Repiping cost: $1,500 to $15,000, PEX vs copper (Angi 2026)

National figures. Pipe material, the number of fixtures, stories and how much wall has to be opened set the total.

Do this now: before you agree to repipe the house

Repiping is planned work, so the useful first steps are about what is in the walls, not speed:

1. Leaking right now? Shut the main (Phoenix says it is usually at the front of the house near a hose bib) and see burst pipe repair. A single leak is not by itself a repipe.
2. Find out what the pipe is. Look near the water heater, in the basement and where pipes exit walls (HomeGuide). Gray, blue or black flexible plastic about 1/2 to 1 inch across, possibly stamped PB2110, is polybutylene (HomeGuide). Ask the plumber to confirm galvanized steel, which HomeGuide says shows up as rusty water and falling pressure.
3. Get a visual inspection priced first. HomeGuide lists a visual plumbing inspection at $100 to $200; see plumbing inspection cost.
4. Ask how the quote is built. Angi prices by fixture (about $1,200 each) and HomeGuide by foot; ask for the count either way, and whether drywall repair and the permit are in it.
5. Call the plumber line. Ask for PEX and copper priced separately and how many days the water will be off.

Is it urgent? When old pipe cannot wait for a planned repipe

Repiping is rarely an emergency, but polybutylene and lead pipe that has started cracking cannot be repaired in HomeGuide's words, and a repipe of a small home starts at $1,500 in Angi's and HomeGuide's figures.

• Call now: an active leak you cannot stop, or water through a ceiling. See emergency plumber.
• This month: a second or third leak after repairs, which Angi lists as a repipe sign, or polybutylene that has cracked anywhere. HomeGuide says some insurers have warned that leaving polybutylene in place could lead to policy termination.
• Plan it: rusty water, pressure that has slipped for years, or pipes over 50 to 60 years old (Angi uses both figures). Get two quotes and a camera look at the drains while the walls are open.

How much does it cost to repipe a house?

Repiping a house costs $1,500 to $15,000 in Angi's August 2026 guide, with most homeowners paying around $7,500 and labor about 70% of the bill; HomeGuide's guide puts repiping an existing home at $3,100 to $5,500 on average, $2,000 to $15,000 overall, with a $4,080 national average for plumbing installation.

The spread is mostly pipe material and house size. HomeGuide's example is a 2,000 square foot home: $2,000 to $4,000 in PEX against $8,000 to $16,000 in copper. Angi counts fixtures instead, at about $1,200 each, and says a small home takes a few days and a large multistory home several weeks.

PEX vs copper repipe cost

A PEX repipe costs $2,000 to $4,000 for a 2,000 square foot home against $8,000 to $16,000 in copper in HomeGuide's guide, and Angi's per-foot pipe prices, $0.40 to $2 for PEX against $2 to $8 for copper, show the same gap.

Angi's repipe guide (Aug 2026) and pipe replacement guide (Sep 2026) give different per-foot ranges; both are shown.

• PEX (HomeGuide): cheaper and flexible, so it can be snaked behind drywall with fewer holes; resists bursting when frozen; works for hot and cold; does not corrode. Against it: UV light breaks it down so it cannot run outdoors, and rodents can chew it. Angi puts its lifespan at 80 to 100 years.
• Copper (HomeGuide): naturally resists bacteria, is recyclable and durable, and may hold up better in earthquakes. Against it: more expensive, harder to install, and HomeGuide says it is becoming harder to source. Angi puts its lifespan at 50 to 100 years; HomeGuide says 50.
• CPVC sits between them on price in Angi's figures, $0.50 to $3 a foot, with a 50 to 75 year lifespan.

Polybutylene pipe replacement cost

Polybutylene pipe replacement costs $1,500 to $15,000 in HomeGuide's guide, and its table by house size is the clearest published PEX-versus-copper comparison for a repipe.

HomeGuide, March 2025. Materials and labor; drywall repair, $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot, is extra.

• What it is: flexible gray, blue or black plastic supply pipe installed from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, 1/2 to 1 inch across, sometimes stamped PB2110 (HomeGuide).
• Why it fails: HomeGuide says chlorine and other chemicals in the water supply deteriorate it, causing leaks and bursts, and that cracked polybutylene cannot be repaired. Angi says it can leach chemicals into the water and treats it as a priority for replacement.
• Insurance: HomeGuide says most insurers do not cover replacing it, treating it as a known defect; some cover damage from a sudden failure but not the pipes; some have warned that not replacing it could end the policy.
• Other lines: a single fixture $100 to $350; permits $70 to $400; a visual inspection $100 to $200; plumber labor $75 to $150 an hour (HomeGuide).

Galvanized pipe replacement cost

Galvanized pipe replacement costs $2,000 to $15,000 in HomeGuide's guide and $1,500 to $15,000 in Angi's 2026 pipe replacement guide, materials and labor, and galvanized steel lasts 20 to 50 years in HomeGuide's table.

• Signs (HomeGuide): rust or discolored water, which stains laundry; reduced pressure from blockages inside the pipe. Angi lists rusty water and names galvanized or lead pipe, or pipe over 60 years old, as a sign the home is due.
• Galvanized drains: HomeGuide prices replacing galvanized drain, waste and vent pipe with copper at $13 to $15 per foot; see cast iron pipe replacement for the drain side of an old house.
• Removal: taking out the old pipe is $1,000 to $5,000 in HomeGuide's guide, and not every quote includes it.

Signs a house needs repiping

Angi lists six signs, and the two that settle it are the pipe material and the leak history.

• Water pressure that is too high or too low; discolored, strange-tasting or strange-smelling water; visible cracked, leaking or corroded pipes; recurring leaks after repairs; fluctuating water temperature; galvanized or lead pipes, or pipes over 60 years old (Angi).
• HomeGuide adds a home more than 50 years old and says lead, polybutylene, galvanized or cast iron supply pipe should be replaced.
• A plumber would check the material at the water heater and the main, read the pressure, and look for repair couplings that show where leaks have been; see low water pressure for the pressure checks.

What else is in a repiping bill

Drywall repair adds $300 to $1,500 or more in HomeGuide's guide and about $300 for small fixes or $900 or more for larger jobs in Angi's, and the permit is $50 to $500 (Angi).

• Angi lists a reinspection at $25 to $150 if the inspector finds an issue, and ceiling repair after pipe removal at $300 to $1,000.
• HomeGuide prices a new water main from the meter to the home at $1,700 to $3,000 if that line is replaced at the same time; see water line repair.
• Fixture rough-ins, if the layout changes: sink $350 to $800, shower $600 to $1,600, water heater $700 to $1,800 (Angi).
• Water heater swapped while the plumber is there: see water heater repair.

Repiping companies near me: what to ask

• PEX or copper, and why for this house? Ask for both priced.
• How many fixtures, how many feet, how many stories? The quote should show its count.
• Does the price include drywall repair, removal of the old pipe, the permit and the inspection?
• How many days will the water be off? Angi says a few days for small homes.
• What is the warranty on the pipe and on the labor? In writing.
• License number and proof of insurance. Ask for the plumber's license number and proof of insurance yourself; the plumbing license table shows who licenses plumbers in six states.

More plumbing prices: how much a plumber costs, emergency plumber and home repair costs. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary. How calls work.