Plumbing problems never arrive on a quiet day. They show up in a rush of rusty water, a ceiling stain that spreads like a bruise, or a shower that loses pressure right when you are late. At some point, every homeowner faces the question: fix the failing section or commit to a whole-home repipe? The decision feels like choosing between patching a tire and replacing all four. The stakes, though, run deeper than convenience, because water doesn’t negotiate. It finds the weak point every time.
I have crawled through attics full of brittle galvanized pipe, opened walls to find pinhole leaks sparkling in copper like flecks of glitter, and watched homeowners weigh spreadsheets against gut instinct. The right choice depends on the age and type of your piping, local water chemistry, how your house is built, and your tolerance for controlled chaos. Repipe Plumbing is not a one-size endeavor. It is a strategic project, and the best plan starts with realistic expectations and a clear map of trade-offs.
What a whole-home repipe really involves
The term sounds dramatic, because it is. Replacing every water supply line in the house means a team methodically opening access points, snaking new pipe through joists and studs, and retiring the old network that has quietly aged behind your drywall. Good repipe crews treat it like a military operation. They plan the route, coordinate with your schedule, and protect surfaces so your home does not feel like a construction zone for weeks.
On a typical 2,000 to 2,500 square foot house with two baths, figure on three to five workdays for the piping itself, then another day or two for wall repairs if the same contractor handles patching. Older homes with tight chases, plaster walls, or finished basements can add time. The work happens in sections so you are not without water the entire time. Crews often restore kitchen and one bathroom every evening, then move to the next zone the following morning.
Whole-home repipe projects usually pair with new quarter-turn shut-off valves, fresh supply lines to fixtures, and a reconnection at the water heater. If you have a water pressure regulator or filtration system, this is a smart time to service or replace them. Many homeowners choose to upgrade to a modern manifold layout, sometimes called home-run piping, where each fixture has its own dedicated line from a central distribution block. That design simplifies future maintenance and balances pressure during simultaneous use.
What a partial replacement can achieve
Partial replacement ranges from swapping a single leaking run to redoing a wing of the house. If you add a bathroom, remodel a kitchen, or fix a frozen line in one exterior wall, you might only replace what you touch. Smart targeted work can buy years of reliable service at a fraction of the cost of a full repipe. The risk is obvious: the portion you leave behind remains whatever it is, with all its quirks and vulnerabilities.
When partial work makes sense, it does so for one of three reasons. First, the rest of the system is relatively young or made of reliable material, so you are not betting against time. Second, access is tough, and invasive work would do more harm than good for a small gain. Third, budget or time constraints are real, and a well-executed partial keeps the household functioning while you plan for a larger project later.
I have done partial projects where we replaced only the horizontal runs in a crawlspace, because those carried sediment and suffered the most corrosion, while leaving vertical risers intact for another season. We reduced leaks by 90 percent and recovered water pressure from a meager drip to a steady stream. It was a tactical move that fit the moment.
Know your pipe and your water
Before you can decide, you need to know what is in your walls and what runs through it. Different materials age in different ways, and local water makes the clock run faster or slower.
Galvanized steel, common before the 1960s, corrodes from the inside out. It closes up like arteries, turning pressure into a memory. I have cut open sections that looked fine outside yet had only a pencil-sized opening left inside. Once one section fails, the rest are close behind. In a house full of galvanized pipe, a whole-home repipe is not overkill, it is mercy.
Copper lasts, often 40 to 70 years, but hard water and aggressive water chemistry can trigger pinhole leaks. You will see them first where the pipe passes through framing or in hot water lines. If I see multiple unrelated pinholes within five years, that is not bad luck. That is the material announcing retirement. The exception comes when only a few short runs see trouble because of poor support or abrasion. Then targeted replacement, with better hangers and sleeves where the pipe passes through wood, can solve it.
Polybutylene sits in a category of its own. Installed widely from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, it can fail without warning, especially at fittings, under stress, or when exposed to oxidants in municipal water. If your home still has it, the conversation turns quickly toward a full repipe, because insurers and buyers know its reputation.
