One Leaky Pipe Too Many? Here’s the Average Cost to Replumb a House
Prepare for sticker shock: The average cost to replumb a house is not cheap.
Old pipes leaking beyond repair? The average cost to replumb a house runs between $371 and $2,133, according to HomeAdvisor.
“It’s pretty expensive to have it done,” says LaNelle McKay, a top real estate agent in Baytown, TX. And unfortunately, you won’t likely recoup the cost of replumbing at resale.
Still, if you have plumbing problems, you need to evaluate if replumbing is necessary. A burst pipe can flood your home and cause significant damage. There are easy steps you can take to evaluate if you need to replumb part or all of your home. To bring you the ultimate replumbing guide, we interviewed two licensed plumbers and two top real estate agents.
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Main factors impacting replumbing costs
The total cost to replumb a house varies depending on the materials of the pipes, the size of the home, and the plumber’s hourly rate.
Home size
Just like any major home repair, project cost varies by square footage. Whether you need to replumb a portion of your home or the entire house is also a factor.
The table below summarizes the cost to replumb a house of different sizes.
| Home Size (Square Feet) | Average Cost to Replumb |
| 800 | $3,600 |
| 1,000 | $4,500 |
| 1,200 | $5,400 |
| 1,300 | $5,850 |
| 1,500 | $6,750 |
| 1,600 | $7,200 |
| 2,300 | $10,350 |
| 2,500 | $11,250 |
| 3,000 | $13,500 |
Source: Home Advisor
Pipe material
The cost of pipes varies depending on the material. Many plumbers swear by cross-linked polyethylene plastic (PEX) because it’s flexible, easy to install, and heat resistant. Homeowners like the material because it’s cheaper than copper pipes.
“With PEX, a plumber can typically install within a day. It’s also more freeze-proof than copper. That’s the new standard for homes that are higher-end,” shares Robert Jenkins, a certified plumber in Eugene, OR, and owner of Windmill Valley Properties. “It performs as well if not better than copper in most tests.”
Although copper is the highest-priced piping material, Jenkins shares that it’s still a popular choice in new-builds and higher-end homes, especially when piping is exposed.
According to HomeGuide, the average cost of repiping a home with PEX tubes is $0.40 to $2.00 per linear foot. Meanwhile, installing copper pipe averages at $3 to $8 per linear foot.
According to certified plumber Joe Wood of Boston Standard Company in Mattapan, MA, another popular product with both homeowners and plumbers is ProPress (pressed copper), which comes with a 50-year warranty. Press fittings typically install faster, taking 95% less time than traditional soldering, which can cut down on labor costs.
Labor
The cost of replumbing your house also depends on your plumber’s hourly rate and the amount of time it takes them to complete the job. On average, plumbers charge between $45 and $200 an hour. There’s an additional fee to repair any walls damaged to access the pipes.
