Whole-house repiping: new water lines throughout your home
When the pipes behind your walls are worn out, fixing one leak at a time only buys a little time before the next one. A whole-house repipe replaces every hot and cold supply line at once, from the main shutoff to each fixture, so you get back full pressure and clean water. Call now to talk it through with a local repipe contractor.
What a whole-house repipe includes
A whole-house repipe replaces the water supply plumbing throughout the home. That is the network of pipes that carries pressurized water to everything you turn on. The contractor runs new lines to each point of use and ties them back to the main.
A repipe covers the supply side, not the drain and sewer side. Drain lines carry waste water away by gravity and are a separate job. If your drains also need work, a contractor can look at both, but the two are priced and planned on their own.
Lines a repipe usually covers
- Kitchen and bathroom sinks
- Tubs and showers
- Toilets
- Washing machine hookups
- Water heater connections
- Refrigerator and ice maker lines
- New shutoff valves at fixtures
When a full repipe beats a partial fix
Galvanized and other aging pipe wears out across the whole system at about the same rate, because it all went in at once and carries the same water.
Once you have had leaks in more than one spot, or the pressure is weak at fixtures all over the house, the problem is rarely one bad section. Patching a single run leaves the rest of the tired pipe in the walls, and the next thin spot is usually not far behind. A whole-house repipe resets the clock on the entire system, which is why it often costs less over a few years than a string of emergency repairs. A partial repipe still makes sense when the trouble is truly limited to one area, and a contractor can tell you which case you are in.
How the job goes, step by step
Walkthrough and plan
The contractor maps your fixtures and pipe routes and decides where to open the fewest access points.
Protection and prep
Floors, counters, and belongings are covered before any wall is opened.
New lines run
Fresh PEX or copper is routed to every fixture, with the water kept on for as much of the work as possible.
Pressure test and inspection
The new system is tested for leaks and checked against local code before anything closes up.
Patch and clean
Access holes are patched and the work areas are cleaned before the crew leaves.
What a worn system costs while it stays in the walls
A tired supply system is a slow, steady expense, and the pinhole leaks it produces are the kind of failure behind some of the most common home insurance claims.
The money side
- Water damage and freezing claims average about $13,954 each (Insurance Information Institute).
- Just one inch of water inside a home can cause up to $25,000 in damage (FEMA).
- Household leaks waste close to 1 trillion gallons a year nationwide, about 10,000 gallons per home (EPA).
The fix
A whole-house repipe removes the failing pipe in one project instead of chasing leaks around the house. New PEX or copper carries a working life measured in decades, so the repeat-repair cycle ends and your water runs clean and full again.
Choosing PEX or copper
Both are code-approved and last for decades, so the right pick depends on your home, your water, and your budget. PEX is flexible, installs faster, and resists scale and freezing. Copper has the longer track record and can help at resale. A contractor recommends one after seeing the house.
Read more on PEX repiping and copper repiping.
Living in your home during the work
Most families stay in the house during a repipe. Water is off only for short stretches, dust is controlled with coverings, and the crew works one area at a time. Your contractor gives you a schedule for your home.
Signs your whole house is due, not just one pipe
A repipe is a system decision. When the warning signs show up in more than one room, the pipe, not the fixture, is the thing that has worn out.
Most homeowners move from spot repairs to a full repipe once the same problems appear in different parts of the house. Rusty or brown water from more than one tap, pressure that drops when two fixtures run at once, leaks that return after a patch, and staining on sinks and laundry across the home all point to a supply system near the end of its life rather than a single bad section. Water that takes a moment to clear after sitting overnight, a water heater that fills slowly as scale narrows the lines, and a water bill that climbs with no change in use round out the picture. One of these can have a simple cause. Several together usually mean the whole system is ready to be replaced.
Why replacing the whole system usually wins on cost over time
Galvanized and other aging supply pipe corrodes across the entire network at roughly the same pace, because it all went in during the same build and carries the same water. That is why a string of emergency repairs tends to cost more over a few years than one planned repipe. Each spot repair opens a wall, pays for a trip charge, and leaves the rest of the tired pipe in place, so the next thin spot is rarely far behind.
A whole-house repipe resets the clock on the entire supply system at once. New PEX or copper carries a working life measured in decades, which ends the repeat-repair cycle and removes the quiet risk of a burst line behind a finished wall.
What shapes the scope of a repipe
- The size of the home and the number of bathrooms
- One story versus two, and whether there is a basement, crawlspace, or slab
- How the existing pipe is routed and how easy it is to reach
- The material you choose, PEX or copper
- The number of fixtures and shutoff valves being replaced
- Local permit and inspection requirements
A contractor weighs these in person. We do not post prices, because an honest number comes only after a look at the home.
