House Repiping Cost (2026): PEX vs Copper, DIY vs Hiring a Pro
Updated
Verdict Hire a pro · 1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in PEX
Repiping a house costs $1,465–$1,980 to do yourself and $5,000–$10,000 to hire a pro, per 1,500 sq ft, 2-bath house (about 12 fixtures).
Hire a plumber or a repipe specialist for a whole-house repipe: it's permitted work that most jurisdictions want a licensed plumber on, the pipe runs in a regular house are partly in finished walls or a slab, and a leak behind drywall costs more than the labor you skipped. The saving is large — $1,465–$1,980 in materials, tools and permit for a 1,500 sq ft, 2-bath house against a $7,500 quote, about $5,800 for 35–60 hours — which is why the exception exists: if your building department issues homeowner plumbing permits, every run is reachable from a crawl space, basement or attic, and it's PEX, an experienced DIYer can do it. Copper, slab reroutes and unlicensed work are where DIY repipes go wrong.
- DIY cost
- $1,465–$1,980
- 35–60 hours of your time · 1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in pex
- Pro cost
- $5,000–$10,000
- typical $7,500 · per 1,500 sq ft, 2-bath house (about 12 fixtures)
- Typical savings
- $5,777
- 77% less than a pro · ≈ $122/hour for your time
- Plumbers price a repipe by the fixture: about $400–$800 each in PEX, $800–$1,500 in copper. That's $5,000 for a 1-bath house, $7,500 for a 1,500 sq ft 2-bath, $11,000 for a two-story 3-bath, and $14,000 for the 2-bath house in copper.
- A repipe is almost all labor. PEX, fittings, valves, drywall patching, tools and a permit for the 2-bath house come to $1,465–$1,980 — a saving of about $5,800, or $120 an hour for 35–60 hours.
- Three conditions decide whether that saving is available to you: a homeowner plumbing permit (not every jurisdiction issues one), pipe runs reachable from a crawl space, basement or attic, and PEX rather than copper.
- 'Repipe' means the hot and cold supply lines. Drains ($3,000–$12,000), the main service line ($1,500–$6,000) and drywall patching ($800–$3,000) are separate, and often missing from a quote.
DIY vs pro at a glance
| DIY | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per job (1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in pex) | $1,465–$1,980 | $5,000–$10,000 |
| Cost range (all sizes) | $1,080–$3,450 | $3,500–$20,000 |
| Your time | 35–60 hours | Getting quotes, ~1–2 hours |
| Skill needed | Advanced | None |
| Injury / damage risk | High | Carried by the contractor (if insured) |
| Equipment you'd need to buy or rent | PEX crimp or clamp tool with go/no-go gauge, PEX tubing cutter, Oscillating multi-tool for wall and cabinet openings, Drywall knives, mud pan and sanding block, Headlamp, knee pads, respirator and gloves | None |
| Permit | Usually — you apply | Usually — usually pulled by the pro |
| Best when | The building department confirms a homeowner can pull the plumbing permit for an owner-occupied house, and you'll have it inspected | Your jurisdiction requires a licensed plumber, or you'd be doing it unpermitted |
What pros charge for repiping a house
| Job size | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft, 1 bath, in PEX — about 8 fixtures and 250 ft of pipe; crawl space or basement access | $3,500 | $5,000 | $7,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in PEX — about 12 fixtures and 400 ft of pipe; the typical single-story repipe | $5,000 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft two-story, 3 baths, in PEX — about 18 fixtures and 600 ft of pipe, with runs up through finished walls | $8,000 | $11,000 | $15,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in copper — same house as the typical PEX job, in Type L copper — soldered or press-fit | $10,000 | $14,000 | $20,000 |
What moves the price
- Fixture count
- Plumbers price a repipe by the fixture — every sink, toilet, tub, shower, water heater, laundry box, dishwasher, refrigerator line and hose bibb — at roughly $400–$800 each in PEX, $800–$1,500 in copper. A 2-bath house is about 12 fixtures; each extra bathroom adds three or four.
- Material
- PEX is $0.40–$2 per foot, bends around corners, needs few fittings and goes in fast. Copper is $2–$8 per foot, every turn is a soldered or pressed fitting, and it takes two to three times the labor. CPVC sits between them and is falling out of favor. Most repipes today are PEX; copper is chosen for resale expectations, local code or rodent-prone crawl spaces.
- Access
- A crawl space or unfinished basement lets the crew run most pipe from below with a handful of wall openings. A slab foundation means abandoning the old lines in the concrete and rerouting new ones through the attic and down the walls — more openings, more pipe, and $1,000–$5,000 added.
