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During a loft conversion you may hear the team talk about “first fix” and “second fix”. First fix is the hidden work that puts cables and pipes in the right places before walls and ceilings are finished. Second fix adds the visible fittings and brings those systems into use. Knowing the difference helps you make decisions at the right time.
First fix is the stage when the routes and positions of services are set out while the structure is still accessible. The electrician and plumber can install much of the wiring and pipework before insulation, plasterboard and finished surfaces cover it. What happens on a particular day depends on the design and the order of work on your project.
This is why we agree the positions of beds, desks, lights, switches, radiators and bathroom fittings early. Moving a socket or shower after plastering is possible, but it may mean reopening a finished wall.
At first fix, the electrician works from the agreed electrical layout. This may include routes for sockets, lighting, switches, a bathroom extractor, smoke alarms and any data points or other equipment included in the design. Cables are run through the new floor, walls and ceiling, and positions for switches and sockets are prepared. The installation is left safe while the room is insulated and plasterboarded.
A home office needs particular thought before this stage. Where will the desk and monitors stand? Would a wired data point help? Will a roof window cause glare on a screen? In a bedroom, consider bedside sockets, wardrobe lighting and which switch you want to reach from the bed. Our home office loft conversion guide looks at these choices in more detail.
The electrician will also assess how the new work is supplied and protected. An additional consumer unit or new protective devices may be needed on some jobs; they are not an automatic part of every loft conversion.
Once the surfaces are ready, the electrician fits and connects the visible items: sockets, switches, light fittings and other specified electrical equipment. The appropriate connections are completed at the consumer unit, often called the fuse board. The new work is then inspected and tested before it is put into service.
At handover, the electrical paperwork depends on the work carried out. New circuits normally require an Electrical Installation Certificate; an alteration to an existing circuit may be covered by a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate. Work that is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations also requires the appropriate building regulations compliance notification. We confirm the applicable route for your project rather than promising a single type of “Part P certificate” for every job.
If the loft includes a bathroom or heating, the plumber plans the routes for hot and cold water, heating pipes where required, and the toilet and wastewater drainage. The exact pipework depends on the bathroom design and the existing system; there is no standard set of four pipes for every conversion.
Pipework and outlets are positioned for the agreed shower, basin, WC and radiator before the walls and floors are closed. Relevant supply and heating pipework is checked and pressure tested as appropriate. Open pipe ends and drainage connections are made safe and sealed during the build. The timing of connections to the existing systems varies with the job, so first fix does not always mean that every pipe stays disconnected until the final stage.
This is the point to settle details that affect concealed work: the position of a wall-hung basin, the height of the shower controls, whether there is space for a bath, and how the extractor and drainage will run. A small change on a plan can make a substantial difference once the bathroom is built.
At second fix, the visible bathroom fittings and radiators are installed and connected as the project reaches its finishing stage. The plumber completes the necessary supply and waste connections, then checks the fittings and pipework for leaks and correct operation. If the central heating system has been extended, it is filled, checked and balanced as required so the new radiator works properly with the rest of the house.
Second fix is when the bathroom starts to look finished, but it does not by itself mean the entire loft conversion has been handed over. Decorating, joinery, final checks and building control sign-off may still be in progress.
We can talk through these choices from the drawings before the first-fix work begins. Decisions made while the services are still visible are usually easier to accommodate than changes requested after plastering.
No. The phrase can also describe a first-fix or shell loft conversion: a contract for the structural part of the build, with specified internal work left for the homeowner or other trades to complete. That is a description of the scope of the contract. First-fix electrics and plumbing describe stages of individual trades. A quotation should say clearly which stages, fittings, tests and certificates are included.
If you are planning a loft conversion, ask us to explain the proposed layout and exactly what the quotation covers. Request a free survey and quotation or call Absolute Lofts on 0800 24 30 48.