What repiping replaces
A repipe swaps the supply lines that carry water from the main valve to each fixture, along with the shutoffs, and leaves the drain pipes alone. Walls and ceilings are opened at access points and patched afterward, so ask whether the price covers drywall and paint.
A single failed section is a leak repair job. Repiping comes into the conversation when leaks keep returning in different places.
Florida whole-house repipe: our estimate, permit counted in
A whole-house repipe comes to $1,250 to $11,700 whole house on our model, with a typical Florida plumbing permit of $78 counted in. The band is wide because the 2 national sources disagree widely, and it is an estimate, not a quote.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,250 to $11,700 whole house | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida plumber wage ratio (0.78) plus a typical permit fee ($78). Four Florida plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Plumber wage, Florida mean | $26.94 an hour | What a Florida plumber earns per hour on average, BLS May 2025; your bill uses the company's own rate. |
| Plumbing permit, Florida middle fee | $78 | The middle plumbing permit minimum among 17 Florida fee schedules. Cape Coral prints a separate re-pipe line. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by Florida's plumber wage ratio to the US (0.78, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. Four Florida plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Repipe the house, or keep patching?
Price one more patch beside a repipe once leaks appear in a second place. Ask each company for the pipe material it would install and the number of access openings.
- A single section failed and the rest holds pressure.
- The leak came from a fitting.
- New leaks keep opening at other spots.
- The pipe is corroded through, or the water runs discolored.
Utility line outside, house pipes inside
The federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions required every community water system to inventory its service lines, and DEP's page set October 16, 2024 as the deadline for the first inventories. Tallahassee declares its system lead-free after a 2023 to 2025 analysis, Orlando's OUC says it uses no lead service pipes, and Pembroke Pines says all its lines are non-lead.
Tampa says it has not used lead as a standard piping material and is still identifying unknown lines, and Fort Lauderdale reports none known. Those inventories list service lines, the pipe that brings water to the house; a repipe replaces the supply pipes inside it.
Who may repipe a Florida house, and what the contract must say
Repiping is plumbing contracting, so the company needs a DBPR certificate (statewide) or registration (named jurisdictions). Section 489.1425 requires a written notice of the Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund in a residential contract unless all labor and materials come to $2,500 or less.
A contract signed at your door can be a home solicitation sale, which carries a right to cancel until midnight of the third business day (501.031).
Pipe failures to call about now
- A supply pipe has burst and the main valve is the only thing that stops it.
- Water is dripping through a ceiling below a pipe run.
- Water is running into an outlet or the panel.
- Discolored water that clears after the tap runs.
- A slow pinhole drip at an exposed joint that its stop valve ends.
Before you call
- Mark each leak, stain or discolored fixture on a sketch of the house.
- Find the pipe material at the meter, the water heater and under a sink.
- Ask your utility whether its inventory lists your service line, since that is outside the house.
- Collect two or three written scopes, with the permit and wall repair listed.
Does a repipe need a permit in Florida?
The permit statute covers altering a building (553.79(1)(a)), and Cape Coral lists a plumbing re-pipe permit at $180.00 on its schedule effective January 1, 2026. Hialeah's minimum for plumbing permits is $300.00 and Tampa's general plumbing line is $120.00.
Section 553.79(1)(g)'s exemption for work under $7,500 on a single-family home excludes plumbing.
Before any work starts, ask for the company's plumbing contractor license number and search it on DBPR's license search.
Questions people ask
Will a Florida repipe need a city permit?
Your city or county issues it, and Cape Coral lists a re-pipe line. Cape Coral prints a $180.00 re-pipe permit line; Hialeah's minimum for all plumbing permits is $300.00. Your building department posts its fee.
What does repiping cost in Florida?
Our model says $1,250 to $11,700 whole house for a whole house. That includes a $78 permit. Drywall and fixture work vary by house, so ask each company to list them.
Does my utility's lead record cover my house?
No. It lists service lines, the pipe that brings water to the house. DEP's page covers the inventories community water systems submitted by October 16, 2024. The pipes inside your house are not part of them.
What must a Florida repipe contract include?
A recovery fund notice, when the job exceeds $2,500. Section 489.1425 requires the notice of the Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund with the CILB's address and phone in residential contracts above $2,500.
Can an owner repipe their own home?
On a one- or two-family home they occupy, with conditions. Section 489.103(7) requires direct, onsite supervision and the owner's personal signature on the permit application and disclosure statement.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- PlumberMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 553.79 (2025), Permits; applications; issuance; inspections Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 553.79(1)(g) (2026) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Cape Coral: Miscellaneous Permit Fee Schedule Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Hialeah: Building Department Fee Schedule (March 20, 2026) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Tampa: Trade Permit Fee Schedule Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 489.103 (2025), Exemptions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida DEP: Lead Service Line Inventory Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Tallahassee: Water Service Lines Read Oct 24, 2026.
- OUC: Lead & Copper Testing Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Pembroke Pines: EPA Lead & Copper Rule Water Service Line Inventory Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Tampa: Service Line Inventory Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Fort Lauderdale: Updated Water Service Line Inventory Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 489.105 (2025), Definitions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 489.140 and 489.1425 (2025) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 501.031 (2025), Buyer's right to cancel; 501.021 definitions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR Licensing Portal: License Search Read Oct 24, 2026.