PEX and CPVC offer options that pair well with modern water chemistry. PEX, especially PEX-A and PEX-B from reputable brands, handles freezes better than rigid pipe, installs fast, and routes easily through tight spaces with fewer joints. CPVC resists corrosion and can be a practical choice in hot water lines. Both have service lives measured in decades when properly installed. The rare complaints I have seen came from UV exposure on stored pipe, incorrect hangers, overheated attic runs, or shoddy crimps and solvent welds. In other words, craft matters.
Water quality sets the tempo. Hard water adds scale, which narrows pipes and degrades fixtures, while low pH water eats copper. Municipal chloramines can shorten the life of rubber gaskets and certain plastics. A simple water test from a local lab, usually under 100 dollars, can tell you hardness, pH, and chlorine levels. I have used those results to argue for a softener, to select pipe types and fittings, and to recommend flushing practices. Repipe Plumbing done blind to chemistry is a gamble.
Costs you can bank on, and those you cannot
Homeowners always ask for a number, and I always give a range with conditions. Geography, access, materials, and finish work drive cost more than square footage alone.
A straightforward whole-home repipe in a single-story house with attic access might land in the 8,000 to 15,000 dollar range in many regions, sometimes less in lower-cost markets and higher where labor runs steep. Two-story homes with slab foundations, lots of finished spaces, and long pipe runs can push 15,000 to 30,000 dollars or more. Manifold systems and premium fixtures add to the tally, though they often pay you back in convenience.
Partial replacements span from a few hundred dollars for a short exposed run to several thousand for a bathroom group or a cluster of kitchen lines through finished spaces. If you only have to open one or two small access holes and patch a bit of drywall, you may prefer three smaller, staged partials over one massive repipe. If you have to open every other wall anyway, a partial stops making sense.
Surprises lurk behind walls. Hidden code violations, old electrical splices, or undocumented junctions can slow the job and add change orders. I always tell clients to carry a 10 to 20 percent contingency. Good contractors do not spring gotchas for sport. They run into real issues in old houses that no one could see until the wall opens.
The disruption factor
A repipe rewrites the circulation system of your house. That means, for a few days, your daily routines adapt. Crews cover floors, cut neat access holes, and route new lines. They test as they go, then patch and texture once the pressure test passes. Expect noise. Expect the lights to flick on and off when someone shares a stud bay. Expect dust, though vacuum-saw attachments and plastic barriers tame most of it.
I recall a young family where we staged the job so the kids still had bedtime baths. We ran temporary bypasses to keep the kitchen sink live between days. Communication turned what could have been a headache into a manageable week. When you interview contractors, ask them to walk you through how they sequence the work and how many hours each day your water will be off. The differences between crews on those details matter.
Partial replacements usually feel gentle. You might lose water to one fixture for a few hours or deal with one open wall section until the patch crew arrives. If your calendar is jammed or you work from home and need quiet, partial work wins on disruption alone. Just keep the big picture in mind. Two easy days now might lead to three more similar days in six months.
Long-term reliability versus tactical repairs
Think in terms of probability, not just cost. Every piping system has a failure curve. Early years are quiet, then minor issues pop up, then reliability falls off a cliff. If your system sits on the steep part of the curve, patches buy short reprieves. If it is still on the plateau, a partial can stretch that phase far into the future.
A whole-home repipe resets the clock. You reduce joints, modernize materials, and standardize fittings. That uniformity reduces the odds of a weird failure that ruins a weekend. Homes with copper from the 1970s in moderately aggressive water often benefit most, because pinholes spread unpredictably. One second-floor leak can cost more in repairs and deductibles than upgrading the entire house.
I worked with a couple who endured three leaks in 18 months, each in a different location. Their insurer raised the premium and increased their deductible after the second claim. The math turned quickly. We repiped with PEX-B and a central manifold, routed hot lines through interior chases to reduce energy loss, and added insulation where it paid off. Their water pressure improved, the shower temperature stopped shifting when someone flushed, and their risk fell dramatically.
The role of code and resale value
Plumbing codes evolve. Dielectric unions at dissimilar metal connections, proper supports, scald prevention at fixtures, and pressure balancing are not fads. They are safety and performance standards drawn from thousands of failure cases. A full repipe often addresses code gaps that piecemeal repairs leave behind. Appraisers and inspectors notice.
