CostGuideHQ

Whole House Repipe Cost: $8,000–$13,500 (Average $7,500) in 2026

Author: CostGuideHQ Editorial·✓ Fact-checked·Updated July 2026·8 min read·5 sources·US national averages, USD
Quick answerQuick answer: A whole-house repipe typically costs $8,000 to $13,500 for an average-size home, with a national average around $7,500. Smaller homes can cost as little as $1,500; larger homes or copper materials can push the bill past $15,000, sometimes to $20,000.
  • A whole-house repipe for an average-size home typically costs $8,000 to $13,500, with a national average around $7,500 (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila).
  • PEX is the cheapest pipe material at $0.40 to $4 per linear foot installed; copper costs the most at $2 to $12 per linear foot (HomeAdvisor).
  • Homes on a slab foundation cost more to repipe — rerouting plumbing away from a slab (often through the attic) runs $4,000 to $15,000, versus $900 to $2,000 to tunnel underneath (Fixr).
  • Cutting into walls to run new pipe adds $50 to $75 per sq ft for drywall repair and $45 to $90 per sq ft for ceiling repair (Bob Vila).

How much does whole house repipe cost?

National average
$7,500
total project
Typical range
$1,500–$20,000
Most projects
Whole project
$8,000–$13,500
Advertisement · 728 × 90

Cost by material / type

TypeLowHigh
PEX$0$4
CPVC$1$3
PVC$2$5
copper$2$12
Estimate your cost
—

Rough estimate only — get local quotes for exact pricing.

What affects the cost?

  • Pipe material — PEX runs $0.40 to $4 per linear foot installed, CPVC $0.50 to $3, PVC $2 to $4.50, and copper the most at $2 to $12 per linear foot (HomeAdvisor); Bob Vila's figures for the same materials run somewhat lower (PEX $0.40-$2, CPVC $0.50-$1, copper $2-$8 per linear foot)
  • Home square footage — rough-in plumbing runs roughly $2 to $6 per sq ft depending on source: an 800 sq ft home costs $1,600-$4,800 (Fixr) versus about $3,600 (HomeAdvisor), while a 3,000 sq ft home reaches $6,000-$18,000 (Fixr) versus about $13,500 (HomeAdvisor)
  • Number of fixtures and bathrooms — every sink, toilet, tub, and shower needs its own line reconnected; a partial repipe limited to a single pipe or fixture already averages $1,250, ranging $370-$2,130 (HomeAdvisor), and connecting fixtures can add $1,000-$3,000 more to a whole-home rough-in job (This Old House)
  • Slab foundation vs. crawl space or basement access — pipes under a slab are the hardest and priciest to reach: rerouting plumbing away from a slab (often through the attic) costs $4,000-$15,000, tunneling underneath runs $900-$2,000, and breaking through the concrete slab itself averages $500-$3,000 (Fixr); crawl space and basement access avoids these added costs
  • Drywall and ceiling repair — patching walls opened up to run new pipe costs $50-$75 per sq ft, and ceiling repair runs $45-$90 per sq ft (Bob Vila)
  • Labor rates — plumbers charge $45-$200 per hour, and labor makes up roughly 70% of the total bill (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila)
  • Permits and inspections — permits run $50-$500 (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila) or around $75 (This Old House); a pre-project plumbing inspection adds $250-$1,200 (Bob Vila)
  • Old pipe removal and disposal — hauling away the old plumbing typically adds $1,000-$5,000 on top of the new installation (HomeAdvisor)

How much does it cost to repipe a whole house?

A whole-house repipe for an average-size home costs $8,000 to $13,500 (HomeAdvisor), and Bob Vila’s national average of $7,500 lands right inside that band, with a wider typical range of $1,500 to $15,000 depending on home size and material. This Old House puts whole-house plumbing even higher, at $10,000 to $20,000. Smaller homes cost far less — an 800 sq ft home runs roughly $1,600 to $4,800 (Fixr) — while a 3,000 sq ft home with premium material can reach $18,000 (Fixr) or more. Some published “average” figures look much lower because they blend small partial-pipe jobs in with full repipes; HomeAdvisor’s own blended average is $1,246, but its size-based table for an actual whole-home job matches the $8,000-plus figures above. Rough-in plumbing runs about $2 to $6 per square foot depending on source (Fixr, HomeAdvisor, This Old House), which is why total cost scales directly with square footage.

PEX vs. copper vs. CPVC: which pipe material costs less?

PEX is the clear budget option, running $0.40 to $4 per linear foot installed, while copper costs the most at $2 to $12 per linear foot — roughly three to six times more (HomeAdvisor). CPVC sits in between at $0.50 to $3 per linear foot, and standard PVC runs $2 to $4.50. Bob Vila reports the same ranking with somewhat lower figures: PEX $0.40 to $2, CPVC $0.50 to $1, and copper $2 to $8 per linear foot. On a whole-house scale that spread adds up fast — Fixr’s own example shows an 800 sq ft cottage piped in PEX at $1,600 versus a 3,000 sq ft house piped in copper at $18,000. PEX’s flexibility also means fewer joints and faster labor in most retrofit jobs, which is part of why it undercuts rigid copper and CPVC on installed price, not just material cost. Richard Trethewey, plumbing expert at This Old House, sums up the shift: “Copper has gone up in price. So people are starting to look at alternatives.”