- Wall and ceiling openings
- A whole-house repipe opens 10–30 holes in drywall, tile and cabinets. Many repipe quotes include cutting but not patching, texture and paint — $800–$3,000 that lands on you unless it's in writing. Tile surrounds are the expensive openings.
- Scope
- A 'repipe' means the hot and cold supply lines. Drain, waste and vent pipes are a separate job at $3,000–$12,000, and the main service line from the meter is another $1,500–$6,000. Make sure everyone means the same thing.
- Permits and inspection
- A whole-house repipe is permitted work almost everywhere, with a rough-in pressure test before walls close and a final. Permits run $100–$600. Some jurisdictions restrict the work to licensed plumbers; others issue homeowner permits for an owner-occupied house.
- Region
- Repipe specialists — companies that do nothing else with three-person crews finishing a house in a day or two — keep prices tight in California, Texas, Florida and Arizona. Elsewhere it's a general plumber's multi-day job and quotes run 20–40% higher.
Common add-ons
| Add-on | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Drywall patching, texture and paint (if excluded from the quote) | $800–$3,000 |
| Slab foundation reroute through the attic | $1,000–$5,000 |
| New main water service line from the meter | $1,500–$6,000 |
| Home-run manifold system instead of trunk-and-branch | $400–$1,500 |
| Pressure-reducing valve, expansion tank and water heater connections | $300–$1,200 |
| Drain, waste and vent pipe replacement | $3,000–$12,000 |
| Whole-house filter or softener loop | $300–$1,200 |
| Plumbing permit and inspections | $100–$600 |
What it costs to do it yourself
1,000 sq ft, 1 bath, in PEX: $1,080–$1,565 and 24–40 hours
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PEX crimp or clamp tool with go/no-go gauge | $60 | Purchase · or rent a PEX-A expansion tool for about $40 a day |
| PEX tubing cutter | $15 | Purchase |
| Oscillating multi-tool for wall and cabinet openings | $80 | Purchase |
| Drywall knives, mud pan and sanding block | $35 | Purchase |
| Headlamp, knee pads, respirator and gloves | $45 | Purchase |
| Drill with spade bits and hole saw | $80 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Channel-lock pliers, adjustable wrench, basin wrench | $45 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Wet/dry vacuum and buckets | $60 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| PEX tubing, 1/2 and 3/4 in, red and blue | $180 | about 250 ft for a 1-bath house at $0.40–$0.90 per ft |
| PEX fittings, crimp rings, drop-ear elbows and stub-outs | $180 | Materials |
| Angle stops and braided supply lines at every fixture | $130 | Materials |
| New main shutoff, hose bibbs and water heater connectors | $110 | Materials |
| Pipe hangers, nail plates, pipe insulation and fire caulk | $50 | Materials |
| Drywall, mud, tape, texture and paint for the openings | $120 | Materials |
| Disposal | $0–$60 | Dump fees, haul-away or bagging |
| Permit | $75–$500 | a whole-house repipe needs a plumbing permit, a rough-in pressure test before the walls close and a final inspection almost everywhere; many jurisdictions issue homeowner permits for an owner-occupied house, some require a licensed plumber — the building department's answer decides whether this is a DIY job |
| Total (own common tools) | $1,080–$1,565 | typical $1,323 |
| Total (own nothing) | $1,265–$1,750 | buying every tool listed |
1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in PEX: $1,465–$1,980 and 35–60 hours
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PEX crimp or clamp tool with go/no-go gauge | $60 | Purchase · or rent a PEX-A expansion tool for about $40 a day |
| PEX tubing cutter | $15 | Purchase |
| Oscillating multi-tool for wall and cabinet openings | $80 | Purchase |
| Drywall knives, mud pan and sanding block | $35 | Purchase |
| Headlamp, knee pads, respirator and gloves | $45 | Purchase |
| Drill with spade bits and hole saw | $80 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Channel-lock pliers, adjustable wrench, basin wrench | $45 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Wet/dry vacuum and buckets | $60 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| PEX tubing, 1/2 and 3/4 in, red and blue | $270 | about 250 ft for a 1-bath house at $0.40–$0.90 per ft |
| PEX fittings, crimp rings, drop-ear elbows and stub-outs | $270 | Materials |
| Angle stops and braided supply lines at every fixture | $195 | Materials |
| New main shutoff, hose bibbs and water heater connectors | $165 | Materials |
| Pipe hangers, nail plates, pipe insulation and fire caulk | $75 | Materials |
