Why the plumbing fixture schedule runs the job
On the drawings, the fixture schedule is a small table in the corner of P-001 or P-601. On the job, it is the most-used sheet a plumbing foreman owns. It sets rough-in heights and carrier orders, tells the crew what size stub-outs to leave, feeds the fixture-unit load that sizes the drain and water service, and becomes the checklist for trim-out and the punch walk. When it's wrong or out of date, you find out at the worst possible time: a 1-1/4" stub where the approved lav needs 1-1/2", a floor-mount water closet roughed at 12" where the approved unit is a wall-hung on a carrier, or an ADA lav roughed at the standard height.
The free template above gives you the field version of that schedule: every column the foreman needs, a fixture-unit worksheet tied to it, and a water heater schedule — in one workbook you control.
What's in the workbook
1. Fixture Schedule
Thirty rows, one per fixture tag, with Tag, Fixture, Description, Manufacturer, Model #, Mounting (dropdown), CW, HW, Waste and Vent connection sizes, Flow Rate with a gpm/gpf/gpc unit, ADA (Y/N), Trim / Faucet / Flush Valve, Carrier (Y/N), Qty, Location and Remarks. The bottom of the sheet totals fixtures, ADA fixtures and — the one purchasing always asks for — the number of carriers to order.
2. DFU & WSFU Worksheet
Tag, fixture and quantity pull straight from the schedule. You enter the drainage fixture units and the cold, hot and total water supply fixture units per fixture from your adopted code, and the sheet extends and totals them. A sizing-check block lets you record the pipe size you picked for the building drain, sewer, largest branch, largest stack, water service and mains, enter the capacity your code allows for that size, and see OK or OVER. A water-demand block records the gpm you read from your code's WSFU-to-demand table, adds continuous loads, and gives you a design flow.
3. Water Heater Schedule
Tag, type, fuel, manufacturer/model, location, storage gallons, input (MBH or kW), thermal efficiency, temperature rise, calculated recovery in gph, setpoint, venting category and size, gas or electrical connection, expansion tank, T&P relief, and mixing valve.
Why the fixture-unit values are yours to enter
Most "fixture unit calculator" spreadsheets you'll find online have a table of DFU and WSFU values baked in. The trouble is, you rarely know which code or edition they came from. The IPC and UPC assign different values to the same fixture, both codes have revised values over the years, and many states and cities amend them. A worksheet with the wrong table in it gives you a confident wrong answer.
This template takes the opposite approach: open the code your authority having jurisdiction has adopted, enter the values for the fixtures on your job, and note the table in the Code Table Ref column. For reference, drainage fixture units are in IPC Table 709.1 (UPC Table 702.1), and water supply fixture units and the demand conversion are in IPC Appendix E and Section 604.3 (UPC Table 610.3 and Chapter 6). Maximum fixture flow rates are in IPC Table 604.4. Section and table numbers move between editions, so verify against the edition adopted by your AHJ. The three italic values on the example rows are placeholders so you can see the math — replace them.
How to fill out the fixture schedule
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Tag | The designation from the drawings (WC-1, UR-1, LAV-1, SK-1, MS-1, EWC-1, FD-1). One row per tag — quantities go in Qty. |
| Manufacturer / Model # | From the approved submittal, not the basis-of-design catalog page. If a substitution was approved, this is where it shows up. |
| Mounting | Floor, wall-hung, counter drop-in, undermount, pedestal, recessed. Drives rough-in and blocking. |
| CW / HW / Waste / Vent | Connection sizes at the fixture from the cut sheet. These are what the crew roughs to. |
| Flow Rate + Unit | Rated gpm for faucets and showers, gpf for water closets and urinals, gpc for metering faucets. Must not exceed your code's maximums or local/green-code limits. |
| ADA | Y for accessible fixtures — different rough-in heights, clearances, insulated trap kits, and lever or sensor trim. |
| Trim | Faucet, flush valve, drain, supplies, mixing valve. Where most substitutions and punch items live. |
| Carrier | Y if the fixture hangs on an in-wall carrier. Carriers are long-lead and have to be set before framing closes. |
Field tips from the rough-in
- Rough from the approved submittal, never the spec. The spec lists a basis of design; the submittal is what's arriving. Keep the schedule updated when a substitution is approved.
- Order carriers with the underground. Carrier lead times and wall-thickness conflicts are a classic cause of wet-wall delays. The carrier count at the bottom of the sheet is your purchase order quantity.
- Mark ADA fixtures on the rough-in layout. A lavatory roughed at standard height in an accessible room is a tear-out, not a punch item.
- Check the wall. A 4" waste on a wall-hung water closet with a carrier needs a deeper chase than a standard 2x4 wall. Catch it at coordination, not at rough.
- Track flow rates. Inspectors and green-building reviewers check aerators and flush valves at final. If the delivered trim doesn't match the schedule, it's a punch item.
- Mixing valves. Public lavatories typically need tempered water limited by a listed device (ASSE 1070 in the IPC). Show the device on the schedule so it gets bought.
Water heater schedule: what the inspector looks at
Beyond capacity and input, water heater inspections focus on venting, relief and expansion. Record the venting category and pipe size (a condensing Category IV heater vents very differently from an atmospheric Category I unit), the T&P valve setting and where its discharge terminates (IPC 504.6 / UPC 608.5 — verify for your edition), whether a thermal expansion tank is required on a closed system, and any mixing valve when storage is set above delivery temperature. The recovery column is a quick check: a 199 MBH condensing heater at 95% efficiency and a 90°F rise recovers roughly 252 gph.
When to move beyond Excel
The fixture schedule lives in three places on most jobs — the drawings, the submittal log, and the foreman's truck — and they drift apart. Field PM keeps submittals, RFIs, inspections, daily reports and job cost together so the approved fixture schedule is on the foreman's phone, and a field change gets captured the day it happens. Start a free 30-day trial — no credit card required.
Related templates and references
- Plumbing Pressure Test Report — document DWV, water and gas tests before cover
- Backflow Preventer Test Report — annual assembly tests and a retest-due register
- Submittal Log — track fixture and trim submittals to approval
- Inspection Request Log — schedule underground, rough-in and final inspections
- Copper tube size chart — Type K, L and M dimensions
- IBC plumbing fixture reference
- Browse all free construction templates