What affects the cost?

A few factors explain most of the spread between a $1,500 job and a $20,000 one:

  • Pipe material. PEX costs $0.40 to $4 per linear foot installed, CPVC $0.50 to $3, PVC $2 to $4.50, and copper $2 to $12 (HomeAdvisor).
  • Home square footage. Rough-in plumbing runs $2 to $6 per sq ft; an 800 sq ft home costs $1,600 to $4,800 (Fixr) while a 3,000 sq ft home reaches $6,000 to $18,000 (Fixr).
  • Number of fixtures and bathrooms. Every sink, toilet, tub, and shower needs its own line reconnected; connecting fixtures can add $1,000 to $3,000 to a whole-home rough-in job (This Old House).
  • Slab vs. crawl space or basement access. Rerouting plumbing away from a slab foundation (often through the attic) costs $4,000 to $15,000; tunneling underneath runs $900 to $2,000, and breaking the slab itself averages $500 to $3,000 (Fixr). Crawl space or basement access avoids these costs entirely.
  • Drywall and ceiling repair. Patching walls opened up to run new pipe costs $50 to $75 per sq ft, and ceiling repair runs $45 to $90 per sq ft (Bob Vila).
  • Labor rates. Plumbers charge $45 to $200 per hour, and labor makes up roughly 70% of the total bill (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila).
  • Permits, inspection, and old-pipe disposal. Permits run $50 to $500 (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila); a plumbing inspection adds $250 to $1,200 (Bob Vila); hauling away the old pipe adds $1,000 to $5,000 (HomeAdvisor).

How to lower your repipe cost

  • Choose PEX over copper unless you specifically want copper’s longevity or code requires it — the material alone is the difference between roughly $0.40 and $12 per linear foot (HomeAdvisor).
  • Time it with a renovation. Repiping while walls are already open for other work skips the $50 to $75 per sq ft drywall repair that closed-wall jobs add (Bob Vila).
  • Ask your plumber about rerouting instead of tunneling if you’re on a slab — rerouting through the attic ($4,000-$15,000) and tunneling ($900-$2,000) trade off differently depending on your home’s layout, so get both quoted (Fixr).
  • Repipe in phases if a full whole-house job isn’t urgent. A partial repipe limited to one pipe or fixture averages $1,250, ranging $370 to $2,130 (HomeAdvisor).
  • Get multiple quotes. Labor alone ranges from $45 to $200 per hour between sources, so comparing local plumbers can meaningfully change the total (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila).

Prices vary by region, home size, and pipe material, so treat the figures above as a planning budget. Get two or three local quotes, and confirm whether permits, drywall repair, and old-pipe disposal are included, before committing to a final number.

Advertisement · 336 × 280

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to repipe an average-size house?
HomeAdvisor puts a whole-home repiping project at $8,000 to $13,500. Bob Vila's national average is $7,500, with a typical range of $1,500 to $15,000 depending on home size and material.
Is PEX or copper cheaper for repiping a house?
PEX is by far the cheaper option, running $0.40 to $4 per linear foot installed versus $2 to $12 for copper (HomeAdvisor). Bob Vila cites similar, slightly lower figures — PEX $0.40 to $2 and copper $2 to $8 per linear foot.
What does CPVC cost compared to PEX and copper?
CPVC runs $0.50 to $3 per linear foot installed (HomeAdvisor), landing between PEX's low end and copper — cheaper than copper but generally a bit more than PEX on the low end, per Bob Vila's $0.50 to $1 figure.
Does the price include drywall repair?
No, it's typically billed separately. Bob Vila puts drywall repair at $50 to $75 per square foot and ceiling repair at $45 to $90 per square foot for the walls and ceilings plumbers cut into to run new pipe.
Why is repiping so much more expensive if my house is on a slab foundation?
Slab access is the priciest scenario: rerouting plumbing away from a slab, often by running new lines through the attic instead of digging, costs $4,000 to $15,000. Tunneling under the house runs $900 to $2,000, and breaking through the concrete slab itself averages $500 to $3,000 (Fixr). Crawl space or basement access skips these costs.
How much does it cost to repipe just one bathroom or fixture?
A partial repipe limited to a single pipe or fixture averages $1,250, ranging $370 to $2,130 (HomeAdvisor). If a fixture itself needs reconnecting, add its own cost — a toilet runs about $220, a dishwasher $400 to $650, and a shower or bathtub $600 to $1,600 (HomeAdvisor).
Why do repipe cost estimates vary so much between sources?
Some published 'averages' (like HomeAdvisor's own $1,246 headline figure) blend small partial jobs with full repipes, pulling the number down. Once you look at whole-house scope specifically, sources cluster higher and closer together: HomeAdvisor's own size table runs $8,000 to $13,500 for a whole-home project, Bob Vila's national average is $7,500, and This Old House estimates $10,000 to $20,000 for whole-house plumbing.
Does the cost include permits and inspection?
Usually not. Permits run $50 to $500 (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila) or around $75 per This Old House, and a pre-project plumbing inspection adds $250 to $1,200 (Bob Vila) — both are typically quoted as separate line items.

