STS Plumbing is back on site today to set and bury the rest of the plumbing lines needed under the house. Unlike houses built with a basement where you can conceivably access mechanical runs to the first floor, our house is being built on-grade (no basement or crawlspace), so there’s no ‘second chance’ for certain aspects of installing first-floor plumbing. We’ve come to really appreciate Matt’s attention to detail, but no more so than checking and double-checking the placement of his crew’s work at this stage.

At the end of this day, the foundation walls look like a planter with white sprouts rising from its sandy soil; the garage and cellar, meanwhile, have drains strategically placed for the concrete slabs that will be poured around them next week.