Install plumbing or piping.

Install plumbing or piping. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 9 occupations and seen in 22 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Install plumbing or piping equipment or systems. in Handling and Moving Objects .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 21 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 0 (0%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Install pressure-control devices onto wellheads. · Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Install copper or plastic plumbing using pipes, fittings, pipe cutters, acetylene torches, solder, wire brushes, sand cloths, flux, plastic pipe cleaners, or plastic glue. · Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Install circulating pumps using pipe, fittings, soldering equipment, electrical supplies, and hand tools. · Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing. · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment. · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks. · Sheet Metal Workers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Connect water heaters and storage tanks to power and water sources. · Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Install or repair sanitary or stormwater sewer structures or pipe systems. · Pipelayers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Align and position pipes to prepare them for welding or sealing. · Pipelayers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Install plumbing, such as dip tubes, port fittings, drain tank valves, pressure temperature relief valves, or tanks, according to manufacturer specifications and building codes. · Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Position, join, align, or seal structural components, such as concrete wall sections or pipes. · Construction Laborers · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells. · Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Measure, cut, thread and assemble new pipe, placing the assembled pipe in hangers or other supports. · Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Install pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances such as dishwashers or water heaters, or fixtures such as sinks or toilets, using hand or power tools. · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Install sewer, water, or storm drain pipes, using pipe-laying machinery or laser guidance equipment. · Construction Laborers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Anchor steel supports from ceiling joists to hold pipes in place. · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Attach pipes to walls, structures, or fixtures, such as radiators or tanks, using brackets, clamps, tools, or welding equipment. · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs. · Roustabouts, Oil and Gas · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Mount brackets and hangers on walls and ceilings to hold pipes, and set sleeves or inserts to provide support for pipes. · Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Excavate and grade ditches, and lay and join pipe for water and sewer service. · Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Install pipe systems to support alternative energy-fueled systems, such as geothermal heating or cooling systems. · Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters · importance 3.4 · no direct exposure
• Lay gas and oil pipelines. · 47-5071.00

Occupations that perform this

• Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
• Solar Thermal Installers and Technicians
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Pipelayers
• Construction Laborers
• Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
• Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
• 47-5071.00

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-install-plumbing-or-piping,
  title  = {Install plumbing or piping.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/install-plumbing-or-piping}
}