Pipefitter · water and liquid-cooling systems · coolant distribution units · Finland (EU)
Compare base-pay scenarios for building-services pipe installation. Tell us what you install, how independently you work and which shift you want to explore.
Scope: pipework such as water and liquid-cooling systems. Refrigerant work and other regulated tasks require a separate qualification check.
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Collective agreement for the building services sector (HVAC and piping, LVI) 2025–2028, rates valid from 1 June 2026; rates and agreement checked 26 September 2026. Next scheduled rate change: 1 June 2027.
This is a scenario calculation based on the details you entered and the rates valid from 1 June 2026. The pay group shown is preliminary and will be confirmed after we check your documents and skills. The applicable collective agreement, hourly rate, agreed minimum hours, housing and expense reimbursements are confirmed only in a written offer. Tax depends on your status and Finnish tax card. This is not a job offer, not a term of employment and not a guarantee of a residence permit.
It uses the Talotekniikka base-rate table. A mandatory personal pay component is agreed separately and is not included in these figures — the result is an estimated take-home amount from the base-pay scenario, not a calculation of your complete contractual pay.
| Pay group | Base hourly rate (€/h) |
|---|---|
| S | 13.00 |
| 1 | 15.66 |
| 2 | 18.52 |
| 3 | 19.48 |
| 4 | 20.55 |
Source: agreement text 10.4 (Rakennusliitto / LVI-TU, 2025–2028) and the Rakennusliitto 2026 rate summary, checked 26 September 2026; the 1 June 2026 rise was 2.9 %, the next rise (2.4 %) is scheduled for 1 June 2027. Supplements from 1 June 2026: evening 1.21 €/h, night 2.47 €/h; qualification supplements 0.60 / 1.11 €/h for Finnish further or specialist vocational qualifications matching the work (section 14.1); foreman supplement at least 0.68 €/h; pipe-insulation tool allowance 2.12 €/day.
Pipework on a data-centre build — chilled-water and glycol loops, coolant distribution units (CDU), pump rooms, valves and supports — is installed by building-services (LVI) contractors under the Talotekniikka agreement 2025–2028, pay groups S and 1–4. The group follows the work you carry out independently from drawings, your relevant training and your experience — not nationality or language (Non-discrimination Act 1325/2014, section 8).
Section 11.8 of the agreement concerns installers arriving from abroad while keeping their permanent home in another country: group 2 for the first three months, a higher group allowed from day one. After three months the group can be lowered only with a written list of qualification gaps and a training period back to group 2 level. We check your circumstances before confirming the starting group.
Water and glycol circuits do not require a refrigerant (F-gas) qualification. Opening a refrigerant circuit does — that is refrigeration technicians' work with a Finnish Tukes qualification, and it is not part of a pipefitter's scope here.
Employee pension contribution 7.30 % and employee unemployment insurance 0.89 % (ETK, Työllisyysrahasto and Vero decisions for 2026), plus tax according to your Finnish tax card — or an illustrative 20 % if you have none yet. If you stay in Finland six months or less, tax at source is usually 35 % with a possible deduction; a progressive option exists. The calculator shows gross pay for 160 hours and a take-home range; overtime, weekend rates and the personal pay component are not calculated.
Daily allowance, accommodation and travel are checked separately for the assignment. Two questions must be answered: is a payment due under the agreement, and does it meet the conditions for tax exemption? A site is a temporary special place of work for at most three years; travel from accommodation to the site does not by itself create a daily allowance.
These are conditional tax-free limits (Vero decision of 7 November 2025; the same tiers appear in the Talotekniikka 2026 summary), not automatic additions to your pay. Meal provision may reduce the tax-free amount. The written offer states what applies to your assignment.
We check your experience with the required systems, your ability to work from drawings, relevant qualifications and the site's safety requirements.
A specific starting-pay rule may apply under section 11.8 of the agreement: group 2 for the first three months, or higher from day one if your qualification and independent work support it. We check your circumstances before confirming the starting group.
