McFadden Utilities is a water meter installation contractor based in Hertfordshire, delivering meter installations, replacements, and flow meter work across London and the South East. The scope covers new meter installations on existing supplies, meter replacement and exchange programmes, flow meter installation for larger schemes, and live network meter installations using under pressure drilling where continuity of supply matters. Clients range from water companies and civils Tier 1 contractors through to commercial property owners and private property owners.
Water meter installation is the work of fitting a meter onto an existing water supply so consumption can be measured accurately. For domestic supplies that typically means a small meter installed in a boundary box under the public footpath or in an internal stopcock location. For commercial and industrial supplies it usually means a larger meter installed in a purpose-built chamber with appropriate flow isolation. For network-level work (district metering and bulk supply metering) it means flow meters installed on trunk mains, often via under pressure drilling to avoid network shutdown.
McFadden’s meter installation scope covers the full range. New meter installations where a supply has never been metered before (now less common as most water companies meter by default on new supplies). Meter replacement where an existing meter is being upgraded, swapped for a smart meter (AMR or AMI enabled), or replaced because of age or fault. Exchange programme work delivered as Tier 2 subcontract for Tier 1 contractors running water company programmes. Flow meter installation for civils schemes where pipe laying includes meter provision as part of the broader scope. And private meter installation for property owners told by their water company that their preferred location can’t be served by the water company’s own contractor.
Meter install's one of those jobs that sounds straightforward until you get to site. Boundary box locations, existing connection conditions, live network considerations, commissioning standards. None of it's hard, but all of it has to be done right.
McFaddens
Tier 2 subcontract meter installation for Tier 1 contractors is a regular part of McFadden’s work. Large metering programmes (smart meter rollouts, meter exchange, AMR and AMI deployment) are typically won by nationwide Tier 1 contractors and delivered through regional subcontractors with the right accreditations and local delivery capacity. The WIRS accreditation, WIAPS registration, ISO triple certification, and the broader credentials stack all apply here. The regional depth in Hertfordshire and the South East adds local reach that nationwide operators sometimes lack without a framework subcontractor in place.
Flow meter installation for civils contractors is the adjacent work McFadden delivers regularly for Tier 1 civils firms operating on water company schemes. Typical scope includes pipe-laying feeding the meter, chamber construction, meter and fittings installation, chlorination and pressure testing, and associated ducting or kiosk base work where the meter sits alongside generator or booster equipment. The Swanley installation for IWS is a recent example. Flow meter work also comes in on its own for larger scheme upgrades, standalone booster installations, and network capacity additions.
Private meter installations are available as standalone work for property owners. Common scenarios include properties where a meter needs installing at the owner’s expense rather than waiting for the water company’s programme, properties where an existing meter needs replacing or relocating, and properties where the water company’s preferred meter location isn’t practical. All work done to WIRS and WIAPS standards regardless of job size.
A meter installation job runs in four phases, whether the scope is a single domestic meter or a hundred-meter exchange programme under framework. The methods scale with the job. The sequence stays the same.
Site visit or programme briefing, confirmation of meter type and size required, assessment of the existing supply and proposed meter location, permits and traffic management arranged where the location is on public highway.
Excavation to the meter location, installation of the boundary box or chamber, preparation of pipework for the meter connection, isolation of the supply or setup for under pressure drilling where continuity of supply matters.
Meter installed with appropriate fittings, valves, and connectors to water industry specification, pressure testing of the new installation, chlorination where the work breaks an existing supply main, flushing before supply is restored.
Final pressure check, meter reading set and recorded, reinstatement of the surface above ground to NRSWA standards where applicable, commissioning documentation handed over to the client or to the water company for network adoption.
Take a look at recent metering work completed by McFadden Utilities
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Pressure reducing valve installed on a live water main as part of an Affinity Water pressure management scheme. Full sequence delivered in-house: UPD, line stop, bypass, PRV install, commissioning, and reinstatement.
Flow meter and chamber installed at Swanley booster station as part of a multi-discipline civils package. Pressure tested and chlorinated before commissioning.
PRV and meter install at Brunswick Park with under pressure drilling. Both control assets commissioned onto a live main.
Metering teams work from the Hertfordshire depot, covering London and the wider South East as standard. Framework contract work takes teams further afield where schemes require. 24/7 emergency response is available for existing contract clients.
The questions we hear most about water meter and flow meter installation.
Water meter installation, meter replacement and upgrade work, smart meter (AMR and AMI) installation, flow meter installation for larger schemes, boundary box construction, meter chamber construction, under pressure drilling for live network meter tie-ins, chlorination and pressure testing, and commissioning to water industry standards. Job sizes run from a single domestic meter through to Tier 2 subcontract delivery on programme-scale meter rollouts.
Standard domestic water meters in boundary boxes or internal stopcock locations, larger commercial meters in purpose-built chambers, smart meters with AMR (Automated Meter Reading) or AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) capability, and flow meters for trunk mains and larger scheme applications. The meter type is specified by the water company or client. McFadden install to the specification provided rather than holding stock of any particular brand.
Yes. Tier 2 subcontract delivery on metering programmes is regular work. Large smart meter rollouts, meter exchange programmes, and AMR or AMI deployments are typically won by nationwide Tier 1 contractors and delivered through regional subcontractors with the right accreditations and local delivery capacity. The WIRS accreditation, WIAPS registration, ISO triple certification, and the broader credentials stack all apply. Confidential pre-tender discussions welcome.
Yes. Flow meter installation for civils contractors on water company schemes is regular work, typically delivered alongside pipe laying, chamber construction, chlorination, and associated ducting. Flow meter installations on booster stations, network capacity upgrades, and district metering schemes are also in scope. The Swanley project for Independent Water Services is a recent example combining 200mm pipe install, flow meter, chamber, chlorination, and generator kiosk base.
Some property owners choose to appoint their own contractor for a water meter installation rather than waiting for the water company’s programme. This might be because the preferred meter location needs additional pipework, the water company’s timeline doesn’t suit, or an existing meter needs replacing or relocating. McFadden can take on this work directly. The install still has to meet water industry standards, and the meter typically gets adopted into the water company’s billing system after commissioning.
Yes, through under pressure drilling (also called hot tapping). This technique allows a new meter connection to be tapped into an existing live main without turning the water off. It’s particularly useful on commercial and network-level work where a planned shutdown would affect downstream customers or critical supply. McFadden holds the full under pressure drilling capability in-house and it’s used regularly on both meter and PRV installations. The Brunswick Park project for Affinity Water combined both in a single job.
The core credential for any contractor working on adopted water networks is WIRS accreditation (Water Industry Registration Scheme, Lloyd’s Register), which McFadden holds. WIAPS registration (Water Industry Approved Plumbers Scheme) covers the fitting and commissioning side specifically. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 cover quality management, environmental management, and occupational health and safety respectively. Constructionline Gold and Achilles cover supply chain credentials. SSIP SMAS Worksafe covers the safety scheme in procurement.
McFadden delivers meter installation work across Hertfordshire, London, Surrey, Essex, Cambridgeshire, and Berkshire as standard, working from the Hertfordshire depot. Framework contract work takes teams further afield where schemes require. Get in touch for projects outside this core area.
Whether it's a Tier 2 subcontract enquiry on a metering programme, flow meter installation on a civils scheme, a commercial meter install, or a private meter installation for a property owner going direct, the metering team are happy to talk through the scope and get a quote over. Confidential framework enquiries welcome.
Phone: 01707 648 420
Email: info@tonymcfadden.co.uk