I am absolutely sick of seeing these contractors post photos of their "perfect" wiring jobs where every single pipe runs at a strict 90-degree angle like it's some kind of art installation, because let me tell you, that aesthetic perfection is literally just a way to rip you off by charging for 30% more material than you actually need. I fell for this hook, line, and sinker on my last project, thinking that neatness equaled quality, but all it resulted in was massive renovation budget overruns because they charge by the linear foot for copper and conduit, and by forcing everything into a grid pattern, you are paying for them to take the long way around the room instead of just going straight to the outlet like a sane person.
The practical nightmare, which nobody tells you about until it's too late, is the basic physics of pulling electrical wire through conduit; when you add four or five sharp 90-degree bends to a run just to make it look pretty under the floorboards, you create so much friction that the wires become impossible to replace later on without ripping up your expensive hardwood floors... it’s basically a "dead wire" situation waiting to happen. And don't even get me started on the plumbing aspect, where every additional elbow fitting in a pex plumbing layout pros cons debate introduces another point of potential failure and a drop in water pressure, so while your pipes might look organized in the rough-in stage, your shower pressure is going to suffer for it.
It creates this false sense of security where you think you're getting a premium service, but really you're just funding the contractor's next vacation, and what's worse is that some of them will cut horizontal grooves into load-bearing walls just to maintain those straight lines, compromising the structural integrity of your home! Honestly, unless you plan on living with transparent floors, who cares if the pipes run diagonally? Save your money and your sanity, ignore the pretty pictures, and maybe read a solid reference source on efficient wiring paths before you let these guys turn your subfloor into a maze of unnecessary copper and plastic.
