The pipes in your home are built to last for decades—and they often do just that. While the occasional drain clog or leaky pipe might occur, you can generally deal with the individual issue, and your plumbing will go back to doing its job without complaint. But in some situations, pipes do need to be replaced. How do you know if you need a whole-home repipe in Sacramento, and what does that entail? Keep reading to learn what you should know.
Signs You Need to Repipe
Repiping a home is a major renovation project, so it’s certainly not something you want to do unless you have to. When the signs are there, though, it’s important not to put off the repiping project for too long. What are the signs? There are a few of them, and they don’t all need to be present for a repipe to be necessary. If one or more of the following is true, however, you should consider it:
- You have lead pipes. Lead hasn’t been used to make pipes in several decades, so having lead pipes not only means that your plumbing is quite old, but it can also mean you’re exposing your family to a serious health hazard. Lead pipes can begin releasing lead into your water as they degrade, which can lead to several kinds of health problems.
- You have galvanized steel pipes. This material hasn’t been used for decades, indicating that your pipes have been around for some time. These kinds of pipes corrode as they age, and that corrosion can impede water flow and put sediment in your drinking water.
- You constantly have plumbing issues. If you feel like you’re paying a plumber to fix something in your home monthly, there’s probably something wrong with the plumbing system as a whole. A brand-new system can eliminate those issues and ongoing repair costs.
- You’re doing a remodel. No, you don’t have to repipe every time you remodel. But if any of the above is true, or if your plumbing is 50 or more years old, and you’re also considering a remodel in your home, it could be an excellent idea to repipe your home now. It will lower the total costs across the two projects since you’ll already be doing some demo in your home for the remodel.
So, what if you have two or more of the above signs in your home? What should you expect from a repipe of your home? Keep reading to find out.
It’s Not Always the Entire Home
First, it’s important to note that a repipe doesn’t necessarily mean repiping your entire home. Certain sections of your plumbing may be older than others, or you may have one area that’s giving you consistent trouble. So, before you commit to a whole-home repipe, make sure you have a plumber take a look at your pipes and determine what needs to be replaced. If it is more beneficial to you to repipe the whole home, you should follow that advice. If your plumber believes you only need to repipe a specific area, the project may be shorter than you think.
How Long Does It Take?
With the above information in mind, you can probably guess that the time to repipe your home will vary based on the size of your project. Repiping a small area of your home can sometimes be done in a single day. If you’re repiping your entire home, it will take much longer and will still vary based on the size of your home and how much plumbing you have. A small house with a single bathroom may be repiped in as little as two days. Larger houses with several bathrooms can take a week or more.
What Will It Cost?
Again, the cost will vary widely from one repipe project to another. Factors that influence the cost include:
- The size of the project
- The complexity of the plumbing network
- The material for the new pipes
- The cost of building permits
Repiping your home may cost as little as $1,500 for small, simple projects with low-cost materials. Or, it could cost $15,000 for a larger project with higher-quality piping. One of our repipe specialists in Sacramento can give you a more accurate quote based on your specific needs, so give us a call today.