| Drywall, mud, tape, texture and paint for the openings | $180 | Materials |
| Disposal | $0–$90 | Dump fees, haul-away or bagging |
| Permit | $75–$500 | a whole-house repipe needs a plumbing permit, a rough-in pressure test before the walls close and a final inspection almost everywhere; many jurisdictions issue homeowner permits for an owner-occupied house, some require a licensed plumber — the building department's answer decides whether this is a DIY job |
| Total (own common tools) | $1,465–$1,980 | typical $1,723 |
| Total (own nothing) | $1,650–$2,165 | buying every tool listed |
2,500 sq ft two-story, 3 baths, in PEX: $2,158–$2,727 and 55–90 hours
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PEX crimp or clamp tool with go/no-go gauge | $60 | Purchase · or rent a PEX-A expansion tool for about $40 a day |
| PEX tubing cutter | $15 | Purchase |
| Oscillating multi-tool for wall and cabinet openings | $80 | Purchase |
| Drywall knives, mud pan and sanding block | $35 | Purchase |
| Headlamp, knee pads, respirator and gloves | $45 | Purchase |
| Drill with spade bits and hole saw | $80 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Channel-lock pliers, adjustable wrench, basin wrench | $45 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Wet/dry vacuum and buckets | $60 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| PEX tubing, 1/2 and 3/4 in, red and blue | $432 | about 250 ft for a 1-bath house at $0.40–$0.90 per ft |
| PEX fittings, crimp rings, drop-ear elbows and stub-outs | $432 | Materials |
| Angle stops and braided supply lines at every fixture | $312 | Materials |
| New main shutoff, hose bibbs and water heater connectors | $264 | Materials |
| Pipe hangers, nail plates, pipe insulation and fire caulk | $120 | Materials |
| Drywall, mud, tape, texture and paint for the openings | $288 | Materials |
| Disposal | $0–$144 | Dump fees, haul-away or bagging |
| Permit | $75–$500 | a whole-house repipe needs a plumbing permit, a rough-in pressure test before the walls close and a final inspection almost everywhere; many jurisdictions issue homeowner permits for an owner-occupied house, some require a licensed plumber — the building department's answer decides whether this is a DIY job |
| Total (own common tools) | $2,158–$2,727 | typical $2,443 |
| Total (own nothing) | $2,343–$2,912 | buying every tool listed |
1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in copper: $2,935–$3,450 and 50–80 hours
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Copper tubing cutter, deburring tool and emery cloth | $30 | Purchase |
| Propane torch, solder, flux and heat shield | $55 | Purchase · a press tool rental is about $150 a day and removes the fire risk, but press fittings cost 3–4 times more |
| Oscillating multi-tool for wall and cabinet openings | $80 | Purchase |
| Drywall knives, mud pan and sanding block | $35 | Purchase |
| Headlamp, knee pads, respirator and gloves | $45 | Purchase |
| Drill with spade bits and hole saw | $80 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Channel-lock pliers, adjustable wrench, basin wrench | $45 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Wet/dry vacuum and buckets | $60 | Purchase · most homeowners already own this |
| Type L copper pipe, 1/2 and 3/4 in | $1,650 | $2.50–$4.50 per ft; copper prices move with the commodity market |
| Copper fittings, solder, flux and drop-ear elbows | $350 | Materials |
| Angle stops and braided supply lines at every fixture | $195 | Materials |
| New main shutoff, hose bibbs and water heater connectors | $165 | Materials |
| Pipe hangers, nail plates, pipe insulation and fire caulk | $75 | Materials |
| Drywall, mud, tape, texture and paint for the openings | $180 | Materials |
| Disposal | $0–$90 | Dump fees, haul-away or bagging |
| Permit | $75–$500 | a whole-house repipe needs a plumbing permit, a rough-in pressure test before the walls close and a final inspection almost everywhere; many jurisdictions issue homeowner permits for an owner-occupied house, some require a licensed plumber — the building department's answer decides whether this is a DIY job |
| Total (own common tools) | $2,935–$3,450 | typical $3,192 |
| Total (own nothing) | $3,120–$3,635 | buying every tool listed |
Hidden costs of DIY
- Licensing and the permit
- In some states and cities a homeowner can't legally repipe their own house; in others they can with a homeowner permit and inspections. An unpermitted repipe is a disclosure problem at sale, a claim problem with the insurer, and a tear-out order if it's discovered. Find out before buying a foot of pipe.
