Should I Repipe When I do a Remodel?

Should I Repipe When I Do a Remodel?

When starting a home remodeling project, one major consideration is the condition of your existing plumbing, especially the home's fresh water lines.

Whether you're remodeling a kitchen, bathroom, or completing a full-home renovation, repiping during a remodel can help remove hazardous old galvanized plumbing, outdated polybutylene pipes, and prevent future slab leaks by re-routing plumbing outside the slab. This ensures the integrity and longevity of your plumbing. To make your remodel last, your plumbing should be up-to-date.

If you've already decided to repipe when remodeling, you'll need to consider whether to repipe before, during, or after the remodel. We've put together a list of pros and cons for each option to help you make an informed decision. The short answer: we recommend repiping before you start a remodel.

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Postponing a Repipe Until After Remodeling Completion

Pros of repiping after a remodel

Repiping after a remodel ensures the construction project can be completed without interference. You can focus on functional improvements without coordinating multiple activities at the same time.

Repiping after a remodel may seem cost-effective initially because it delays expenses. However, as we'll discuss in the cons section, this approach can be just as costly (or even more) than hiring a specialist to repipe before the remodel.

Cons of repiping after a remodel

If your plumbing is old or deteriorating, issues may arise during the remodel, disrupting progress and causing delays. These costs can far exceed the expense of repiping before the remodel.

Waiting to repipe means living with aging, potentially faulty plumbing, including old galvanized or polybutylene pipes. This increases the risk of leaks, bursts, or other emergencies that could damage your newly remodeled areas.

Repiping after a remodel requires reopening completed areas of your home, which is inconvenient and can add extra costs. Walls, floors, or ceilings that have already been renovated may need to be opened, potentially causing damage and requiring further repairs.

In short, postponing a repipe until after a remodel is the least favourable option.

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Combining a Repipe and Remodel Project

If you are considering doing the repiping at the same time as a remodel, then you are likely considering having your remodel general contractor include a repipe in the scope of the remodel project.

Benefits of a remodeling contractor performing a repipe

Having your remodeling contractor handle the repipe means you only need to manage one primary contractor, and both projects can be billed together.

Your contractor can also plan the timing of any repiping to fit seamlessly with the overall remodel project schedule, making project management simpler.

This can be especially useful during kitchen remodeling or bathroom renovations, ensuring long-term functionality and efficiency.

Cons of a remodeling contractor performing a repipe

At first glance, having your remodel general contractor integrate a repipe into a home improvement project may seem convenient and cost-effective. However, this is not always the case.

Remodeling contractors typically rely on plumbing subcontractors who specialize in remodel projects or general plumbing. These plumbers usually work in small teams of one or two and may have limited experience completing full-home repipes efficiently.

At Repipe Specialists, our repipe crews work in larger teams, providing enough manpower to complete a full home repipe in a single day, with a return visit for wall patching. As specialists, we typically complete the job in fewer man-hours than a general plumber.

That means less time spent on your remodel, lower costs, and long-term benefits for your plumbing system. Learn more about why you should hire a specialist repipe company over a general plumber.

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Repiping Before Starting a Remodel

Repiping before starting a remodel is the best option.

If performed by Repipe Specialists, the repipe project is often far less disruptive (and potentially less costly) than most people expect. The project is usually completed in a single day, with a return visit for any wall patching. Here's why repiping first is the smartest choice for your home improvement project:

• Minimizes disruption to your remodel schedule and overall project management.
• Ensures new fixtures get clean, long-term water flow with modern materials like copper pipes or PEX tubing, replacing old galvanized plumbing.
• Reduces the risk of leaks damaging newly renovated areas.
• Handled by specialists, typically completed faster and more efficiently than general remodel plumbing.
• We manage everything from permits to wall patching, so your remodel can proceed smoothly.

Completing the repipe first guarantees that your pipe system is fully updated before the remodel begins. If you compare remodeling quotes that include a repipe versus those that do not, the "inclusive" quote is often longer and more expensive. Hiring a specialist to handle the repipe separately is usually faster, more cost-effective, and better for long-term plumbing integrity.

There will be some extra planning to coordinate with any subsequent renovations after the repipe. For example, leaving old fixtures and pipes in place for sections of the home scheduled for later remodeling can save time and costs.

Depending on the remodel, wall patching can also be left to your remodel contractor. Our repipe consultants discuss all of these details when preparing your quote. Contact us and one of our local repipe consultants will be happy to talk you through all your repiping needs.

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Receive a Free Full Home Repipe Quote

Here at Repipe Specialists, we've fully replaced the plumbing in over 75,000 homes since 1991. We continually get positive customer feedback from customers about their overall home repipe experiences. We often exceed their expectations on:

• Speed: Our repipe crews typically complete a repipe in a day, returning on another day for wall patching.
• Convenience: Through our One-Stop Repipe™ Process, we handle everything from permits, to wall patching, to inspections.
• Cleanliness: Our crews are trained to protect your home while working (we cover all surfaces with protective sheeting), and to clean up fully at the end of each day.
• Peace of Mind: Repipe Specialists is a fully licensed plumber in every state we operate in, and we back all of our repipes with a lifetime warranty.
• Financing programs: To help take the sting out of unplanned repipe expenses, we offer several financing programs.
• Price: As a specialist that performs hundreds of repipes a week, we can deliver high quality repipes at a lower cost vs generalist plumbers. Our quotes typically range from $4,500 to $15,000 depending on the size and complexity of your project. We have an article that covers repipe cost factors in detail.

Schedule a free in home consult, and a local Repipe Consultant will explain all your repipe options, and provide you with a written, fixed price quote. Repipe before you remodel and ensure the integrity and longevity of your plumbing.

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