Whole-Home Repipe services

Cost depends on home square footage, number of fixtures, pipe material selected (PEX vs. copper), wall access complexity, and permit requirements. The national cost range depends on scope and location and is in the repipe cost guide. Ask the plumber for a written estimate covering price, scope, and permit requirements before any work begins — there is no obligation.

Most 2–3 bathroom homes complete a PEX repipe in 3–5 days. Day one is rough-in (running new lines through walls). Day two is connection and pressure testing. Days three through five include permit inspection, wall patching, and cleanup. Copper repiping takes slightly longer because of soldering at every connection.

PEX-A or PEX-B is the standard choice for most residential repipes in 2026. PEX costs 30–50% less in materials, installs faster with fewer fittings, resists pinhole corrosion in hard and acidic water, and handles freeze events better than copper (expands approximately 3% before bursting rather than splitting immediately). Copper is still specified in jurisdictions where PEX isn’t code-approved for all configurations and in high-temperature applications. Ask the plumber which material your local code and home layout call for.

The four main triggers: (1) Polybutylene (gray plastic) — recalled due to systemic failure, flagged on home inspections, and a liability at resale. (2) Galvanized steel original to pre-1970 homes — interior rust restricts flow and leaches sediment into fixtures. (3) Two or more slab leaks in five years — pinhole corrosion is progressing system-wide. (4) Copper underslab in hard-water markets — aggressive water chemistry accelerates pinhole failure faster than above-slab copper.

Yes. Replacing supply lines requires a plumbing permit and rough-in inspection in virtually every jurisdiction. The inspection occurs before walls close. Permit fees for a whole-home repipe vary by city (see the permit fee estimator). Ask the plumber to pull the permit — you shouldn’t have to manage it yourself.

Yes, in almost every case. Water is shut off during working hours and restored at the end of each workday, so evenings and overnight are normal. Crews work room by room rather than opening the whole house at once. Plan around the daily shutoff window — confirm it with the matched plumber during the estimate call.

Four variables drive most of the spread: pipe material (PEX runs 30–50% below copper), fixture count (each additional bathroom adds a full hot and cold run), wall access (slab and two-story homes need more openings than crawlspace homes), and whether drywall patch and paint are included. A quote that excludes restoration will always look cheaper than one that includes it. Compare scope line by line, not just the total.

The EPA says the most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets and fixtures, and that in homes with lead service lines, the pipes connecting the home to the water main, those lines are typically the most significant source.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (read 2026-09-30).

The EPA suggests contacting your water utility or a plumber to find out whether the service line is made of lead, and its Protect Your Tap guide walks through identifying lead pipes step by step.

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (read 2026-09-30).

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, as the EPA explains, lead-free means a weighted average of no more than 0.25 percent lead across the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings and fixtures. Ask what pipe material is proposed and whether it carries a lead-free certification mark.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (read 2026-09-30).

No. The EPA says you cannot see, taste or smell lead dissolved in water, so testing is the only sure way of telling whether there are harmful quantities of lead in drinking water. It suggests contacting your water utility to have your water tested.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (read 2026-09-30).

Ask which lines would be replaced (water supply, drains, or both), what pipe material is proposed, how many walls and ceilings would be opened, whether patching them is part of the job, and whether a permit and inspection are required at your address.

Not by AlertPlumber, which does not license or verify plumbers; calls go to independent plumbers in our routing partner’s network. Ask the plumber for their license number and check it on your state board’s public lookup.

AlertPlumber does not charge homeowners. AlertPlumber is a referral service that earns a fee from its routing partner when a call or request connects you with a participating plumber. You pay only the plumber you choose to hire, for work you agree to.

Ask for one. AlertPlumber cannot promise what an independent plumber provides, so ask for a written estimate — price, scope, and timeline — before any work begins, and ask how change orders for unexpected discoveries will be documented.

You’re under no obligation. Decline the quote and get a second opinion — call again or send a new request through AlertPlumber to reach another participating plumber, or compare with any plumber you choose.