If you plan to sell within five years and your house has known problem piping, especially polybutylene or corroded galvanized, a full repipe can pay for itself in buyer confidence and fewer inspection renegotiations. I have seen deals salvaged by a pre-listing repipe, and I have watched others crumble when the inspection report cited “aging and corroded plumbing system throughout.” Partial replacements do not carry the same reassurance unless they address the entire visible issue area and include paperwork documenting material and method.
Materials and methods that earn their keep
Among professionals, you will hear spirited debates Repipe Plumbing about copper versus PEX. Both, installed well, deliver decades of service. Copper shines in exposed mechanical rooms and straight runs, and it resists UV better. PEX wins when you need flexibility, fewer joints, freeze resilience, and speed. If you live where temperatures swing hard or where long pipe runs weave through tight framing, PEX’s elasticity saves headaches. If rodents are a pressure in crawlspaces, protect PEX with conduit or sleeving, and keep bait stations maintained. I have only twice seen gnawing damage on properly sleeved PEX in twenty years, and both times it coincided with neglected rodent control.
For partials, matching materials helps. Transitioning from copper to PEX or CPVC is straightforward with the right fittings, but each transition adds a point of potential failure. Keep them accessible where practical. When you choose push-to-connect fittings for speed, they belong in accessible locations, not buried behind drywall unless local code allows and you and your contractor are comfortable with the risk profile. I prefer crimp or expansion fittings concealed in walls, brazed copper where heat is safe, and push-to-connect as serviceable, visible connectors.
A practical way to assess your situation
Before you decide, do some legwork. You do not have to become a plumber for a week, but you should become the most informed person in your house about its water system.
- Identify your piping materials at several points: near the water heater, under sinks, at hose bibs, and where lines enter the crawlspace or attic. Take photos, note diameters, and look for manufacturer markings or color codes. Map symptoms: low pressure in certain fixtures, temperature swings, discolored water after vacations, recurring pinholes, or noisy pipes. Patterns reveal whether the trouble is local or systemic. Test water: hardness, pH, and chlorine or chloramine levels. Save the report. It informs material choices and predicts wear. Check water pressure: a simple gauge on an exterior spigot will tell you. If you see 80 psi or higher, a pressure reducing valve may be due. High pressure accelerates failures across materials. Gather bids from at least two licensed, insured contractors who routinely handle repipes. Ask them to explain route options, wall access points, material choices, and daily water downtime. Compare notes, not just bottom lines.
These steps turn a vague worry into a defined project. They also help you spot contractors who wave away details or push a single material without context.
Real-world scenarios and how I would steer
A 1955 ranch with galvanized supply, good attic access, and persistent low pressure. I would steer toward a whole-home repipe with PEX or copper depending on budget and preference. The cost and disruption buy a reset that partial work cannot deliver, because the remaining galvanized will continue to choke pressure and shed rust.
A 1998 two-story with copper throughout, three pinhole leaks in the past year, chloramine-treated municipal water, and a finished basement. This smells like systemic copper erosion. A whole-home repipe, likely PEX with a manifold, reduces joints in the finished basement, and we route lines through closets to minimize drywall cuts. If budget is tight, we might first repipe the hot water loops, because pinholes often start there, then plan the cold loop within 6 to 12 months.
A 2010 townhome with PEX-B, one frozen line that split in an uninsulated exterior wall cavity. That is a targeted fix coupled with insulation and rerouting away from the cold exterior bay. No reason to repipe the world for a local layout mistake.
A 1972 split-level with mixed materials: copper trunk lines, CPVC branch lines added in the 1990s, and a homeowner-built wet bar tap with questionable fittings. I would propose partial work to clean up the bad DIY and standardize fittings and supports, then test pressure and flow. If we see sediment or uneven pressure across fixtures after the cleanup, revisit the idea of a larger repipe.
Hidden benefits that do not show up on bids
Some gains are hard to quantify but easy to feel. After a well-executed repipe, showers run at full strength even when the dishwasher kicks on. Temperature holds steady. Water at the tap clears faster after a trip, and hot water arrives quicker if you add a recirculation line or loop. New shut-offs under every sink turn small mishaps into minor pauses, not emergencies.
