...for waste, start with national codes, then local. Then do layout on paper, paying closest attention to floor/ceiling joist locations. I remodeled our house over time, had copper supply. If I were doing whole house, it'd be pex, faster/easier to run...
I'm in central Maine and most plumbing here is PEX. Our primary 3/4 line for hot water is insulated PEX the 1/2" runs after that are not. I have 5 zones of cold and 5 zones of hot water in the house. I can shut any zone down and drain the system if we wanted to winterize or go away for extended trips without worrying. Up here PEX is also able to handle freezing conditions better without as much pipe damage.
You haven't lived until you've been in a crawl space in -30° weather thawing pipes and cutting out the burst section..
...for PVC, just pretend you're making outdoor furniture... For copper, use MAPP instead of propane, and I like type L pipe, especially if you have problem water... As for SharkBites, only time I used was replacing MIL's hw heater...main shutoff leaked and I don't have "key" for street shutoff...
I still like copper, seems more professional to me, but thats what I was around most of my life. Been in construction over 43 years. Anyway, most of the plumbers around here in New Mexico are using PEX. The tubing is good stuff, I just can't seem to get used to the fittings going inside the tubing and seems like it is restrictive when you look at how much smaller the inside diameter of the fitting is than the tubing. I have 2 crimp tools, 1/2" and 3/4". Keeps from having a bulky combo tool or switching heads on one tool. The main thing is to get the crimp rings positioned correctly and crimping them square. Shark Bite fittings are more for repairs to me. Also, they are a lot more expensive. You might end up spending as much as the plumber quote if you try to use all Shark Bites for the whle job haha! The tubing that so many people had trouble with was the polybutylene.
I was able to hire (rent) the crimpers I needed here in NZ. Maybe you can too and save a few bucks. Have your job all mocked up so you can reduce the cost per day.
You will still need to do a bit of copper when it comes to the tub/shower combos in the bathrooms as you need a solid pipe coming off the valve to install the tub spout.
Well water eats up copper or at least the solder because every pipe in my house would fail at the joint if you barely messed with it
If I ever install pex I'll be using ProPEX. The expansion tool looks like a better system to me, than the clamps. https://www.uponor-usa.com/pextalk/2016/09/27/why-propex-expansion-fittings-are-1.aspx
...especially if you have grounding issues (electrolysis). We live amidst oak trees, our well water is acidic, in addition to neutralizer, I use thicker Type L pipe when remodeling "just in case"...
I retired from plumbing in 2007 so a lot has changed. No matter what you do make SURE it is up to code. If you ever sell and it does not pass inspection you are in for a very big problem. I would pull a plumbing permit and have it inspected. The inspectors are there to protect you and most are pretty nice guys. They will help you out! All you have to do is give them a call and they will answer any questions you have. And when you sell, it will be up to code & legal. Plumbing codes are there for a reason. Waste and vent has a lot of codes and at times can be challenging that is where the inspector can be a big help. If you are doing ground work and concrete over it without an inspection and the city finds out and sends a inspector out be prepared to jack hammer the floor up and expose the work so it can be inspected. We did a big job and the builder had concrete poured knowing it was not inspected. The inspector made him open the floor where ever pipes were installed. Get fined, doubled the permit cost and pissed him off. You do not want to get them on your bad side they can make your world a hell for any future work. If a inspector happen to drive by and see that you are doing plumbing work they can walk in and check to see what is going on. At that point you are in trouble. The work will be red tagged and no other work will be allowed until proper permits are gotten. Just saying it's up to you. As a homeowner you can do the work. Some cities do not allow homeowners to do ground work so check with city hall as what you can do.
Water piping is sized by fixture units. Every fixture is given a fixture unit you need to add them up. Every bathroom group can be different depending on how and what type fixtures are being installed. Laundry rooms require a 2' trap on washers etc. Get a code book & check with local codes. All this needs to be done before you start anything.
You want the UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE BOOK. This is what the inspectors go by. If it's in this book it is the code. UNLESS LOCAL CODES OVER RIDE. Every city can have their own codes. We had a city inspector that would not allow Maytag front load washers saying that the mfg did not meet the air gap code so none were installed because he would not sign off. Whirlpool flew up and ended up convincing him that the machines met Minnesota code. So after months of metting he finally allowed Maytag washers to be installed. This is the power they have. I may not agree but, we had to be in compliance with codes or no one was moving into that beautiful new home.
