“Is this reasonable?” is usually the first question once a repipe number lands on the table. It is a fair question, because two quotes for what looks like the same job can land far apart, and the reasons are almost never mysterious once someone walks you through them. This page is that walk-through: what actually moves the price of a whole-house repipe, and how the job runs once you approve one.
- Biggest cost driversSquare footage, bathroom count, wall type, and access
- Material choiceCopper and PEX price differently, and routing changes which makes sense
- Typical timelineA few working days for most single-family homes
- How we quoteGood, Better and Best options, written and approved before we start
Signs you are pricing a repipe rather than a repair
- Rusty or brown water at more than one fixture
- Pressure that fades across the house, not at a single tap
- More than one leak in the supply lines within a few years
- Original galvanized steel still feeding the house. Our guide to the signs your old house needs repiping goes through each of these
Why two repipe quotes for the same house can look nothing alike
It is easy to end up with two numbers for what feels like the same job and no obvious way to tell which one is honest. Usually the gap is scope, not markup: one quote routes through the ceiling and includes a new main to the street, the other routes through interior walls and leaves the service line alone. One includes patching the openings, the other hands you a list of holes to finish yourself.
We write every quote so the scope is impossible to misread: which lines are being replaced, which material, which walls or ceilings open, whether patching is included, and whether the service line is part of the job. If a number looks too good, it is often missing a piece you will pay for later.
What actually moves the price
None of this is specific to us. It is what changes the scope of the work on any repipe, anywhere.
- Size and bathroom count. More fixtures means more branch lines and more time. A one-bath bungalow and a three-story foursquare are different jobs even at similar square footage.
- Wall and ceiling construction. Lath-and-plaster takes longer to open and finish cleanly than drywall. Accessible crawlspaces and basements mean far fewer openings than a house built tight to the ground.
- Access. A full basement or open crawlspace lets us route most new lines without touching finished rooms. Slab-on-grade or finished basement ceilings change the routing and the labor.
- Material: copper or PEX. They carry different material and labor costs, and the right one often depends on the house more than the price. See PEX vs. copper for a whole-house repipe.
- Permits and inspection. A whole-house repipe is permitted work. We handle the permit and inspection as part of the approved price, so ask us for specifics rather than a number you saw online.
- Patching and finish work. Some quotes stop at the opening; ours can include patching so the wall is paint-ready, not just closed up. Decide up front which you want.
- Whether the service line is included. Replacing the line from the meter to the house is separate from the interior supply lines, and quotes that treat it differently will never match.
A note on “instant discounts”
A quote that drops the moment you hesitate was not priced honestly in the first place. Our tiers are written once, at a price we would stand behind at the kitchen table, discount or not.
Old-house note: why an old Seattle house prices differently
Three of the cost drivers above land harder on a pre-war house than anywhere else. Lath-and-plaster takes longer to open and finish cleanly than drywall, so every opening costs more than the same opening in a 1990s build. Balloon-framed walls and old chases decide where a line can travel at all. And access is the swing factor: a full basement or an open crawlspace lets most of the new work happen out of sight, while a house built tight to the ground pushes the routing into finished rooms. None of that is a surcharge. It is the work the house actually requires.
What each tier changes about the scope
The tiers below describe what typically sits inside each option. Your written quote applies them to your actual house, with your square footage, your walls and your fixture count.
Targeted mitigation
Smaller scope: the worst runs and failing joints replaced, fewer openings, shortest timeline.
- Camera and pressure diagnosis first
- Failing sections replaced with copper or PEX
- Fewest wall and ceiling openings
- Honest note on what typically comes next
Partial repipe
Mid scope: the main trunk and branch lines to the busiest fixtures, leaving sound sections alone.
- Everything in Good
- Trunk lines to kitchen and main baths
- Mixed-metal joints eliminated
- Openings planned to limit finish work
Whole-house repipe
Largest scope: every supply line, every fixture, one clean system, one price for the whole house.
- Everything in Better
- All supply lines and water heater connections
- Labeled manifold and shutoffs
- Permit, inspection, and before/after photos included
Whichever tier fits your house, the price is written down before a single cut is made, and it is the number on the invoice. Want the fuller picture on scope before you request one? Start with what drives the cost of a whole-house repipe in an old Seattle home.
How the job runs once you approve a tier
Measuring the actual scope
Nic traces what you have, count fixtures, and check access so the quote reflects your house, not an average one.
Your options, priced in writing
Good, Better and Best, spelling out material, openings, patching and the service line. You approve one before anything starts.
Protecting the house before anything opens
Canvas runners on the floors, covered work areas, and the smallest openings that let us route the new lines properly.
New lines in, pressure tested, water back on
New lines in, old ones out, every joint tested under pressure, water back the same day wherever the plan allows.
Photos, inspection and the closed permit
Before-and-after photos of every run, the inspection scheduled and passed, and the work area left clean when we leave.
Most single-family repipes run a few working days, and Nic will text you when he is on the way each morning. See the full walk-through on Our Process.
Want a number for your actual house?
We will look, explain what drives your price, and send Good, Better and Best options to approve before any work begins.
Related to whole-house repiping
Whole-house repiping for old Seattle homes
The full service page: what is happening inside an old house’s pipes, and how we approach it.
What drives the cost of a repipe in an old Seattle home
The cost guide behind this page, with market ranges homeowners commonly report.
Repiping is available across our full service area. For the neighborhood picture, start with repiping in Queen Anne, Ballard or Fremont, or see all service areas.
Questions about repipe cost and process
Why did my two repipe quotes come out so far apart?
Almost always it is scope, not markup. One quote may route through the ceiling and include the service line, another may route through interior walls and leave it alone. Patching and permit handling can be included in one and missing from another. Line up what each quote covers before comparing the total.
What is the single biggest factor in repipe pricing?
Scope: how many fixtures need new lines and how much of the house needs to open to route them. A one-bath house with an open crawlspace is a smaller job than a three-story home with finished basement ceilings, even at a similar square footage.
Does copper or PEX cost more?
They carry different material and labor costs, and the gap depends on the job. The bigger question is usually which one fits your walls and your priorities better, not just which one is cheaper. We walk through both in PEX vs. copper for a whole-house repipe.
Is patching included in a repipe quote?
It depends on the quote, which is exactly why it should be spelled out. Some contractors stop at the opening and hand you a list of holes to finish. Ask us directly and we will tell you plainly what your tier includes.
How long does the process take once I approve a quote?
Most single-family repipes run a few working days, sequenced so you have water back each evening wherever the layout allows. Your written quote includes the expected schedule for the tier you choose, and Nic will text you when he is on the way each morning.