How Much Does It Cost to Repipe a House in 2025?

TL;DR: Repiping a full house costs $4,000 to $15,000 in 2025, with a national average near $8,500 for a 2,000-square-foot home. PEX runs $2 to $4 per square foot installed while copper costs $4 to $8 per square foot, and the biggest price swings come from wall access, number of bathrooms, and whether you need to open finished walls.

_Last reviewed: July 2026 · 8 min read_

You've got a leak, or two, or three, and you're tired of patching. Before you call a plumber for another spot repair, you want to know what a full repipe actually costs so you're not blindsided by the estimate. Here's the real breakdown.

Okoniq Property Hub logs every plumbing repair and estimate in one place, so when a repipe quote comes in, you already have the history to compare it against.

What does it actually cost to repipe a house?

Most homeowners pay between $4,000 and $15,000 for a whole-house repipe, with the median landing around $8,500 for a typical 2,000-square-foot, 2-3 bathroom home. Small homes under 1,500 square feet with one bathroom can come in as low as $3,500. Larger homes over 3,500 square feet, or homes with multiple bathrooms and finished basements, can push past $15,000.

The price isn't just about square footage. A single-story ranch with an open crawlspace is far cheaper to repipe than a two-story colonial where every pipe run is buried in finished drywall. Labor typically makes up 50-60% of the bill, which is why access matters more than most people expect.

If your current pipes are cast iron rather than supply lines, the math changes entirely, and it's worth reading up on cast iron drain pipe replacement separately since that's priced and scoped differently than a supply-line repipe.

PEX or copper: which pipe material costs less?

PEX costs less upfront, running $2 to $4 per square foot installed versus $4 to $8 for copper, and most plumbers now recommend PEX for whole-house repipes unless local code requires copper. A 2,000-square-foot home in PEX typically lands $3,000 to $5,000 cheaper than the same job in copper.

Copper still has advocates. It lasts 50-70 years, resists UV damage if exposed, and doesn't degrade from chlorine the way some early PEX formulations did in the 1990s. But modern PEX-A and PEX-B are rated for 40-50 years and handle freeze expansion better, which matters if you're in a climate with hard winters.

| Factor | PEX | Copper | |---|---|---| | Installed cost per sq ft | $2 - $4 | $4 - $8 | | Expected lifespan | 40 - 50 years | 50 - 70 years | | Freeze resistance | Better (flexes) | Worse (can split) | | Installation speed | Faster, fewer joints | Slower, soldered joints |

For most owner-operators repiping a rental, PEX wins on cost and speed. For a forever home or a historic property where resale buyers expect copper, the extra spend can make sense.

What drives the price up or down on a repipe quote?

Four factors swing your final number more than anything else: home size, number of fixtures, wall access, and permit requirements. A home with 3 bathrooms and a kitchen needs more pipe runs than a 1-bath cottage, and each additional fixture adds $300 to $600 in material and labor.

Wall access is the biggest wild card. If your plumber can run new pipe through an open basement or crawlspace, labor stays low. If pipes are buried in finished walls and ceilings, expect drywall cutting and patching to add $1,500 to $3,000 to the total, plus repainting. This is the same reason a ceiling water stain often turns into a bigger job than the leak itself suggested, since the real cost is opening up the structure, not fixing the pipe.

Permits typically add $50 to $500 depending on your city, and most municipalities require an inspection before you close up walls. Skipping this step can void your homeowner's insurance claim later if a repipe-related leak happens down the road.

How long does a repipe take and can you stay in the house?

A whole-house repipe usually takes 3 to 7 days for water to be fully restored, though some crews finish in as little as 2 days on a small single-story home. You can typically stay in the house, but expect water shutoffs during work hours and at least one day with no water at all while old lines are cut and new ones are pressure-tested.

Larger jobs with drywall repair can stretch to 2-3 weeks if you count patching, texture matching, and repainting. Ask your plumber for a day-by-day schedule upfront, not just a total timeline, so you can plan around showers and laundry.

If your problem right now is a single slow or clogged line rather than system-wide failure, it's worth ruling out a simpler fix first. See when to snake a drain yourself vs call a plumber before committing to a full repipe you may not need yet.

Do you actually need a full repipe, or just a partial one?

You need a full repipe if you're dealing with recurring leaks in multiple locations, low water pressure throughout the house, or discolored water from corroding galvanized steel pipes, which were common in homes built before 1960. A partial repipe, replacing just the worst section, makes sense if the rest of your system is under 20 years old and made of PEX or copper without visible corrosion.

Signs pointing to full replacement: pinhole leaks appearing in different rooms within the same year, visible green or blue staining on fixtures (copper corrosion), or a plumber finding galvanized pipe anywhere in the system. If you're also dealing with foundation moisture from old supply leaks, pair your repipe assessment with a look at basement waterproofing, since standing water near old pipe runs accelerates corrosion.

FAQ

Is repiping a house worth the cost?

Yes, if your home has galvanized steel pipes over 40 years old or recurring leaks, since a full repipe at $8,000 average typically costs less over 10 years than repeated $300-$800 emergency repairs plus water damage.

How much does it cost to repipe a 1,500 square foot house?

Expect $3,500 to $7,000 for a 1,500-square-foot home with one or two bathrooms, using PEX pipe with reasonable wall access.

Does homeowners insurance cover repiping?

Insurance rarely covers the repipe itself since it's considered maintenance, but it typically covers water damage caused by a pipe failure, so the repair bill and the repipe bill are usually two separate claims.

Can you repipe a house without opening walls?

Partially, yes. Plumbers can often route new PEX through attics, basements, and crawlspaces with minimal wall openings, but full copper repipes in finished two-story homes almost always require some drywall removal.

How do I know if my house has galvanized pipes?

Check an exposed pipe near your water heater or in the basement with a magnet. Galvanized steel is magnetic and often shows gray, dull coloring with rust streaks, while copper is reddish and non-magnetic.

This is educational information, not plumbing or financial advice. Get at least two licensed plumber quotes and confirm permit requirements with your city before scheduling a repipe.