Whole-Home Water & Gas Lines Repiping & Emergency Repair

A standard residential whole-home repiping project typically takes between 1 and 3 days depending on the square footage, number of bathrooms, and whether the home has a crawlspace, basement, or slab foundation. We design our repiping process so your water is never shut off overnight. We run the new PEX-A or copper supply piping alongside your existing system while it remains active. Water is only shut off for a few hours on the final day when we make the final cross-connections and perform pressure decay testing.

Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing—specifically PEX-A—has become the premier standard for residential repiping for several reasons: First, PEX is flexible and can be snaked through wall cavities and floor joists with minimal drywall cuts compared to rigid copper pipe. Second, PEX is completely impervious to corrosion, acidic water pitting, and mineral scale buildup. Third, PEX expands slightly if water freezes inside it, making it far more freeze-resilient during harsh Colorado winters. Fourth, PEX installation is faster and more cost-effective while still offering a 25-year manufacturer warranty.

CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) is a flexible, yellow-jacketed gas pipe widely used in modern construction and retrofits because it bends around structural obstacles and reduces threaded joint connections. However, because CSST has thinner walls than rigid Schedule 40 black steel pipe, an electrical surge from a nearby lightning strike can create an electrical arc that punctures the tubing, creating a fire hazard. Modern fuel gas codes strictly require CSST systems to be directly bonded with a heavy copper conductor to the home's electrical grounding system to dissipate electrical charges safely.

Signs of an underground main water line leak between your street curb stop and your foundation include: unexplained spongy, wet, or muddy patches in your lawn even during dry weather; sunken patches of grass or pavement; a sudden and significant increase in your municipal water bill; the sound of rushing water near your basement water meter when no faucets are running; or a sudden drop in household water pressure. We utilize acoustic ground microphones and line tracer sensors to pinpoint the leak without excavating your entire yard.

Galvanized steel pipes (common in pre-1970 homes) corrode from the inside out. As the internal zinc coating erodes, rust accumulates, narrowing the pipe diameter and releasing heavy metals and rust into your drinking water until the pipe wall collapses. Polybutylene ("Quest") pipes (installed between 1978 and 1995) react chemically with municipal disinfectants (chlorine), causing microscopic fractures that lead to sudden, catastrophic pipe bursts. Many insurance carriers will refuse coverage or cancel policies on homes with active polybutylene piping.

A sediment trap (commonly known as a dirt leg) is a vertical capped pipe nipple installed immediately upstream of a gas appliance's control valve, where gas changes direction from vertical to horizontal. Natural gas carries fine dust, scale, moisture, and pipe thread compound. The sediment trap allows these heavy particulates to drop into the capped reservoir before entering the sensitive gas valve or burner assembly. The International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) mandates sediment traps on all gas appliances with automatic valves (such as water heaters and furnaces).

Ideal residential water pressure is between 50 and 70 PSI (pounds per square inch). If municipal street pressure exceeds 80 PSI, local plumbing codes require a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV). Excessive pressure stresses pipe joints, ruins toilet fill valves, voids water heater warranties, and accelerates leaks. "Water hammer" is the loud thumping or banging sound heard when a valve closes abruptly (like a washing machine solenoid). It is caused by high-pressure shock waves bouncing off the closed valve and can be eliminated by installing a PRV and water hammer arrestors.

Standard homeowner's insurance policies typically cover the secondary damage caused by a sudden, accidental water leak (such as drywall restoration, carpeting, and subflooring), but they almost always exclude the cost of repairing or replacing the pipe itself due to age-related wear, corrosion, or defective polybutylene. However, many homeowners maintain optional "Service Line Protection" endorsements or utility warranty plans that cover the replacement of underground main water and gas service lines. We provide comprehensive line-item diagnostic reports for insurance claims.

Whole-house water repiping costs depend on home size, number of fixtures, and accessibility (crawlspace vs. slab). A typical single-family home with 2 to 3 bathrooms generally ranges from $4,000 to $9,500 using PEX-A, whereas full copper repiping ranges from $7,500 to $15,000+. Gas line installations or extensions for a single appliance (such as a tankless water heater, stove, or generator) typically range from $650 to $1,800 depending on line length, BTU sizing, and materials (black steel vs. CSST). We provide transparent, upfront flat-rate pricing before any work begins.