Budget a whole-house repipe by fixtures, material & region
A fixture = every point that gets a water supply line: each sink, toilet, tub, shower, dishwasher, washer hookup, water heater, hose bibb & fridge ice-maker line. Count supply points, not rooms (one full bath ≈ 3). Leave blank to derive from bathrooms below.
Conditioned living area from the county/listing record (exclude garage). Used for an independent $/sqft cross-check and to scale the drywall allowance.
Repipe quotes frequently exclude patching the access holes (often a separate drywall trade). This adds a conservative $1.50–$3.00/sqft so your budget reflects true out-of-pocket.
Estimated repipe budget
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budget range
House Repipe Cost Estimator — guide & how to use
Planning budget only — get 2–3 in-person bids. This is a budget range to sanity-check quotes, not a firm quote. Real bids depend on wall access, pipe routing, local permit/inspection fees, and what the plumber finds once walls are open. It assumes a like-for-like water-supply repipe (the recurring-leak / low-pressure / discolored-water case from galvanized or polybutylene pipe) and does not cover drain/waste/vent (sewer) lines. All math runs privately in your browser.
What it does
This estimator turns your fixture count, pipe material (PEX, CPVC, or copper),
square footage, stories, foundation, and region
into a low–high repipe budget. It prices per fixture (the most defensible repipe unit), applies story,
foundation, and region multipliers, runs an independent $2–$8/sqft cross-check, and adds an optional
drywall/access-patch allowance. The result is always a range, with pipe & labor, drywall,
and the method detail broken out.
How to use it
Pick your pipe material — PEX is cheapest, copper runs ~1.6–1.8x more.
Count your fixtures (supply points, not rooms). Or leave it blank and enter full bathrooms to derive it.
Enter heated square footage for the $/sqft cross-check and drywall allowance.
Set stories, foundation, and your region factor.
Read the budget range, the most-likely midpoint, and the breakdown.
How the math works
Derive fixtures if blank: fixtures = (full baths × 3) + 4 (kitchen sink, dishwasher, washer, water heater), floored at 6.
Per-fixture base rate (supply + labor, no drywall): PEX $550–$900, CPVC $650–$1,050, copper $1,000–$1,800.
Fixture subtotal = fixtures × base rate (low and high).
Story multiplier: single ×1.00; multi-story low ×1.25, high ×1.50.
Foundation multiplier: crawlspace/basement ×1.00; slab low ×1.20, high ×1.30.
Region multiplier applied to both ends (clamped to 0.70–1.60).
Per-sqft cross-check: sqft × $2–$8 × region — an independent sanity band. If fixtures were auto-derived, the headline blends the fixture and $/sqft methods (average of each end); if you entered fixtures, the fixture method stands alone.
Drywall/access patch (if on): sqft × $1.50–$3.00 (no region factor — patch labor varies less).
Total = pipe & labor + drywall, rounded to the nearest $100. Midpoint = center of the range.
Worked example
A 10-fixture, PEX, 1,500 sq ft single-story home on a
slab, National (×1.00) region, with the drywall allowance on:
Total budget ≈ $8,900 – $16,200, most likely ~$12,600.
Cross-check: 1,500 × $2–$8 = $3,000 – $12,000 — the headline overlaps the upper band, mainly because slab + drywall add real cost the bare $/sqft rule omits.
Dollar outputs round to the nearest $100. Multipliers are carried to 2 decimals internally, so your output may differ by a few dollars from hand-math.
Accuracy notes & assumptions
This is a planning budget, not a quote. Real bids depend on wall access, routing, permit/inspection fees, and what the plumber finds once walls are open. Always get 2–3 in-person bids.
Figures are national 2025–2026 averages. The per-fixture band ($550–$1,800) and $/sqft band ($2–$8) are corroborated across HomeAdvisor, Angi, HomeGuide, and multiple repipe contractors. Local labor can swing the total 30%+ — use the region factor.
Excluded by default: permits & inspection ($150–$1,000+), water-heater replacement, moving/upgrading the main service line, the fixtures themselves (faucets/toilets), asbestos or lead abatement, and full repaint after patching.
Supply only. This assumes a like-for-like water-supply repipe; it does not cover drain/waste/vent (DWV) line replacement — a separate, costlier scope.
Copper-vs-PEX gap is real but narrows when copper prices fluctuate; the multiplier is a planning estimate, not a commodity quote. PEX lasts ~30–50 yrs, copper ~50–70 — factor longevity, not just upfront cost.
Drywall allowance is rough ($1.50–$3.00/sqft of home); actual patch cost depends on how many walls open, texture matching ($100–$300/patch), and paint — it can run higher in homes with lots of tile or plaster.
Common mistakes this avoids
Counting rooms instead of fixtures — a bathroom is ~3 fixtures, not 1. Undercounting is the #1 way estimates come in too low.
Forgetting hidden supply points: water heater, hose bibbs, fridge ice-maker, dishwasher, washing-machine box, wet bar.
Assuming the quote includes drywall patch and repaint — it frequently does not.
Comparing a PEX bid against a copper bid head-to-head — copper is expected to be 60–80% higher; that's not "overpriced."
Confusing a repipe (water supply) with re-plumbing the sewer/drain (DWV) — very different cost.
Treating the midpoint as "the price." Use the low end to spot lowball bids and the high end to spot gouging.
Frequently asked questions
How do you estimate the cost to repipe a house?
The most defensible method is per fixture: count every supply point (sink, toilet, tub, shower, dishwasher, washer hookup, water heater, hose bibb, ice-maker line), multiply by $550–$1,800 depending on material (PEX cheapest, copper priciest), adjust for stories, slab foundation, and region, then add a drywall/access-patch allowance. This tool does it all and gives a low–high budget range.
What counts as a plumbing fixture for a repipe?
A fixture is any point that receives a water supply line — not a room. Count every sink, toilet, tub, shower, the dishwasher, the clothes-washer box, the water heater, each hose bibb, the fridge ice-maker line, and any wet bar. One full bathroom is about 3 fixtures, not 1.
Is PEX or copper cheaper to repipe with?
PEX is significantly cheaper — copper material plus labor runs about 1.6–1.8x PEX for the same fixture count, because copper needs more joints and open-wall access. CPVC sits in between. PEX lasts ~30–50 years and copper ~50–70, so weigh longevity too.
Does a repipe quote include drywall patching and paint?
Often it does NOT — patch and repaint are frequently a separate trade and a separate line item. This tool can add a conservative $1.50–$3.00/sqft of home so your budget reflects true out-of-pocket. Always confirm whether a bid includes patching.
Why is slab foundation more expensive to repipe?
A slab buries supply lines in concrete, forcing overhead re-routes (or slab work) that add roughly 20–30% versus an accessible crawlspace/basement. A higher slab bid reflects real extra labor, not a markup.
What does a repipe quote usually exclude?
Permits/inspection ($150–$1,000+), water-heater replacement, moving the main service line, the fixtures themselves, asbestos/lead abatement, full repaint, and the sewer/drain (DWV) lines. If a bid is below this tool's low end, ask what's excluded.
Is it really free?
Yes — 100% free, and everything runs in your browser.