First fix and second fix are how carpentry, plumbing and electrical work is sequenced and priced. First fix is everything before plastering — floor joists and decking, stud partitions, roof carpentry, pipework runs and cable runs — usually priced per square metre or per point. Second fix is everything after — hanging doors, skirting and architrave, sanitaryware, radiators, sockets, switches and the consumer unit — priced per unit or per item.
Splitting the two matters because they happen at different stages and carry different labour. A dwelling might be priced as first-fix carpentry per m² of floor, plumbing and electrical per point, then second-fix items counted individually. Kitchens, staircases and specialist joinery are priced as their own units. Pricing point-by-point and item-by-item gives a tender you can check and defend.
ConstructQS provides first-fix and second-fix rates for carpentry, plumbing and electrical — per point, per m² and per unit — alongside doors, skirting, sanitaryware, radiators, accessories and consumer units. All in £ or €, all editable, each with its source so your own rates always win.