Whole-house repipes are the kind of plumbing project nobody plans for. Most homeowners learn the term after their second slab leak in three years, when the plumber finally says the magic words: it is time to repipe. The decision is real, the cost is significant, and getting the right answer the first time saves you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the house.
Here is what triggers a repipe, what the work actually involves, how the materials choices play out, and what to expect from start to finish on a San Diego home.
What makes a repipe necessary
Three signs that should put repipe on the table: multiple leaks on the same vintage of pipe within a short window (two slab leaks within five years), visible corrosion or pinhole leaks on accessible copper, or persistent low water pressure that pressure-boosting cannot fix. Houses built between 1960 and 1990 in San Diego County frequently have original copper supply lines, and that vintage of copper hits end-of-life right around now.
If you have galvanized steel supply lines (anything pre-1960), repipe was already overdue. Galvanized rusts from the inside, restricts flow, and contaminates water. The EPA drinking water guidance notes that corroding metallic pipes are a recognized source of contamination, with iron, lead, and other metals leaching into the water.
Copper vs PEX in San Diego
The two real choices for a modern repipe in San Diego: Type L copper or PEX-A tubing.
Copper: proven, code-compliant everywhere, long service life when the soil chemistry is favorable. Downside is cost (roughly 50% more than PEX) and that San Diego soils are aggressive enough that the copper you install today will face the same corrosion risk over a 40-year horizon.
PEX-A: flexible, faster to install, less expensive, immune to most corrosion modes. Downside is UV sensitivity (cannot be installed in sunlight-exposed runs) and that some buyers still associate plastic with cheap construction. Modern PEX-A is what most reputable plumbers in our region recommend for whole-house repipes today.
What the work actually involves
A whole-house repipe runs new supply lines from the meter to every fixture in the house. The work happens in a few stages: planning and material selection (1 week), permits (1-2 weeks), demo and access cuts in drywall (1-2 days), new pipe installation (2-4 days), pressure testing and inspection (1 day), drywall patching and texture (2-3 days), and paint touch-up (1 day). Most San Diego repipes are complete in 5-7 working days inside the house, plus permits and finish work on either side.
You can usually stay in the house during the work. Water is off for the working hours of each day and restored overnight using temporary connections. Plan around it like a remodel: cooking is awkward, showers are scheduled, and there is dust.
Cost ranges to expect
For a 2,000 square foot, single-story, slab-on-grade San Diego home, expect $8,000-15,000 for a PEX repipe with drywall patching and basic finish work. Two-story homes run 30-50% more because of additional vertical runs and access complexity. Custom or large homes can run $25,000-40,000 or more.
Get bids from multiple licensed plumbers. Bids should itemize material type, scope of demo and patch, fixture count, and the warranty on workmanship. A plumber who insists on a one-line quote without scope detail is one to skip.
When repipe replaces vs supplements other plumbing work
A whole-house repipe addresses supply-side issues. It does not fix drain or sewer problems, which are separate scope. If you have had slab leaks and sewer issues, the repipe addresses the slab leaks; the sewer work is a different project. Bundling both is sometimes possible at a small overall discount.
For larger plumbing scopes that involve coordination across multiple contractors — drains, supply, fixtures, water heater replacement — working with a plumbing company that handles all of it under one project plan saves significant coordination time. For related needs, we recommend residential plumbing service teams.
Permits and inspections
Whole-house repipes require permits in every jurisdiction in San Diego County. Two inspections: rough-in (after pipe is run, before drywall closes) and final (after fixtures are reconnected and pressure tested). Permits add $300-800 to the project depending on jurisdiction and house size. Skipping permits jeopardizes the sale value of the house and can void homeowner insurance for any related future claim.
After the repipe
Get a copy of the permit final card. Save it with your house records. Update your homeowner insurance carrier with the new pipe material — some carriers offer a small premium reduction. Take photos of the routing for future reference. And put the date on a calendar — a properly executed PEX or copper repipe should not need attention for at least 25 years.
Your San Diego Whole-House Repipe Specialists
At Drain Masters Plumbing, we plan and execute whole-house repipes across San Diego County — Chula Vista, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove, Lakeside, La Jolla, Del Mar, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Poway, and surrounding communities. We will walk through your home, identify the failure-prone runs, lay out the material and access plan, and give you a fixed-price quote with itemized scope. Contact us for an in-home evaluation. Our plumbing services cover the full San Diego region.