First fix is everything that goes in before the walls and ceilings are closed and plastered: frames, pipes and cables. Second fix is what goes on afterwards, the parts you see and touch: doors, sockets, taps and radiators. Plastering sits between the two. The terms first fix and second fix have no standard definition, as Designing Buildings points out, so a quote should list what each stage includes.
What is first fix and second fix for each trade?
Each trade visits twice: once before the walls are closed and once after plastering.
| Trade | First fix, then second fix |
|---|---|
| Carpentry | Stud walls, door linings, floor decks and backing for heavy fixtures. Then doors, skirting, architraves, shelves and fitted units. |
| Electrical | Cable runs and back boxes. Then sockets, switches, light fittings and testing. |
| Plumbing and heating | Hot, cold, waste and heating pipes, left capped. Then basins, WCs, taps, radiators and filling the system. |
| Boarding and plastering, between the two | Boarding once first fix has been checked, then skim or tape and joint. Second fix starts when this is dry. |
What has to be decided before first fix?
First fix sets positions that are expensive to move later. Settle these before it starts:
- where every socket, switch and light goes
- the exact sanitaryware and taps, because pipe positions follow the product
- the kitchen layout and appliance sizes
- what will hang on stud walls, so that backing goes in
- door sizes and which way each door swings
- finished floor levels, which decide door and frame heights
Why do quotes price first fix and second fix separately?
They can be supplied differently. On one fit-out scope we saw at tender, plumbing first fix was priced with materials and labour, and second fix as labour only, because the sanitaryware was being supplied by someone else. Splitting the two also shows where a job has got to when a stage payment is due.
What is checked between first fix and second fix?
Once the walls are boarded, first fix is out of reach. Before boarding, pipes are pressure tested, cable routes and box positions are checked against the drawings, and backing is checked against the fixture list. Take photographs of every wall with a tape in shot. They are often the only record of what is behind the plaster.
Send us your layout drawings and product choices and we can point out what still needs deciding before first fix. We reply within one working day. Show us your layout.