Living through a repipe: what to expect
A repipe is real work, but a practiced crew keeps it contained. The water is shut off only in short stretches, usually while new lines are tied in, and the crew works room by room so the household keeps water for most of the day. Access is opened at a limited number of points rather than tearing out whole walls, and floors and belongings are covered before anything is cut. Most single-family homes are finished within a few working days, with drywall patching either included or handed off to a finisher, depending on the contractor. Ask up front how access, daily water shutoffs, and patching will be handled, and you will have a clear picture before the first wall is opened.
After the repipe: cleaner water and steady pressure
The difference shows up the same day. Water runs clear instead of rust-tinted, pressure holds when the laundry and a shower run together, and the staining on fixtures stops coming back. Just as important, a home with a new supply system is no longer one hidden pinhole away from a cleanup, and that reliability reads well to a buyer or inspector down the road.
If only part of your system has failed, a partial repipe may be the right call instead, and the corroded steel itself is covered in detail on our galvanized pipe replacement page. A contractor can tell you which path fits your home after a walkthrough.
Questions homeowners ask about a whole-house repipe
How long does a whole-house repipe take?
Most single-family homes are finished within a few working days, depending on the size of the house, the number of bathrooms, and how the pipe is routed. The water is shut off only in short stretches, so a household can usually stay in the home throughout.
Do I have to move out during the work?
Usually not. A good crew works in sections and keeps the water on for as much of each day as possible, so most families stay put. Your contractor will tell you what to expect for your specific home.
Will the crew patch the walls?
Some repipe contractors patch the access openings, while others leave the drywall finishing to a painter or a finisher. Ask up front so there are no surprises, and you will know exactly what the job includes.
Can I repipe one material throughout, or mix PEX and copper?
Either is possible. Many homes are done entirely in PEX for value and speed, some entirely in copper, and some use copper for exposed or high-heat runs with PEX elsewhere. A contractor recommends the approach after seeing the home.
Choosing a repipe contractor you can trust
A repipe is a project worth doing once and doing right, so the contractor matters as much as the material. Before hiring, confirm that the contractor carries the license and insurance your state and locality require, and that the work will be permitted and inspected where the code calls for it. Ask how they protect floors and belongings, how they handle daily water shutoffs, whether patching is included, and how they pressure-test the system before closing walls. A straight answer to each of those is a good sign. We connect homeowners with independent local repipe contractors, and the contractor who assesses your home is the one who does the work. As with any home project, you verify their credentials before hiring. Call now and we will put you in touch with a repipe pro who works your area.
Permits, code, and why they protect you
A whole-house repipe is a code-regulated job in most jurisdictions, and that is a good thing for the homeowner. A permitted repipe is inspected, which means an independent official confirms the work meets the plumbing code before the walls close. That protects you from shortcuts you would never see behind drywall, and it keeps the work on record for a future sale. A reputable contractor pulls the permit, schedules the inspection, and installs to code as a matter of course, using approved materials and the correct fittings, supports, and shutoffs. If a contractor suggests skipping the permit to save time or money, treat it as a warning sign. The small cost and short delay of doing it properly is cheap insurance against a hidden defect and a problem at resale.
Related repiping services
A whole-house repipe is the right answer for a system-wide problem, but it is one option among several. If the trouble is limited to one area, a partial repipe may fit. The specific material in your walls has its own page: corroded steel on galvanized pipe replacement, gray plastic on polybutylene replacement, aging cream plastic on CPVC replacement, and old lead on lead pipe replacement. The buried line to the street is covered on main water line replacement, and leaks under a foundation on slab leak repipe. A local contractor can identify what your home needs and point you to the right fix, and the materials themselves, PEX and copper, each have a page of their own.
Ready to be done with the same leaks?
A whole-house repipe replaces the whole worn system at once, so you stop paying to patch it. Talk it through with a local contractor now.
Common questions
How long does a whole-house repipe take?
Most homes are repiped in a few days. The exact time depends on the size of the house, the number of bathrooms, and how the pipes are routed. Your contractor gives you a timeline once they have seen the home.
Do I have to move out during the repipe?
Usually not. Most families stay home. The water is shut off only for short periods, and the crew keeps the work contained. Your contractor will tell you what to expect for your home.
Will my walls be torn apart?
No. A repipe uses limited access points rather than opening every wall. Those openings are patched as part of the job, and any painting is typically the homeowner's to finish.
Should I do a whole-house repipe or just a partial one?
If leaks and low pressure show up in more than one area, the whole system is usually worn and a full repipe is the better value. If the trouble is limited to one run, a partial repipe can work. A contractor can tell you which fits.
Does a repipe cover my drains and sewer line?
No. A repipe replaces the water supply lines. Drain and sewer lines are a separate job. If you need both, a contractor can look at them together and plan each one.