Repiping a House Cost in 2026
Repiping a house costs $7,500 on average in 2026, with most homeowners paying $1,500–$15,000, according to Angi. But the average hides the real decision: the same 2,000 sq ft house repipes for $2,000–$4,000 in PEX or $8,000–$16,000 in copper on HomeGuide's figures. Material choice moves this quote more than any other line in it.
Quick answer: what it costs in 2026
| Whole-house repipe (installed) | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-house repipe (Angi) | $1,500 | $7,500 | $15,000 |
| Per fixture repiped (Angi) | $350 | $1,200 | $1,800 |
HomeGuide independently brackets the same project at $2,000–$15,000 for a whole home. Labour is roughly 70% of the typical job — about $5,250 of Angi's $7,500 average — which is why the quotes separate so cleanly by material: PEX is not just cheaper pipe, it is faster pipe, and faster pipe is cheaper labour.
Estimates based on Angi's repiping cost guide (updated October 2026) and HomeGuide's repipe and whole-house plumbing data (updated 2025–2026), checked November 9, 2026. See our research method.
A repipe replaces the supply plumbing — the pressurised lines that bring water to every tap — when the old system starts failing in ways spot repairs cannot fix: pinhole leaks multiplying, rust-coloured water, pressure that fades room by room. It is the biggest single job in our plumber pricing coverage, and the one where hourly thinking breaks down completely: no sane contractor repipes a house by the hour, so every figure here is project pricing from Angi's and HomeGuide's published datasets.
The two sources agree on the shape of the job. Angi's average of $7,500 sits inside HomeGuide's $2,000–$15,000 whole-home range; both price permits in the low hundreds; both treat drywall patching as a separable cost. Where they add value in different places is granularity — Angi publishes the per-linear-foot and per-fixture tables, HomeGuide the bed-and-bath comparisons — so this guide uses each where it is strongest and labels it as it goes.
What the price normally includes
- All new supply pipework in your chosen material (PEX, CPVC or copper), with fittings and valves
- Labour — about 70% of the typical total — including cutting access openings
- Permit and inspection fees ($50–$500 per Angi; usually folded into the quote)
- Shut-off and reconnection of every fixture on the new system
- Removal of the old pipe where it is accessible ($1,000–$5,000 of work, usually included per HomeGuide)
- Pressure testing of the finished system before walls are closed
PEX vs copper: the price comparison
| Material | Per linear foot | 2,000 sq ft home (HomeGuide) |
|---|---|---|
| PEX | $0.40–$2 (Angi) | $2,000–$4,000 |
| CPVC | $0.50–$1 (Angi) | — |
| Copper | $2–$8 (Angi); $3–$8 (HomeGuide) | $8,000–$16,000 |
The per-foot gap — copper at four to ten times the PEX rate — understates the real difference, because copper is rigid: every change of direction is a cut, a fitting and a soldered joint, and every joint is labour. HomeGuide's bed-and-bath dataset (from its pipe-replacement guide) shows the installed result: a 3-bed, 2.5-bath home repipes at $3,000–$7,000 in PEX against $4,500–$10,000 in copper, and a 4-bed, 3-bath at $6,000–$8,000+ against $8,000–$15,000+. Copper's case is longevity and tradition, not price; on a pure budget comparison there is no contest.
Cost by fixture (Angi data)
| Fixture | Repipe cost |
|---|---|
| Bathroom sink | $350–$800 |
| Dishwasher | $400–$800 |
| Washing machine | $350–$1,500 |
| Shower | $600–$1,600 |
| Water heater connection | $700–$1,800 |
Per-fixture pricing, averaging about $1,200 a fixture on Angi's data, is how partial repipes are quoted — and it is the right frame when only one branch of the system is failing. Once the failing fixtures add up to half the house, the whole-house quote almost always beats the sum of its parts, because the access work and permit are paid once. Ask any contractor quoting per-fixture to also price the whole house; the comparison is free and occasionally surprising.
What drives the price up or down
Labour is the quote
At roughly 70% of the typical total, access is destiny. Pipe that runs through an unfinished basement or a single-storey ranch's attic is fast; pipe threaded through a multistorey home's finished walls is slow, and slow is expensive. Angi's timeline reflects it: a few days for small homes, several weeks for expansive multistorey properties. Anything that opens walls — and everything in a repipe opens some walls — also triggers the drywall line below.
