New install,
permit through test.
Containment installs from 3/4″ to 6″ on commercial water services. We pull the permit, run the install, schedule the MWW backflow inspector, perform the initial test, and submit the records. Fire-service installs through 10″ in coordination with a sprinkler contractor of your choosing.
Scope
A new install includes the assembly itself, the inlet and outlet shutoffs, the air-gap drain to the floor or hub drain, the heat tape and insulation jacket where the location demands them, the identification tag, and the wall-bracket or floor-pad mounting. It does not include any work upstream of SOV-1 (that's the responsibility of the building's plumber of record or the utility, depending on side-of-meter) or downstream of SOV-2 (that's the responsibility of whoever's running the next system — boiler contractor, irrigation contractor, etc.). We coordinate with both at the time of install and we don't sign off on the assembly until the test passes with the downstream system online.
We will not install an assembly on a service we have not laid eyes on. The first hour of any quoted install is a no-cost walk-through where we confirm the existing line conditions, clearance, drain access, and freeze exposure. If a condition we find changes the scope materially (e.g., the room turns out to be unheated and unaccessible without modifying a soffit), we re-quote before any work begins.
Timeline
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| D-21 | Walk-through, quote, signed proposal |
| D-14 | Permit applied for at City of Milwaukee, parts ordered |
| D-7 | Pre-install confirmation with owner and downstream contractor |
| D-0 morning | Crew on site 06:30–07:00. Water shutoff coordinated with MWW. |
| D-0 noon | Assembly installed, downstream re-pressurized, leak check. |
| D-0 afternoon | City inspector, MWW backflow inspector. Initial ASSE 5110 test. |
| D+1 | Records submitted: city, MWW, customer. |
Sizing
The assembly's size matches the service it sits on, but for premises with widely varying load (a small restaurant with a 2″ service that runs 0.5 gpm overnight and 35 gpm at brunch peak), the manufacturer's friction-loss curves matter. We pull the actual MWW pressure-zone reading for the address and select a size that holds at least 30 psi at the highest expected flow with the assembly's full pressure drop accounted for. The wrong-size install — usually too big, sometimes too small — is one of the most common reasons we condemn an existing assembly during a hazard survey.
Price bands
| Service | Assembly | Typical total | Permit included |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4″ domestic RP | Watts 909 | $1,800 – $2,400 | Yes |
| 1″ domestic RP | Watts 909 / Wilkins 375 | $2,200 – $2,900 | Yes |
| 1.5″ – 2″ domestic RP | Watts 909 / 957 | $3,200 – $4,800 | Yes |
| 2.5″ – 4″ domestic RP | Watts 957 / Febco 860 | $6,800 – $11,200 | Yes |
| 6″ domestic RP | Watts 957 large body | $11,800 – $14,400 | Yes |
| 4″ fire service RPDA | Wilkins 350ADA | $10,400 – $13,200 | Yes |
| 6″ fire service DCDA | Wilkins 350DA | $11,800 – $14,800 | Yes |
| 3/4″ PVB (irrigation) | Febco 765 | $880 – $1,200 | Yes |
| 3/4″ SVB (indoor) | Watts 008 | $680 – $920 | Yes |
Fire-service installs require coordination with a sprinkler contractor (we work most often with FPC Fire Protection, Summit Fire Protection, and Great Lakes Fire Protection). We do not install fire-side piping; the sprinkler contractor handles everything downstream of SOV-2. We handle the assembly and the upstream shutoff.
Freeze and clearance
Milwaukee's climate makes two install decisions mandatory: heat tape on any assembly whose mechanical room sees ≤ 35 °F, and 12″ minimum clearance below the relief vent for the air-gap drain. The heat tape adds $185–$420 to the install depending on assembly size and tape length. The 12″ clearance is non-negotiable per SPS 382.41(11)(c). If the existing room doesn't have it, we modify the wall, the soffit, or the floor before the install — that's part of the quote.
What we leave behind
- Aluminum tag on the assembly
Engraved with the install date, assembly serial number, hazard class, and our license number.
- Permit-close documentation
City final inspection, MWW backflow approval letter, initial ASSE 5110 test report.
- Owner's binder
Manufacturer cut sheet, USC FCCCHR listing, install drawings, test report, this packet sent as PDF and as a printed binder for the property file.
- Account on the books
The premises is now on our annual cycle. Next test scheduled for the same month, next year.
References
- Wisconsin DSPS, SPS 382.41(11) — Cross-connection installation. docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
- City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services — Plumbing permits. city.milwaukee.gov/dns
- Milwaukee Water Works — Backflow inspector coordination. water.milwaukee.gov
- NFPA 13 — Sprinkler installation (for fire-service installs). nfpa.org
- Watts 909 product page. watts.com
- USC FCCCHR list. usc.edu/dept/fccchr