What a whole-house repipe involves on site
New supply lines run from the main shutoff to each fixture, and the old ones are abandoned or pulled out. Walls, ceilings or floors get opened where the pipe has to pass, so the quote should say who patches and paints them.
The lines are pressure-tested before anything is closed in. Newport Beach's copper repipe checklist calls for a water supply test of "not less than fifteen minutes" (CPC 609.4) and copper water service piping at least 12 inches below finished grade (CPC 609.1). Check your own city's list.
The water stays off while the lines are switched over. Ask for how long, and whether there'll be a temporary supply.
What a whole-house repipe costs in California
A whole-house repipe comes to $1,900 to $17,300 whole house on our model, permit included. The band is that wide because the 2 national published ranges it's scaled from disagree, and it's an estimate, not a quote. No California company price was counted for a repipe.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,900 to $17,300 whole house | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the California plumber wage ratio (1.14) plus a typical permit fee ($190). California company prices are shown separately. Basis: no state company sample (no counted California company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Plumber wage, California mean | $39.58 an hour | What the average California plumber earns an hour (BLS, May 2025). Repipe quotes are priced by the company, not by this figure. |
| Plumbing permit, California middle of published fees | $190 | The middle plumbing permit total on the California city fee schedules that print one, a guide until you have your own city's figure. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by California's plumber wage ratio to the US (1.14, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. California plumbing companies that publish a price get their own rows, apart from the estimate. We have no counted California company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
One bad section, or pipe that's worn throughout?
Have the plumber show you where the pipe has failed, because that's what decides between a repair and a repipe.
- One section has failed and the rest holds pressure.
- The bad pipe can be reached without opening several walls.
- Fresh leaks keep turning up in different places.
- The plumber can point to wear along the length of the pipe.
A repipe stops at the service line
The service line runs from the water main to the house. A repipe doesn't touch it. The State Water Board's statewide inventory of nearly 10 million service lines lists no lead lines, 12,493 galvanized lines requiring replacement (0.1 percent) and 694,610 of unknown material (6.9 percent). Lines put in after California's January 1, 1986 lead ban could be classed non-lead.
Ask your water system what yours is. Sacramento says it has no lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement lines, San Francisco and Los Angeles report no known lead service lines, and Anaheim's 2025 water quality report says its inventory found none. In Fresno, city crews are still inspecting meter boxes to identify the pipe on the customer side.
Lead-free pipe, the 2026 code and who may do the work
No pipe, fitting, solder or flux that isn't lead free may go into plumbing that supplies drinking water (HSC 116875), and the products need an ANSI-accredited third party's certification. The California Plumbing Code in force is Part 5 of the 2025 Title 24, effective January 1, 2026.
CSLB's C-36 class covers water and gas piping from the owner's side of the meter. Anyone contracting for a project that needs a building permit must hold a CSLB license. CSLB also warns homeowners about owner-builder offers. It says to be wary of anyone who tries to talk them into it to save money.
Pipe failures that can't wait
- A pipe has burst and the main valve can't stop it.
- Water is creeping toward wiring or dripping through a ceiling.
- A leak is running inside a wall and the shutoff is out of reach.
- Discolored water or low flow, with no leak.
- Pricing a repipe before a remodel.
Before you sign for a repipe
- Find the main shutoff and make sure it turns, using the shutoff tool.
- Note whether the leaks are in one place or spread around, and whether the failing pipe can be reached.
- Ask your water system what your service line is made of and how it's listed in the inventory.
- Get two written quotes that each name the pipe material, the permit and who repairs the walls.
Permit, license and contract rules for a repipe
CSLB says a structure can't be altered or repaired without a separate permit from the building official, and your city's building department sets what that means for a repipe. The under-$1,000 exemption in B&P 7048 covers only work that needs no building permit.
A home improvement contract over $500 has to be in writing, signed before work starts, and show the contractor's license number (B&P 7159). Change orders need signatures too. Under B&P 7159.5 the down payment can't exceed $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. After that, the contractor can't ask for more than the work done or materials delivered are worth, and you can ask for lien releases before paying again.
Ask for the license number before any work starts and look it up on CSLB's Check a License page, which shows whether the license is active and any complaint disclosure.
Questions people ask
What does repiping a house cost in California?
Our model gives $1,900 to $17,300 whole house, permit included. The national ranges it starts from are far apart, so the band is too, and it's an estimate, not a quote.
Is a permit needed to repipe a house in California?
CSLB says altering or repairing a structure needs a separate permit, and the requirements differ by city and county. A job that needs a permit is also outside B&P 7048's exemption, so the company needs a CSLB license.
Will a repipe also replace my service line?
No, a repipe works inside the house. Statewide, the Water Board's inventory lists no lead service lines but 694,610 of unknown material, so ask your water system what yours is made of.
Am I allowed to repipe my own house in California?
B&P 7044 exempts an owner who personally does the work on their own property, with limits on how often a homeowner can use it on a residence. CSLB's owner-builder page sets out the duties and risks that come with it.
How much can a contractor ask for up front?
B&P 7159.5 caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, and CSLB says the blanket-bond exception is rare. Past the down payment, a contractor can't request more than the value of work done or materials delivered.
Does new pipe have to be lead free?
Yes. HSC 116875 caps lead at 0.25 percent on wetted surfaces and 0.2 percent in solder and flux, with third-party certification required.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), California, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PlumberMatch: how we estimate costs, California (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Business and Professions Code 7159 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Business and Professions Code 7159.5 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Business and Professions Code 7044 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Business and Professions Code 7048 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: Do I need a building permit for my project? Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: What Should I Look for in a Contract Read Oct 20, 2026.
- City of Newport Beach: Copper Water Line Repipe inspection checklist (PDF) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- SWRCB: Statewide Service Line Inventory Data (Lead and Copper Rule) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- City of Sacramento 2025 CCR Read Oct 20, 2026.
- SFPUC 2025 Annual Water Quality Report (San Francisco) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- LADWP 2024 Drinking Water Quality Report Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Anaheim Public Utilities 2025 Water Quality Report Read Oct 20, 2026. Check this with the source itself before you rely on it.
- City of Fresno 2025 CCR Read Oct 20, 2026.
- Health and Safety Code 116875 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CBSC: California Building Standards Code (Codes page) Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: C-36 - Plumbing Contractor Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: What Kind of Contractor Do You Need? Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CSLB: Owner-Builder Risks Read Oct 20, 2026.