Whole-house repipe
From the main shutoff outward, every supply pipe in the house is renewed. Openings are cut only where the new runs need access, then patched after the system passes its pressure test.
Repiping and Water Line Replacement in San Diego
Low pressure at every tap, rusty or discolored water, repeated pinhole leaks and patched sections all over the house are signs the supply piping is wearing out. Replacing it puts an end to chasing one leak after another, and a new line from the meter can go in at the same time.
Repiping covers houses and condos across San Diego and the other five cities listed on our home page, whole house or one section at a time.
Repiping choices
Partial repipe
If failing pipe is confined to one area, say the bathrooms upstairs or the line feeding the kitchen, that area can be redone first and the remaining pipe left for another time.
New water line from the meter
The line between the meter and the house can be replaced on its own when it leaks or loses pressure. The C-36 Plumbing Contractor classification covers water piping from the owner’s side of the meter to the house.
PEX or copper
PEX bends around corners and needs fewer joints, so it threads through walls through smaller openings. Copper comes in straight lengths soldered at each turn. Your plumber explains how each suits the layout of your house.
Lead and San Diego water lines
The City of San Diego outlawed lead pipes in its water supply system in 1927, fifty-nine years ahead of the federal ban in 1986, and its latest service line inventory found no lead water service lines anywhere in the city’s system.
Lead can still reach a tap from inside a house. The State Water Board points to homes built before 1986, faucets and fixtures made before the 2014 federal lead-free standards, and lead solder used decades ago to join pipes.
Repipes and permits
The city exempts a like-for-like fixture swap from a plumbing permit only when the job does not alter or replace any drainage, waste, vent or water supply piping, so replacing supply pipe falls outside that exemption.
What a repipe involves
Planning the routes comes first. Then the water is turned off, the wall openings are cut, and the new pipe is laid in and connected to each fixture in turn. Once a pressure test passes, the old lines are capped and the openings patched.
Just one leak may need nothing more than leak finding. If a new heater is wanted at the same time as a repipe, the water heater page covers it, and every other service is listed on our homepage.
Call for a free plumbing quote
Call us to discuss your current issue and how we can assist you. The call is free and you get a free, personalized estimate with no obligation. We're here to help.
Call (855) 321-3426