House Repiping Cost Calculator
Enter your house size, bathroom count, and pipe material to get an estimated whole-house repipe cost — including the wall repair most plumbers leave out of their quote.
Plumbing work involving water lines typically requires a licensed plumber. Permit requirements vary by jurisdiction.
This calculator provides a preliminary budget estimate only. Repiping requires permits and inspection. Always hire a licensed plumber — DIY repiping is illegal in all 50 states and voids homeowners insurance.
Last updated: June 2026
Flexible plastic tubing. Most common for modern repipes since 2010. Lifespan: 40-50 years.
Whole-House Repipe Estimate
Don't forget wall repair (+$1,200)
Repiping requires cutting access holes in ~15% of your walls. Most plumbers don't include drywall repair in their quote. Budget an additional $1,200 for patching, texture, and paint — usually done by a separate drywall contractor.
Total project cost (plumbing + wall repair): $5,800 - $15,000
Price data sources: Angi 2026 Cost to Repipe a House · HomeAdvisor 2026 Repiping Cost · Homewyse May 2026 Repipe House Water Supply Lines · Repipe Solutions Inc 2026 pricing data
Last verified: June 2026
Prices reflect US national averages. Local plumber rates vary significantly — coastal urban areas may cost 40-60% more.
How to Use This Repiping Cost Calculator
Step 1:Enter your home's square footage (from your property tax record or appraisal). This is the biggest cost driver.
Step 2: Count all bathrooms — a half bath counts as 0.5. More bathrooms means more fixtures and longer pipe runs.
Step 3:Pick your pipe material. PEX is the default because it's what most modern repipes use. Choose copper if you want maximum lifespan or have acidic water.
What Factors Affect House Repiping Cost?
House size
Cost scales roughly linearly with square footage. A 3,000 sq ft home costs about 50% more than a 2,000 sq ft home — more wall to open, more pipe to run, more drywall to repair.
Number of bathrooms
Each bathroom adds ~15% to total cost because of the fixture density (sink, toilet, shower/tub = 3-5 fixtures per bathroom). A 4-bathroom home costs roughly 45% more than a 1-bathroom home of the same size.
Stories
Two-story homes cost 20-30% more. Running pipe between floors requires cutting into floor plates and more complex routing. Single-story slab foundations are the cheapest (pipe runs under the slab or through attic).
Accessibility
Finished basements and finished attics both add cost because plumbers must cut through finished surfaces to access pipe runs. Homes with exposed joists (unfinished basement) are significantly cheaper.
Local labor rates
Licensed plumber rates range from $75/hour in the Southeast to $150+/hour in the Northeast and West Coast. Same job can cost 2x more in San Francisco than in Atlanta.
Repipe Cost Breakdown: Where Your Money Goes
| Component | % of Total | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Labor (licensed plumber) | 60-70% | Cutting walls, removing old pipe, running new pipe, fittings, pressure test |
| Materials (pipe + fittings) | 20-25% | PEX/copper pipe, connectors, shutoff valves, manifolds |
| Permits & inspection | 5-8% | Required in most jurisdictions. Plumbing inspector sign-off. |
| Wall repair (often separate) | 10-15% extra | Drywall patching, texture, paint. Usually done by separate contractor. |
Source: Angi 2026 — "Labor makes up most of your home repiping costs, about 70% of your total."
PEX vs CPVC vs Copper: Which Should You Choose?
| Material | $/sq ft | Lifespan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEX | $2-$6 | 40-50 years | Cheapest |
| CPVC | $3-$5 | 50-75 years | Good heat resistance |
| Copper | $4-$8 | 50-100+ years | Longest lifespan |
PEX is used in ~80% of US repipes since 2015. Choose copper only if you need maximum lifespan or have acidic water (pH < 6.5).
Plumbing contractor? Turn this estimate into a professional bid.
Cost Estimator imports your fixture counts, pipe material, and labor hours, then generates a client-ready repipe proposal in minutes. Built specifically for plumbing contractors — handles permit fees, wall repair subcontracting, and pressure-test documentation that generic estimating tools miss.
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Get Cost EstimatorHow Plumbing Contractors Build Repipe Bids
The standard repipe bid includes: (1) labor for the repipe itself, (2) pipe materials and fittings, (3) permit fees ($150-$500 depending on jurisdiction), (4) pressure test and inspection. Wall repair is almost always a separate line item.