Sources

Figures synthesized and cross-checked across these sources (retrieved 2026-07-28):

  • HomeAdvisor — Average cost to install new plumbing pipes is $1,246 (normal range $372-$2,119, broader range $150-$5,700) — a blended figure spanning both small partial jobs and full repipes. Installing new plumbing costs around $4.50 per sq ft; new-construction rough-in runs $4.50-$5.25 per sq ft. Whole-home projects: $8,000-$13,500. By home size: 800 sq ft $3,600; 1,000 sq ft $4,500; 1,200 sq ft $5,400; 1,500 sq ft $6,750; 2,000 sq ft $9,000; 2,500 sq ft $11,250; 3,000 sq ft $13,500. Per linear foot by material: copper $2-$12, PEX $0.40-$4, PVC $2-$4.50, CPVC $0.50-$3. Fixture costs: dishwasher $400-$650, toilet $220, shower/bathtub $600-$1,600, water heater $400-$1,800. Plumber hourly rate $45-$200; labor about 70% of the total. Permits $50-$500. Old pipe disposal $1,000-$5,000. Replacing a single pipe or partial repiping ranges $370-$2,130, averaging $1,250.
  • Bob Vila — National average $7,500; typical range $1,500-$15,000. Per linear foot by material: copper $2-$8, PEX $0.40-$2, CPVC $0.50-$1. Example: a 3-bedroom, 1,500 sq ft home runs $2,280-$5,120. Labor $45-$200/hr; a roughly 15-hour project runs $675-$3,000 in labor, about 70% of the total cost. Fixture costs if replaced: dishwasher $400-$600, double sink/faucet $400-$600, washing machine $450-$1,700, water heater $600-$1,800. Plumbing inspection $250-$1,200. Permits $50-$500. Water main replacement $600-$2,500. Drywall repair $50-$75 per sq ft; ceiling repair $45-$90 per sq ft. Mobile home repiping $1,500-$4,000.
  • Fixr — Cost to replace the plumbing in an average 2,000 sq ft house: $4,000-$12,000. General cost per sq ft for an entire home: $2-$6. By home size: 800 sq ft $1,600-$4,800; 1,000 sq ft $2,000-$6,000; 1,500 sq ft $3,000-$9,000; 2,000 sq ft $4,000-$12,000; 3,000 sq ft $6,000-$18,000. Example: $1,600 for an 800 sq ft cottage with PEX pipes versus $18,000 for a 3,000 sq ft house with copper pipes.
  • Fixr — Tunneling under the house to access pipes ranges $900-$2,000, a good option for homeowners who don't want to remove expensive flooring. Breaking a concrete slab averages $500-$3,000. Rerouting plumbing lines away from a slab foundation, often through the attic instead of going underground, costs $4,000-$15,000.
  • This Old House — Whole-House Plumbing estimated at $10,000-$20,000. For a 2,000 sq ft home, rough-in plumbing (the hidden system behind walls) costs about $4.50 per sq ft, roughly $9,000 total; connecting the fixtures brings the total to $10,000-$12,000. Permits typically cost around $75.

HomeAdvisor's own headline average ($1,246, range $372-$2,119, broader $150-$5,700) is a blended figure across all 'install new plumbing pipes' jobs, including small partial repipes and single-fixture work — not a true whole-house number, the same pattern seen in this site's house-rewiring-cost guide. HomeAdvisor's own by-square-footage table and its explicitly labeled 'whole-home projects' figure ($8,000-$13,500) describe the real scope of a full repipe, and that figure anchors project_low_usd/project_high_usd here. Bob Vila's directly reported national average ($7,500, range $1,500-$15,000) already describes whole-house scope and sits inside HomeAdvisor's own size-based range, so it anchors national_average_usd. range_low_usd ($1,500) is Bob Vila's typical-range floor (a small home in PEX); range_high_usd ($20,000) is This Old House's 'Whole-House Plumbing' upper figure, which is consistent with Fixr's largest by-size figure ($18,000 for 3,000 sq ft) and captures a large home or a copper repipe. by_type figures (per linear foot, installed) come from HomeAdvisor's material table; Bob Vila's material figures for the same three materials run lower, which is noted in cost_factors rather than averaged in, since the two sources scope 'installed cost per foot' somewhat differently. Fixr's slab-access figures come from its slab leak repair cost guide (tunneling, concrete breaking, and rerouting away from a slab) rather than a page specifically about whole-house repiping, but describe the same underlying access-cost problem repipe contractors price into a slab-foundation job. Figures generally include materials and standard labor for pulling new pipe; permits, inspections, drywall/ceiling repair, and old-pipe disposal are commonly quoted as separate line items.