25. Mechanical Trims

Once the paint is complete you can have your HVAC trim installed. This will be your air supply grills, return air vents, your thermostats and your outside units will be placed and hooked up. You need to wait on your tops to be installed for the plumber to start his trim, but once all of the vanity tops and kitchen counter tops are installed you will get your plumbing trim. You also need your flooring so that the toilets are installed on top of your vinyl or tile floors. If you have pedestal sinks they also will be installed on top of your flooring instead of being cut around. During this phase of the construction process if you have a tile or a special type of back splash it will need to be installed prior to your electrical trim. Once all of your Plumbing, and HVAC trims are complete and your wall tile is installed you will get an Electrical trim. During the electrical trim all light fixtures will be installed, all outlets trimmed out, and everything that is electrical will be hooked up with one exception - That exception being your appliances. All breakers and service panels built and installed. Everything should be labeled, like GFCI's and all breakers in your panel boxes. When the electrician finishes the home is really looking finished. I try to get the low voltage contractor in the home to do his trim on the electrician's last day. This will be your security trim, intercom, central vacuums, speakers, etc. During this whole process your mechanical contractors will be getting their final inspections. Depending on your area these inspections can take place in different combinations. Some places require each mechanical to get an individual inspection and will install gas and electrical meters based on these inspections. Some places the gas company will inspect the gas prior to installing a gas meter, and some cities will do the inspections for the gas companies. This will allow for completion of the home and then your builder will have to get a building 'Final Inspection' or an 'Occupancy Inspection' for move-in. Some places will let you temp in the home with power so you can finish it and then you would get your final building and/or occupancy inspections before they will allow you to get your permanent meters.
We have gotten ahead of ourselves just a little bit. Finishing a home is one of the two most difficult stages of the building process.