House Repiping Cost Calculator: PEX or Copper, DIY vs Hiring a Pro
1 bath to a 3-bath two-story, PEX or copper: DIY from $1,080, a plumber from $3,500.
- Pick the house closest to yours. Sizes are set by fixture count — about 8, 12 and 18 — and the copper option is the 2-bath house priced in Type L copper.
- On the DIY tab, the permit is in every size; it isn't optional, and the figure assumes your jurisdiction lets a homeowner pull it. If it doesn't, the DIY column doesn't apply to you.
- On the Hire a pro tab, tick drywall patching if the quote excludes it, and the slab reroute if there's no crawl space, basement or attic — those two are the usual gap between a quote and the final bill.
- DIY saves 74–78% at every size because a repipe is almost all labor. The break-even hourly rate — $115–$166 — is why plumbers are paid what they are.
Calculate cost
| Tools to buy or rent | $235 |
|---|---|
| Materials | $1,155 |
| Disposal | $45 |
| Permit | $288 |
| DIY cash cost | $1,723 |
| Your time (47.5 h × $25) | $1,188 |
| DIY all-in | $2,910 |
DIY saves about $4,590 after valuing your time ($5,778 in cash).
National estimates for planning. Doesn't include the risk-side costs described on the comparison page.
Typical results by job size
Defaults the calculator starts from: commonly owned tools excluded, typical pro price, no add-ons.
| Size | Verdict | DIY | Pro | Your hours | Typical savings | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft, 1 bath, in PEX | Hire | $1,080–$1,565 | $3,500–$7,000 | 24–40 hours | $3,677 (74%) | $115/hour |
| 1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in PEX | Hire | $1,465–$1,980 | $5,000–$10,000 | 35–60 hours | $5,777 (77%) | $122/hour |
| 2,500 sq ft two-story, 3 baths, in PEX | Hire | $2,158–$2,727 | $8,000–$15,000 | 55–90 hours | $8,557 (78%) | $118/hour |
| 1,500 sq ft, 2 baths, in copper | Hire | $2,935–$3,450 | $10,000–$20,000 | 50–80 hours | $10,808 (77%) | $166/hour |
Break-even is what an hour of your time would have to be worth for DIY and hiring to cost the same. Above it, hiring is cheaper all-in. See how these are calculated.
Reading the result
The house you pick applies to both tabs.
Do it yourself totals the tubing and fittings for that size and material — PEX with crimp fittings, or Type L copper with solder fittings — plus angle stops and supply lines at every fixture, a new main shutoff, hose bibbs and water heater connectors, hangers and nail plates, drywall patching supplies, the tools you don’t own (crimp tool and cutter for PEX; torch kit and cutter for copper; a multi-tool, drywall knives and safety gear for both), disposal, the permit, and your hours at the rate you set: 24–40 for a 1-bath house, 35–60 for a 2-bath, 55–90 for a two-story 3-bath, 50–80 for the 2-bath house in copper.
Hire a pro starts from a low, typical or high installed price for that size and material, then adds what a quote often leaves out: drywall patching and paint, a slab reroute through the attic, a new main service line, a manifold system, the pressure-reducing valve and expansion tank, drain-line replacement, a filter or softener loop, and the permit. Tick what applies and compare.
What neither tab includes: the answer to whether you may do this at all. The DIY figure assumes a homeowner permit and inspections; where the work is restricted to licensed plumbers, the pro column is the only one. The cost comparison sets out that condition and the other two — access and material — and the DIY guide covers the job where all three are met.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count fixtures for the calculator?
Count every point that gets water: each sink, toilet, tub, shower, the kitchen sink, dishwasher, refrigerator line, laundry box, water heater, and each outdoor hose bibb. A 1-bath house is usually 7–9; a 2-bath 11–13; a 3-bath two-story 16–20. Pick the size with the closest count and scale the materials proportionally — pipe and fittings grow with fixtures, while the tools and permit stay the same.
Why is the copper DIY figure so much higher than PEX?
Because Type L copper is $2.50–$4.50 a foot against $0.40–$0.90 for PEX, and every change of direction is a soldered fitting instead of a bend. The copper option also adds a torch kit and a tubing cutter. The pro price for copper is about double PEX too, so the percentage saving is similar — but soldering sixty joints, many of them inside walls, is a skill the calculator can't price, and a press-tool rental ($150 a day) with press fittings at three to four times the cost narrows the saving further.
What do the quote levels mean for a repipe?
Low is a repipe specialist in a market where they compete hard (California, Texas, Florida, Arizona), on a single-story house with a crawl space, trunk-and-branch PEX, no patching. Typical is the national median for that size including new shutoff, angle stops and the permit. High is a general plumber in a high-cost metro, a difficult layout, a manifold system, or patching and paint included. Drywall, slab reroute, drains, the main line and the water heater extras are add-ons on any level.
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.