Warning: That house in Phoenix changed how I run wire forever

I was doing a new build in Phoenix last August, 3 story house with a stucco exterior. The GC had already poured the slab and framed everything before I could run my conduit. Ended up having to do all my alarm wiring through the attic in 112 degree heat, took me almost 2 full days instead of the usual 8 hours. Now I'm wondering if it's worth being the guy who shows up before the foundation is even poured just to lay down PVC for future runs. That would add maybe $200 in materials per job but save like 10 hours of labor. But then you're at the mercy of the GC not breaking your pipes during the pour. The builder told me 'nobody else asks for that' but maybe they should. Has anyone else tried getting in before the concrete crew and had it work out or backfire?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivancoleman1d ago

Man, that sounds absolutely brutal. I feel for you, 112 degree attic work is no joke, I've been there myself and it just beats the life out of you. That idea of laying PVC before the pour makes a lot of sense on paper, but I've seen too many GCs treat underground stuff like they're playing bumper cars with their equipment to ever trust it. You'd probably end up patching more broken pipes than you saved on labor. Still, I'm surprised nobody else has pushed for it, seems like a smart move if you can get the right builder on board.

schmidt.blake1d ago

You know, I used to be one of those guys who thought laying PVC before the pour was the obvious answer. I figured why fight with attics when you can just put it in the ground and be done with it. But your point about GCs treating underground stuff like bumper cars really got me thinking. I've watched enough backhoes and skid steers tear up conduit I thought was safe to know you're right. The problem is nobody watches the underground work the same way they watch above ground. They figure it's out of sight, out of mind until the concrete's already poured. So I changed my mind on this one. I'd rather sweat it out in the attic and know the pipes are intact than gamble with something that could cost me a whole slab to fix.