How I bid repipes: I walk the house, count fixtures, check accessibility (finished basement? tight crawlspace?), and note the existing pipe material. Then I multiply square footage by my per-sq-ft rate ($3.50 for PEX in my Midwest market), adjust for bathrooms, and add 20% contingency for the rotted subfloor I always seem to find.
The wall repair upsell: most plumbers hate drywall work, so they sub it out or leave it to the homeowner. I offer a turnkey package (repipe + drywall + paint) at a 15% premium. Homeowners love not coordinating 3 contractors. The margin on the drywall sub is only 10%, but it closes more deals.
The inspection timeline: rough plumbing inspection happens before walls close — typically 2-3 days after pipe install. Final inspection is after wall repair. Total project from start to final sign-off: 7-14 days. Make sure your bid includes both inspections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to repipe a house with PEX?
PEX repiping costs $4,000-$12,000 for a typical whole-house job (2,000 sq ft, 2 bathrooms). The average is $7,500. Material-only cost runs about $0.40-$2 per linear foot, but labor is the bigger driver (about 70% of total cost). PEX is 40-50% cheaper than copper because it installs faster — a 2-bathroom PEX repipe takes 1-2 days vs 3-5 days for copper.
How much does it cost to repipe a house with copper?
Copper repiping costs $8,000-$18,000 for a typical whole-house job, roughly 2x the cost of PEX. Copper Type L pipe (the standard for residential) runs $2-$5 per linear foot for materials alone. The higher cost comes from slower installation — each joint must be soldered. Copper lasts 50-100+ years vs 40-50 for PEX, so it can be worth it if you plan to stay long-term.
How long does a whole-house repipe take?
A PEX whole-house repipe takes 1-3 days for a licensed crew of 2-3 plumbers. Copper takes 3-7 days because each joint requires soldering. The job includes: (1) cutting access holes in walls, (2) removing old pipe, (3) running new pipe, (4) pressure testing, (5) patching walls. Wall repair is often done separately by a drywall contractor 2-5 days later. Total project time from start to finished walls: 1-2 weeks.
Does homeowners insurance cover repiping?
Generally no — insurance covers sudden water damage (burst pipe), not proactive replacement of aging pipes. However, some policies offer a 'service line coverage' rider ($30-$50/year) that can help with repipe costs if the pipe has failed. If you're repiping because of an active leak that caused damage, the water damage may be covered but the pipe replacement itself usually isn't. Check your policy or call your agent before starting work.
Should I choose PEX or copper for repiping?
PEX is the right choice for 80% of homes — it's cheaper, faster to install, freeze-resistant, and has a 40-50 year lifespan. Choose copper if: (1) you plan to stay 30+ years and want maximum lifespan, (2) your water is acidic (pH < 6.5) which degrades PEX faster, (3) you're in a high-end home where copper adds resale value, (4) your jurisdiction requires copper for fire sprinkler supply lines. Most plumbers recommend PEX unless there's a specific reason for copper.
Can I repipe my house myself?
No — repiping requires a licensed plumber in all 50 states. Plumbing permits and inspections are mandatory. A DIY repipe that fails inspection means you must redo the work with a licensed plumber, often at 2x the original cost. More importantly, a failed repipe can cause catastrophic water damage ($10,000-$50,000+ in repairs). The liability and code compliance issues make DIY repiping one of the worst cost-saving ideas in home improvement. Use this calculator to budget, then hire a licensed professional.
What are signs my house needs repiping?
Common signs: (1) frequent leaks (more than 1 per year), (2) discolored water (brown or yellow = corroding pipes), (3) low water pressure throughout the house, (4) pipes older than 40 years (especially galvanized steel or polybutylene), (5) visible corrosion on exposed pipes. Homes built 1978-1995 with polybutylene pipe (grey plastic) should repipe proactively — polybutylene has a known high failure rate and is no longer code-approved.
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Take the 60-Second QuizPlumbing work involving water lines typically requires a licensed plumber. Permit requirements vary by jurisdiction.
If you suspect a plumbing emergency (active leak, burst pipe, water pouring from ceiling), shut off your main water valve immediately and call a 24/7 emergency plumber. This calculator is for planning purposes only — it cannot diagnose active plumbing failures.
Marcus Webb
Lead Reviewer & Construction Tech Analyst
Marcus spent 8 years working with general contractors and trade businesses before focusing on construction technology. He has personally tested 30+ estimating and project management tools with real project data.
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