- Water off for days, not hours
- A repipe crew has the water back on every evening and finishes in one to three days. A DIYer working evenings and weekends is at it for one to three weeks. The workable approach is to run the entire new system alongside the old one, then cut over in a single day — which means more openings and more pipe, and planning the layout before you start.
- Drywall is half the job
- A whole-house repipe opens 10–30 holes: behind every fixture, at the water heater, along the runs. Cutting them is quick; patching, taping, texturing and painting to invisible is a second project, and tile surrounds are a third. Pros often exclude it from the quote too.
- Old pipe fights back
- Galvanized threads snap, corroded angle stops won't turn, a shutoff that hasn't moved in 30 years leaks when it does. Old solder may contain lead; old pipe wrap may contain asbestos; wiring shares the same joist bays. Plan a day for surprises and budget for what they uncover.
- Pressure test before the walls close
- The system is pressurized to 100 psi or more (or the local rule) and watched for an hour or more; every crimp is checked. An inspector does this at rough-in on a permitted job. Skipping it and closing the walls means the first sign of a bad crimp is a stain on the ceiling.
- Insurance and resale
- Insurers ask about polybutylene and galvanized supply lines and may decline or surcharge until they're gone; a documented, permitted repipe removes that. An undocumented one doesn't, and buyers' inspectors look for the permit.
When to DIY and when to hire
DIY makes sense when
- The building department confirms a homeowner can pull the plumbing permit for an owner-occupied house, and you'll have it inspected
- There's a crawl space, basement or attic to run pipe through, so most of the job is under the floor or overhead, not inside finished walls
- You're installing PEX, and you can run the new system alongside the old and cut over in one day
- You've soldered or crimped before, own or will rent the right tools, and can patch drywall to a finish you'll live with
Hire a pro when
- Your jurisdiction requires a licensed plumber, or you'd be doing it unpermitted
- The house is on a slab, or the pipe runs are inside finished walls and tiled bathrooms
- You want copper, or the house needs the drain lines or main service line replaced at the same time
- You can't be without water for more than a day or two — a repipe crew finishes in one to three days
Why the numbers look the way they do
A repipe is a labor job. Four hundred feet of PEX is a few hundred dollars; the fittings, valves and stub-outs a couple of hundred more. What a plumber charges for is the two or three people who spend a day or two under the house and inside the walls, the pressure test, the permit, and the experience to route every line without opening more wall than necessary. The cost tables below show the result: $1,465–$1,980 for a 1,500 sq ft 2-bath house in materials, tools, patching supplies and permit, against $7,500 from a pro. Copper is the same story at a higher level — $2,935–$3,450 against $14,000.
The saving is real, but it’s gated by three things, and none of them is skill. Whether you’re allowed to. A whole-house repipe is permitted work with a rough-in pressure test and a final inspection almost everywhere; many jurisdictions issue homeowner permits for an owner-occupied house, and some require a licensed plumber. Ask first — an unpermitted repipe is a problem at sale and at a claim. Where the pipe runs. A crawl space, basement or attic lets you run most of the system in the open with a handful of wall openings; a slab foundation or pipes inside finished, tiled walls turns it into a drywall project with a plumbing project attached. What it’s made of. PEX is cut, crimped and bent; copper is measured, cleaned, fluxed and soldered at every turn, and a bad joint inside a wall is a flood. The DIY guide is written for the PEX job that passes all three tests; the hire-a-pro page is for the rest.
How pros price it
By the fixture, with the material, access and openings adjusting the rate. A quote should count the fixtures, name the material, say whether it’s trunk-and-branch or a manifold system, and be explicit about drywall. The lines that move the price most:
- Material — PEX $400–$800 per fixture; copper $800–$1,500.
- Access — slab reroute through the attic +$1,000–$5,000; finished two-story walls +20–40%.
- Openings — patching, texture and paint $800–$3,000 if excluded, and tile is extra.
- Scope — drains ($3,000–$12,000) and the main service line ($1,500–$6,000) are separate jobs.
- Permit — $100–$600, with a pressure test at rough-in.
Before anyone cuts a pipe
Two checks. Is it a repipe you need? Low pressure at one fixture is a valve or a clogged aerator; low pressure everywhere on galvanized pipe, pinhole leaks in copper, or any polybutylene is a repipe. What else is in the walls? Pre-1980 houses can have asbestos pipe wrap and lead solder, and every joist bay the pipe shares with wiring is a place to be careful. If the crawl space is part of the route, the crawl space insulation comparison covers what to do down there while it’s open.
