How Much Does It Cost to Repipe a House?

While the majority of the repiping jobs fall between $4,800 and $6,910 on average when installing PEX pipes, the cost to repipe a house can range anywhere from $1,900 to $18,000+ depending on a variety of variables:

1. House size and number of stories

To completely repipe a larger house, more piping materials and more hours of labor are necessary to install the new plumbing systems, increasing the costs. Conversely, a smaller building requires fewer materials and less labor, decreasing the costs. And when repiping a multi-story building, cost further increases because walls must be demolished in order to replace vertical pipes.

2. Number of plumbing fixtures

Connected to the plumbing systems, plumbing fixtures are used to drain and deliver water. Fixtures include sinks, dishwashers, showers, toilets, water heater, bathtub, washing machines, and any faucets. The more fixtures in a house, the higher the cost to repipe due to increased materials and time needed to install new pipes.

3. Ease of pipe accessibility

Portions of the plumbing systems that are only accessible through closets or small crawlspaces cost more to replace than sections that run behind walls. Due to the limited space, it requires additional effort and time to remove the old pipes and install the new pipes.

4. Diameter of the pipe

Cost of piping materials increases as the diameter increases.

5. Type of pipe being installed

Different piping materials incur different costs:

Pipe Material	Cost Per Foot
CPVC	$0.70 – $1.2
PEX	$0.70 – $2.3
Copper	$2.2 – $4.4

The High Cost of Repiping a House with Copper

Copper is the most expensive piping material available, prices ranging from $5,400 up to $22,000 to repipe a house. While copper piping is durable, the material is rigid – driving up the cost. Installation requires wall demolition in addition to almost twice the amount of time compared to installing PEX piping. Material also plays a significant factor, copper costing up to $5 per foot; PEX is an alternative option that provides the same benefits of copper at a significantly lower price.

Subject to corrosion over time unlike PEX, copper pipes further require additional costs to maintain and eventually replace completely. Blue-green stains will often appear in sinks, showers, faucets, and other plumbing fixtures caused by the copper being dissolved out of the pipes and integrating with the water supply. Tiny holes may also develop as the copper is dissolved, creating water leaks in multiple spots throughout your plumbing system.

Copper piping also only has a lifetime of around 50 years; however, PEX has a projected lifetime of 100+ years, eliminating the need for an additional repipe (and corresponding cost) within a homeowner’s lifetime.

PEX is the Cost-Effective Choice for Repiping

PEX piping is far less expensive than other types of piping systems, costing $2,300 – $5,400 less to repipe a house. This is primarily due to the lower labor and material costs associated with it. Compared to copper piping which would cost $8,400 – $12,000 to replace in a two-bathroom home, PEX would only cost on average $4,500 – $6,700 – offering significant cost-saving opportunities.

So why is PEX the most cost-effective choice to repipe your home? Cross-linked polyethylene tubing (better known as PEX) costs about $0.80 – $2.4 per foot compared to copper at $2.3 – $4.5 per foot.

PEX is also a flexible plastic hose that can be snaked into walls with minimal damage. This flexibility limits the amount of wall demolition necessary that would otherwise have been required to install rigid piping materials such as copper. It also reduces the amount of time and labor needed to install the pipes, decreasing the overall cost of a house repipe. Learn more about PEX repiping and its advantages.

Save Money by Contacting a PEX Repipe Specialist

Contacting a repipe specialist and not your go-to plumber will save you money in the long run. While plumbers can identify issues with your pipes, they’re likely to focus on solving the immediate problem. Individual pipes will be replaced as they break, and each time you’ll pay a service fee.

Repiping specialists will be able to recognize when your entire plumbing system needs to be replaced – not just individual pipes. In doing so, all the issues you’re experiencing are fixed at one time! You won’t need to continue paying your plumber to fix problem after problem.