Repiping replaces the supply pipes that carry water to every faucet, toilet, shower and appliance in your home. It is a large project, but the cost is driven by a few things you can control and understand: the size of the house, the pipe material, how easy the pipes are to reach and how much wall repair is needed afterward.

This calculator prices each of those items separately, so you can see why a copper repipe costs far more than PEX, and what a slab foundation or a second story adds.

How to read your estimate

How to Read Your Repiping Estimate

Cost explanation

What Is Included in Each Cost Category

How Much Does Whole House Repiping Cost?

Whole house repiping typically costs roughly $4,000 to $15,000 for an average home with PEX or CPVC, and roughly $10,000 to $25,000 or more with copper, depending on the size of the home, number of bathrooms and how easy the pipes are to reach. In this calculator’s example for a 1,600 square foot home with two bathrooms, PEX-B costs roughly $8,100 to $10,250 ($5.05 to $6.40 per square foot) and copper roughly $15,000 to $19,000.

These numbers are planning assumptions used by this calculator, not live contractor bids. A plumber should inspect your pipes and walls before quoting.

How This Whole House Repiping Calculator Works

1. Home size and bathrooms: choose a size range or enter an exact square footage, and the number of bathrooms.
2. Pipe location: attic, crawl space, basement or in or under a slab, which changes labor and wall repair.
3. Old pipes and stories: the material of the existing pipes and the number of levels in the home.
4. New pipe: PEX-B, PEX-A, CPVC or copper, each with its own material and labor rate.
5. Extras: hose bibs, water heater connection, drywall repair, removal of old pipes, a manifold system, a shutoff valve and regulator and a permit allowance.
6. Your ZIP code identifies your market and helps match you with local professionals. It does not change the calculated price.

Signs Your House May Need Repiping

• Low water pressure throughout the house, especially in an older home
• Brown, yellow or rusty water coming from taps
• Frequent leaks, pinhole leaks or pipe repairs
• Galvanized steel or polybutylene (gray plastic) pipes
• Discolored or metallic-tasting water
• Water stains on walls or ceilings with no obvious source

A plumber can inspect the pipes, test pressure and sometimes use a camera or cut small access points to see the condition of the pipes inside the walls.

PEX vs. CPVC vs. Copper

PEX Repiping Cost Calculator and Copper Repiping Cost Calculator — links still needed; those pages are not yet live.

Repiping Cost by Pipe Material

The table shows the base installed cost per square foot of home the calculator starts from (materials plus labor) before bathrooms, fixtures, drywall repair, permits and other extras, with good access and no adjustments.

Bathrooms, hose bibs, the water heater connection, drywall repair and permits are added on top, which is why all-in costs per square foot are higher.

What Affects the Cost of Whole House Repiping?

Size of the home

Larger homes need more pipe and more runs, but the cost per square foot falls as the home gets larger because fixed costs are spread out. In the example with PEX-B, a 1,000 square foot home is roughly $5,900 to $7,400, 1,600 square feet roughly $8,100 to $10,250, 2,200 square feet roughly $10,250 to $13,000, 2,500 square feet roughly $11,500 to $14,500 and 3,500 square feet roughly $15,250 to $19,250.

Number of bathrooms and fixtures

Each bathroom adds fixtures, shutoffs and extra pipe runs. In the example, a one-bathroom home is roughly $7,700 to $9,800, three bathrooms roughly $8,500 to $10,750 and four or more roughly $8,800 to $11,250. Outdoor hose bibs and the water heater connection add smaller amounts.

Where the pipes are located

Pipes in a basement or accessible crawl space are easiest to replace. Pipes run through an attic cost a bit more, and pipes in or under a concrete slab are usually abandoned and new lines run overhead through walls, which takes more labor and wall repair. In the example, a basement is roughly $7,500 to $9,400, an attic roughly $8,600 to $10,750 and a slab roughly $9,800 to $12,500, compared with $8,100 to $10,250 for a crawl space.

Number of stories

Multi-story homes need longer vertical runs and more access points. In the example, two stories adds roughly $300 to $500 and three stories roughly $600 to $750.

Condition of the old pipes

Galvanized steel pipes often have stuck, corroded fittings that take extra time to remove. In the example, galvanized steel adds roughly $200 to $350 compared with copper or polybutylene.

Drywall repair

Repiping often requires cutting access holes in walls and ceilings, which then need patching and painting. In the example, including drywall patching and painting adds roughly $1,000 to $1,250. Some homeowners handle the finishing themselves to save money.

Drywall Repair Cost Calculator and Interior Painting Cost Calculator — links still needed; those pages are not yet live.

Removing old pipes, manifold system and shutoff valve

Most plumbers leave old pipes in place, but removal is an option and adds roughly $700 to $1,000 in the example. A home-run manifold system for PEX adds roughly $300 to $500, and a new shutoff valve and pressure regulator add roughly $400 to $500.

Permits and regional pricing

Repiping almost always needs a permit and inspection, and fees vary by city. Labor rates and local codes also vary by region.

How Long Does Repiping Take?

Many repipes for an average home take a few days of work, with the water shut off for part of each day. Larger homes, copper, slab foundations and multi-story homes can take longer. Your plumber can give you a schedule, and some will offer temporary water arrangements for overnight.

Does Insurance Cover Repiping?

Standard homeowners policies often do not cover replacing pipes that have failed from age or corrosion, though they may cover sudden water damage from a burst pipe in some cases. Some insurers will not cover homes with certain pipe types such as polybutylene, or may charge more. Check your policy and talk to your insurer before and after the project.

How Long Do New Pipes Last?

PEX and CPVC are commonly expected to last several decades, and copper is often expected to last 50 years or more, depending on water chemistry, installation quality and conditions. Old galvanized steel pipes often fail much sooner because they corrode from the inside.

How to Budget for Repiping

• Get the pipes inspected first so you know the condition and where the pipes run.
• Compare materials on price, local code and your water chemistry.
• Budget for wall repair unless your plumber includes it.
• Add 10% to 20% contingency for hidden damage and surprises behind walls.
• Get at least three written quotes and compare scope, including drywall repair, permits and warranty.

Main Water Line Replacement Cost Calculator and Plumbing Inspection Cost Calculator — links still needed; those pages are not yet live.

Questions to Ask Plumbing Contractors

• Which pipe material do you recommend for my home and water, and why?
• How many access holes will you cut, and who patches and paints them?
• Will you abandon or remove the old pipes?
• How long will the water be off each day, and how long will the job take?
• Is the permit and inspection included?
• What does your workmanship warranty cover, and what is the pipe manufacturer’s warranty?
• Will you replace the shutoff valves and hose bibs?

When to Hire a Professional

Repiping involves opening walls, shutting off water and connecting every fixture, and mistakes can cause leaks and water damage. Use this estimate to plan, then get quotes from licensed local plumbers to confirm scope and price.

Plumbing Services page — link still needed (doc placeholder /services/plumbing/). Plumbing Cost Guide — link still needed (doc placeholder /guides/plumbing-cost-guide/).

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Whole House Repiping Cost FAQs

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