Run your own numbers. The house repiping cost calculator prices it both ways: as DIY, with the tools you already own and a value on your time, or as a pro job at a low, typical or high quote with the add-ons that apply.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to repipe a house?
$3,500 to $20,000, with most homes between $5,000 and $10,000 and a typical 1,500 sq ft, 2-bath house at about $7,500 in PEX. Copper doubles it: $10,000–$20,000 for the same house. The price is driven by fixture count — every sink, toilet, shower, tub, laundry, water heater and hose bibb — plus access (slab foundations cost more), the number of wall openings, and whether patching and paint are included.
How much does it cost to repipe a house with PEX?
$400–$800 per fixture, or $5,000–$10,000 for a typical 2-bath house and $8,000–$15,000 for a two-story 3-bath. PEX is $0.40–$2 a foot, bends around framing without fittings, and a repipe crew can finish a single-story house in a day or two, which is why it's the material in most repipes today. Doing the same 2-bath house yourself is $1,465–$1,980 in materials, tools, patching and permit.
How much does it cost to repipe a house with copper?
$800–$1,500 per fixture, or $10,000–$20,000 for a 1,500 sq ft, 2-bath house — roughly double PEX. Type L copper is $2.50–$4.50 a foot and moves with the commodity market, every change of direction is a soldered or press fitting, and the labor is two to three times PEX. Copper is chosen where local code or an HOA requires it, for rodent-prone crawl spaces (mice chew PEX), or for resale expectations in some markets.
Is it cheaper to repipe a house yourself?
Far cheaper on paper — $1,465–$1,980 against $7,500 for a 2-bath house in PEX — because materials are a small share of a plumber's price. Whether you can is a different question: a whole-house repipe is permitted work with a rough-in pressure test almost everywhere, some jurisdictions restrict it to licensed plumbers, and a house on a slab or with pipes in finished walls is a different job from one with a crawl space. Meet those conditions and it's one of the largest DIY savings in home ownership; miss them and it's an unpermitted job that surfaces at sale or at a claim.
How much does it cost to repipe a 2-bathroom house?
About $7,500 in PEX for a 1,500 sq ft single-story, in a range of $5,000–$10,000 depending on access, region and whether drywall repair is included; $10,000–$20,000 in copper. A 2-bath house is roughly 12 fixtures once you count the kitchen sink, dishwasher, refrigerator line, laundry box, water heater and two hose bibbs alongside the two bathrooms' sinks, toilets and tubs or showers.
How much does it cost to replace polybutylene or galvanized pipes?
The same as any repipe — $5,000–$10,000 in PEX for a typical house — because the old material comes out or is abandoned in place either way. Polybutylene (gray plastic, 1978–1995) fails at the fittings without warning and many insurers decline or surcharge homes that still have it. Galvanized steel (pre-1970s) rusts shut from the inside, cutting pressure, and sheds rust into the water. Both are replace-not-repair situations, and a permitted repipe is the document the insurer and the next buyer want.
Does a repipe include drywall repair?
Often not. Many repipe quotes include cutting the 10–30 openings needed and leave patching, texture and paint to you or a separate contractor — $800–$3,000 on a typical house, more if bathrooms are tiled. Ask, and get the answer in the contract. Repipe specialists in California, Texas and Florida commonly include patching; general plumbers elsewhere usually don't.
How much does it cost to repipe a house on a slab?
Add $1,000–$5,000 to the usual price, so $6,000–$15,000 for a typical 2-bath house in PEX. The old lines in the concrete are abandoned, and new ones run through the attic and down inside the walls to each fixture, which means more pipe, more wall openings and insulation on lines in the attic. It's the standard approach in Sun Belt slab-foundation homes and the reason repipe specialists concentrate there.
How long does a repipe take?
One to three days for a professional crew on a single-story house, with water back on each evening; three to five days for a large two-story or a copper job. A homeowner working evenings and weekends should plan on one to three weeks, running the new system alongside the old and cutting over on the last day. Drywall patching and paint add a few days after either.
Sources
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-04
- How Much Does It Cost to Repipe a House? , Angi, 2026-09
- How Much Does It Cost to Install or Replace Plumbing? , HomeGuide, 2026-09
- How Much Does It Cost to Repipe a House? , HomeAdvisor, 2026-09
- How Much Does It Cost To Install Or Replace Plumbing In A House? , Forbes Home, 2026-09
- International Residential Code, Chapter 29: Water Supply and Distribution , International Code Council, 2026-09
- PEX pipe, fittings, copper and tool pricing , The Home Depot, 2026-09
Figures last reviewed . See how we estimate.