Yes. We review your existing documents first and agree the necessary onboarding for the assignment. See documents and cards.
Not for water and glycol loops, CDU connections, pump rooms and valves — that is pipefitting. Only opening a refrigerant circuit requires a refrigeration technician with a Finnish Tukes qualification. We do not place pipefitters on refrigerant work.
The working language on the sites we staff is English. The requirement of the work is English at B1 level for site instructions and safety briefings. Finnish is not required for installer roles.
Typically 1–2 weeks: the tax number takes 1–10 working days after a Vero appointment, the Valtti card 1–2 days to activate plus delivery, and the Occupational Safety Card is done online before travel.
Yes. If a permit is needed, the route and timing depend on the assignment and your circumstances: a residence permit for an employed person (TTOL) requires at least 1 600 €/month gross in 2026, the state fee is 750 € online, and a labour-market test applies unless your occupation is exempted regionally (Migri, checked 25 September 2026). We consider mobilisation only against a confirmed order.
A safety card does not raise the rate by itself. Some steps enable site access; others support a more demanding role or a supplement under the applicable agreement.
Practical skills: cost and timing are assessed individually; no standard course price or completion time is available.
Occupational Safety Card (Työturvallisuuskortti) — online course in English, 4–8 hours, valid 5 years. Hot Work Certificate (Tulityökortti) theory if your tasks include brazing, grinding or cutting; the extinguishing exercise is practical. Have scans of your ID and trade documents ready for the process we agree with you; do not send them with the form.
Tax Administration (Vero) visit by appointment: personal identity code, tax number (veronumero) and entry in the public register — 1–10 working days, free. Tax card. Valtti photo-ID card: activation 1–2 days, delivery 1–5 days.
Site induction, access card, tools and drawings. With documents in order a pipefitter is typically on site 1–2 weeks after arrival.
| Document | Why | Time | Cost (provider prices, checked 25–26 September 2026) | Before arrival? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational Safety Card (Työturvallisuuskortti) | Required on practically every site | Course 4–8 h; valid 5 years | Depends on the provider, roughly 54–127 € + VAT; replacement card 20 € | Yes — online in English |
| Tax number (veronumero) in the public register | Required by law on construction sites | Vero visit by appointment; 1–10 working days | Free | No — in person in Finland |
| Valtti card (photo ID with tax number) | Site access in practice | Activation 1–2 days, delivery 1–5 days | 32 € on Starter or 29 € on a paid service plan, plus 8.20 € per order and VAT (Vastuu Group) | Order yes; issued after the tax number |
| Hot Work Certificate (Tulityökortti) | Required for brazing, grinding, cutting | 1 day; valid 5 years | 119–239 € + VAT; confirm with the provider | Partly — theory yes, extinguishing exercise is practical |
| Welder qualification EN ISO 9606-1 | Opens pipe-welding work on top of fitting | Test 1–3 days + certificate 1–3 weeks | Provider example Taitotalo: 650 € + VAT per qualification day, +250 € + VAT per additional qualification | Yes |
| Finnish further vocational qualification (ammattitutkinto) | Adds a TES supplement of 0.60 €/h (specialist qualification 1.11 €/h) | Recognition of a foreign qualification: OPH/EDUFI advisory statement 2–4 months | OPH advisory statement 277.36 € | Application yes |
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Provider prices as published, VAT as stated by each provider. We tell you in writing before you travel which cards we arrange and pay for on a given assignment; onboarding is charged to the hiring company, never to the worker. Full guide with the order, timelines and typical mistakes: Documents and cards.
Talotekniikka TES: base rates valid from 1 June 2026. Next scheduled rate change: 1 June 2027. Rates and agreement checked: 26 September 2026. Scenario rules: GW-CALC-1.0. Sources: Talotekniikka TES and the 2026 rate summary — see below.
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Order, timelines, provider prices and typical mistakes for every card — in one place.
Documents and cards guide