. 

Residential plumbers abide by residential codes and inspection needs. Additionally, they typically work with individual homeowners as opposed to commercial companies, so their relationship with those they are working with differs a decent amount from commercial plumbing.

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How to Know What Services You Need?

Person Using Wrench

Photo by Marian Florinel Condruz from Unsplash

It can be important to understand the differences between commercial and residential plumbing, so you know which companies to reach out to when you are in need of assistance. There are some companies who are able to help you in either area as well. 

If you are in southeast Michigan and need help with either commercial or residential plumbing, Premier Plumbing has years of history helping homeowners and companies in the area. Premier Plumbing is always happy to do a consultation in person or over the phone to address your needs and how their plumbers can help.

Metro-Detroit Plumbing Problems Hotline:

Location: White Lake, Michigan
Phone: (248) 363-5864

Location: Hartland, Michigan
Phone: (810) 632-7420

Location: Fowlerville, Michigan
Phone: (517) 223-4360

Email: [email protected]

Request a FREE repair quote with Premier Plumbing, Inc. online at premierplumbing-mi.com/get-a-plumbing-quote/