What to Decide Before You Get Quotes for Whole-House Repiping

Repiping replaces the water supply lines inside the house, so the useful decisions come before the first quote: why you are replacing the pipes, which material you want, how much wall must open and how long the water can be off. Settle those four points and each plumber prices the same job.

Decide why the pipes are being replaced

Recurring leaks, discolored water and weak flow are common reasons to look at repiping, and each points to a different scope: a few failed sections may need a repair, while pipes that are failing throughout may need a full replacement. The EPA says lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, and that the most common sources are lead pipes, faucets and fixtures. Testing is the only sure way to tell whether harmful amounts of lead are in your water, and the EPA says your state or local drinking water authority can point you to certified laboratories.

A decision checklist for the quote request

Materials and lead-free marks

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, lead-free pipes, fittings and fixtures are limited to a weighted average of 0.25 percent lead and solder and flux to 0.2 percent. Ask each plumber which material is proposed and which lead-free certification marks it carries, since the EPA directs homeowners to those marks for pipes, fittings, fixtures, solder and flux.

Permits, which vary by place

New York City issues plumbing permits only to a Licensed Master Plumber, and the owner must hire a state-licensed Professional Engineer, a Registered Architect or a Department-licensed plumber to file for them in the city’s online system before the work begins. Elsewhere permit rules vary, so ask your building department whether a repipe needs a permit and an inspection, and who applies.

In Florida, building, altering or repairing a building without first obtaining a permit is unlawful unless the law provides otherwise, and the owner exemption for work valued under $7,500 does not apply to electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work, so a repipe there starts with a permit question. Outside New York City, 19 NYCRR Part 1203 requires each local code enforcement program to require building permits for work that must conform to the Uniform Code or Energy Code, and a program may exempt only the categories it lists and only where its program expressly says so, so ask the local code office whether a repipe is exempt.

When the pipe and parts arrive

A repipe is often scheduled around the plumber’s calendar and the delivery of pipe, fittings and any new valves, so ask when materials will be on site and whether work can begin before every part has arrived. Settle the patching and paint schedule at the same time, because walls that stay open are walls you cannot finish.

What to send each plumber

• Photos of the existing pipes where they are visible, and of the main shutoff.
• The age of the house, the number of bathrooms and the access you have to the attic, basement or crawl space.
• What is failing now: leaks, discoloration, pressure or a test result.
• Your preferences on wall patching and paint, and what must stay untouched.
• The days and hours you can have the water off.

Written Scope Turns a Pipe Repair Into a Price You Can Compare

Check that each quote names the pipe material, the access plan, the permit plan and who patches the walls, so you can set one bid against another. The hiring guides list questions to put to any contractor.