On the maintenance side, modern layouts give you diagnostic clarity. If a bathroom faucet starts to sputter, you isolate just that run and check it without disturbing the rest of the house. If you remodel later, the clean piping routes make it cheaper and easier.
Common pitfalls and how to sidestep them
Homeowners sometimes focus on wall patching more than piping. I understand why, because you see the holes. Still, fight to keep the priority on pipe routing quality. A slightly larger access opening that enables smooth, straight https://theindustry.blog/local-services/repipe-plumbing-your-guide-to-costs-and-savings/ runs and clean supports beats a tiny hole that forces a tortured bend you will never see but will live with. Drywall patches are cheaper than future leaks.
Another pitfall involves mixing materials without a plan. Copper-to-galvanized junctions without dielectric unions, unsupported CPVC that sags under heat, or PEX crimp rings put on with the wrong tool all introduce points of failure. Ask your contractor to specify transition fittings and support methods in writing. Good teams do this by habit.
Finally, rushing schedule decisions can backfire. I have talked clients out of starting a whole-home repipe two weeks before hosting a family reunion. The stress alone would have been worse than the slight savings on a contractor’s schedule. Staging partials to bridge a busy season often protects both your sanity and the quality of the work.
If you choose partial now, prepare for the future
Choosing a partial replacement does not close the door on a full repipe later. In fact, you can set yourself up for an easier, cheaper project down the road. Add access panels where we know future work might pass. Standardize on fittings so future crews do not need three toolkits to deal with mixed systems. Keep documentation: photos of open walls, notes on route paths, and a list of shut-off locations. I cannot tell you how much time a good photo album has saved when we return to a house five years later.
I also recommend a light maintenance routine: annual visual checks of accessible lines, testing shut-offs, flushing hot water tanks to reduce sediment, and verifying water pressure. None of these steps take much time, and they all catch small issues before they turn expensive.
The case for whole-home repipe when timing and budget line up
When the underlying system is at or beyond its expected service life, when leaks start appearing in different parts of the home, or when a major remodel already opens walls, the argument for a full repipe gets strong. You capitalize on access, absorb the disruption once, and give yourself decades of quiet. This is especially true for homes with galvanized steel or polybutylene. Insurers and buyers alike trust those upgrades. Your future self, the one who wants to go on vacation without worrying about the upstairs bath, will be grateful.
Repipe Plumbing at the whole-home scale also invites other improvements. You can add a pressure regulator if city pressure runs hot, integrate a whole-house filtration or softening system that protects new pipes and fixtures, and insulate hot runs for comfort and efficiency. Think of it as rebuilding the circulatory system with modern valves and arteries, tuned to your water and your habits.
The judgment call
You will not find a magic formula that spits out the answer. What you can build is a clear picture: the materials you have, the pattern of failures, the quality of your water, the practical limits of your schedule and budget, and the objectives you care about most. If safety, reliability, and resale carry the most weight, a full repipe climbs the list. If the system is mostly sound and you are targeting a remodel zone, partial work done with care makes sense.
Trust the contractor who talks about routing, supports, pressure, and water chemistry as much as price. Beware of anyone who dismisses your concerns or promises a zero-dust, zero-disruption miracle. Good plumbing work is skilled, meticulous, and occasionally messy. The right team keeps the mess measured and the craftsmanship high.
I have opened valves at the end of a repipe and watched homeowners listen for leaks that never come, then grin at the firm rush of water from a faucet that used to wheeze. That sound tells you the decision was right for that house at that moment. With the stakes made plain and a plan that fits your reality, you can choose whole-home or partial with confidence and live for a long time without thinking about the pipes at all.
Business Name: Principled Plumbing LLC Address: Oregon City, OR 97045 About Business: Principled Plumbing: Honest Plumbing Done Right, Since 2024 Serving Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, Marion, and Yamhill counties since 2024, Principled Plumbing installs and repairs water heaters (tank & tankless), fixes pipes/leaks/drains (including trenchless sewer), and installs fixtures/appliances. We support remodels, new construction, sump pumps, and filtration systems. Emergency plumbing available—fast, honest, and code-compliant. Trust us for upfront pricing and expert plumbing service every time! Website: https://principledplumbing.com/ Phone: (503) 919-7243