Drywall and making good
Angi prices drywall cutting and patching at $300–$900; HomeGuide puts repair at $300–$1,500 or more, and both sources treat full cosmetic restoration — texture, paint, tile — as outside the plumber's quote. This is the most common repipe dispute, and it is entirely avoidable: get the patching scope in the written quote, including who paints.
Scope: supply only, and what is not in the number
These prices are for the supply system. Drain and sewer lines are a separate system with separate pricing — a failing main line is a sewer line replacement, at $60–$250 per linear foot — and no published dataset prices a combined supply-plus-drain package, because in practice they are quoted as two jobs. If a single quote claims to cover both, ask for the split in writing so you can check each half against its own market.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Choose PEX unless you have a specific reason for copper — it halves or better the whole-home total on HomeGuide's data.
- Get the drywall scope in writing before work starts ($300–$1,500 is too wide a line to leave vague).
- Confirm old-pipe removal is included — HomeGuide notes it is usually bundled; an exclusion is $1,000–$5,000 of risk.
- Compare a whole-house quote against per-fixture pricing once half the fixtures are involved.
- Time it with other wall work if you can — a repipe inside an already-open remodel wall is the cheapest repipe there is.
- Verify the permit is in the quote ($50–$500): the inspection is your proof the system passed before the walls closed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to repipe a whole house?
Angi puts the average whole-house repipe at $7,500, with most homeowners paying $1,500–$15,000 and the full span running $1,250–$22,000. HomeGuide's independent range is $2,000–$15,000. The spread is mostly material and house size: a small home in PEX sits at the bottom, while a large multistorey house in copper — with the drywall work that follows — defines the top.
Is PEX or copper cheaper for repiping?
PEX, by a wide margin. Angi prices PEX at $0.40–$2 per linear foot against copper at $2–$8, and HomeGuide's whole-home comparison for a 2,000 sq ft house is $2,000–$4,000 in PEX against $8,000–$16,000 in copper. PEX is also flexible, so it bends around framing with fewer fittings and fewer wall openings — which cuts the labour that makes up about 70% of the job.
How much does repiping cost per fixture?
Angi's per-fixture average is about $1,200. Its published examples: a bathroom sink at $350–$800, a dishwasher at $400–$800, a washing machine at $350–$1,500, a shower at $600–$1,600 and a water heater connection at $700–$1,800. Per-fixture pricing suits partial repipes — one failing bathroom branch, say — while whole-house jobs are quoted as a single project.
Does the repipe price include drywall repair?
Often not — and it is the line to check before you sign. Angi prices drywall cutting and patching as a likely add-on at $300–$900, and HomeGuide puts drywall repair at $300–$1,500 or more. Angi's own scope note says full drywall and cosmetic restoration is usually not included in the pipe quote, so get the patching — and who paints — settled in writing.
How long does a whole-house repipe take?
Angi's range is a few days for small homes to several weeks for expansive multistorey properties. Material matters to the schedule as well as the price: flexible PEX runs through framing with fewer cuts and joints than rigid copper, which has to be measured, cut and soldered run by run. Water is typically shut off only during working hours, with at least one bathroom kept live where possible.
Do I need a permit to repipe a house?
In most jurisdictions, yes — repiping is permitted, inspected plumbing work. Angi budgets permits at $50–$500 and HomeGuide at $70–$400, and both note the fee is typically folded into the contractor's quote. The permit is also your protection: the inspection verifies the new system before the walls close, and the paperwork matters when you sell.
Related cost guides
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Trench vs trenchless pricing per linear foot, and how full runs add up.
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Typical: $1,350 · Range $880–$1,830Sources: Angi repiping cost guide (updated Oct 30, 2026 — average $7,500, most pay $1,500–$15,000, per-linear-foot and per-fixture tables, labour share ~70%, drywall and permit bands, timeline); HomeGuide repipe a house guide and whole-house plumbing data (2025–2026 — whole-home range $2,000–$15,000, 2,000 sq ft PEX $2,000–$4,000 vs copper $8,000–$16,000, bed/bath comparison table, drywall $300–$1,500+, permits $70–$400, old-pipe removal). Full source list and methodology: How we research. Spotted a price that looks wrong in your area? Tell us — we re-check reader-flagged figures first.