Repiping after slab leaks
Slab Leak Repiping Services in Texas
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Repiping replaces the supply lines instead of repairing one failure at a time. It comes up when leaks repeat, or when the age and material of the pipe suggest more failures ahead. Call and we’ll connect you with a local Texas crew for slab leak repiping.
Tell us what happened and we’ll connect you with a local crew.
What repiping means
Repiping means installing new water supply lines to replace the old ones. After a slab leak, the new lines are usually run through walls and the attic instead of under the floor, so the old pipe under the concrete is abandoned in place.
It can be partial, replacing the lines that serve part of the house, or whole-home, replacing the supply to every fixture. Either way, the goal is the same: remove the sections most likely to leak again.
When repiping is worth discussing
- The line has leaked more than once. Two or three slab leaks on the same system suggest the rest of the pipe is in a similar state. See repeat slab leaks.
- The pipe material points to trouble ahead. Some materials and eras of plumbing have a track record of leaks. The technician confirms what you have.
- Several areas show wear. If the technician finds thin walls, corrosion or old repairs in more than one place, replacing is worth weighing against fixing each.
- A remodel is planned. If walls or floors are going to be opened anyway, that may change what makes sense.
- You want fewer unknowns. Some owners prefer to deal with the whole line once rather than wait for the next leak.
A technician can explain what replacement would involve.
Partial and whole-home repiping
Partial repiping
Only the lines serving a section of the house, or the lines that have leaked, are replaced. It is a smaller job and less disruptive. It leaves the older lines elsewhere in service.
Whole-home repiping
Every supply line from the main to each fixture is replaced. It involves the most work and the most openings in walls and ceilings, and it leaves the home with a consistent system and, in most cases, no supply lines under the slab.
Neither is the right answer for every home. A technician can map which lines run under the slab and which do not, and that map is the most useful input to the decision.
A repeat leak changes the conversation.
How a repipe is carried out
- Planning. The technician maps the existing lines, plans new routes and agrees the scope with you.
- Protection. Furniture is moved and floors are covered. Access openings are marked in walls and ceilings.
- Water is shut off. The home is without water for part of each working day. Ask how this will be handled and whether a temporary supply will be available.
- New lines are installed. Pipe is run from the main to each fixture and connected.
- Old lines are isolated. The old supply is disconnected and capped, and sections under the slab are left in place.
- Testing. The new system is pressure tested before the walls are closed.
- Patching. Drywall openings are repaired. Texture and paint are usually a separate trade.
Jobs commonly take from a couple of days to about a week, depending on the size of the house and the access. Ask for a schedule.
What the new pipe is made of
Two materials are used for most repipes in Texas homes: copper and PEX. Each has advocates, and the choice depends on the house, the water and the budget. See PEX slab leaks and copper pipe leaks under the slab for what each is like once installed.
Ask the contractor which they recommend and why, what fittings they use, and how the manufacturer’s requirements are followed. For hot-water lines routed through an attic, ask about insulation.
Talk through the options with someone local.
Repiping in Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas homes
Many Texas homes with slab-run copper are now 30 to 60 years old. In Dallas-Fort Worth, expansive clay stresses lines under the slab, and in areas with hard water such as much of Central and West Texas, copper can wear from the inside as well. Homes built from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s may have a different pipe material from the original copper, which is another reason a technician’s inspection matters.
Large, accessible attics are an advantage for repiping in most Texas homes, since new supply lines can usually run overhead and drop into walls.
Questions worth asking before you decide
- Which lines run under the slab, and which of those would be replaced?
- Is partial repiping an option, and what stays in service if I choose it?
- What material will be used, and why?
- Which walls and ceilings will be opened, and who patches them?
- How many days will the water be off, and how will that be handled?
- What does the work include, and what does it not?
- What does the workmanship guarantee cover?
If you own a rental or manage a property for someone else, agree on approvals and tenant notice before work starts.
Describe the signs you have seen.
Living in the house during a repipe
Most families stay in the house while a repipe is carried out. The work is usually planned so that water is off only for part of each day, and the new lines are connected in stages.
Expect some disruption. Crews need access to walls and ceilings where new lines will run, and small openings are made to feed pipe through. Furniture near those walls may need to be moved, and some rooms will be unavailable for a time. Dust can be kept down with covers, but it is worth clearing shelves and surfaces in work areas.
Ask the crew for a rough schedule before work starts: which days water will be off, which rooms they will be in, and when the wall openings will be patched. Patching is sometimes done by a separate trade after the plumbing is finished, so ask who handles it. If anyone in the house has health needs that depend on running water, mention that early.
After the repipe
Once the new lines are in, the system should be pressure tested before walls are closed. Ask to see that test, and keep a note of the date, the materials used and where the new lines run. That record helps with any future work on the house.
Repiping questions
Not always. A first leak on an otherwise sound line is often fixed in place. Repiping becomes a bigger part of the conversation after repeat leaks or when the pipe’s age and material suggest more failures.
Partial repiping replaces the lines to part of the house or the lines that leaked. Whole-home replaces every supply line from the main to the fixtures.
They are disconnected and capped, and typically left in the ground. They no longer carry water.
Jobs often take from a couple of days to about a week, depending on the size of the house and access. Ask for a schedule and what to expect for water service each day.
Water is off for part of each working day. Ask the contractor how they handle it, and plan for the hours when it will not be available.
Access openings in drywall and ceilings are normal. The plumbing crew patches them. Texture and paint matching are usually handled separately.
New supply lines reduce the number of old pipes that can fail, and removing the lines under the slab removes the most hard-to-reach ones. No system is leak-proof, which is why the workmanship guarantee matters.
Both are used. The choice depends on the house, the water and the budget. Ask the contractor to explain the reasons for their recommendation.
Sometimes. A phased approach can spread out the work, but each phase may involve its own openings and shutoffs. Ask the technician whether it suits your house.
Find out whether repiping makes sense for your home
Call and we’ll connect you with a local technician who can map the lines and explain the choices.
Same-day and emergency response in many areas.