Whole-house repipe quotes typically run $4,800-$9,500 in Las Vegas. That's a lot of money. So when a contractor recommends it, you need to know whether they're being honest or just chasing the big-ticket job. Here's our take after 20+ years of doing both.
When you should NOT repipe
- Your home is under 25 years old with copper or PEX plumbing — these systems have decades of life left.
- You've had ONE leak in a long time — that's normal wear, not a system failure.
- Your water pressure is normal throughout the house.
- Your water looks clean (not rust-colored or cloudy at any tap).
- You plan to sell within 2-3 years. You won't recoup the cost on the sale — buyers don't pay extra for new plumbing the way they do for a new kitchen.
In all these cases, single-spot or single-line repair is the right call.
When you SHOULD repipe
- Galvanized steel pipes. Common in Vegas homes built before 1980. They rust from the inside out, eventually choking off pressure and leaking. By 50+ years old, full failure is imminent.
- Polybutylene pipes. Installed 1978-1995. The plastic and fittings degrade over time and can fail catastrophically. Insurance companies often won't write new policies on homes with active polybutylene.
- Multiple slab leaks in 12-24 months. When the slab pipes are failing, they don't stop after the first leak. We see homes where customers chased 3-4 slab leak repairs before realizing repiping would have been cheaper from the start.
- Pinhole leaks in copper. Especially in homes built 1965-1985 with thin-wall copper. Once you have one pinhole, more are coming.
- Low water pressure throughout the house. Often indicates pipe interior corrosion or buildup.
- Discolored or smelly water. Rust, sulfur, or metallic tastes mean the pipes themselves are degrading.
The cost-comparison math
Here's a worked example. A 1985 Vegas tract home with copper plumbing has its first slab leak. Cost: $1,200 detection + repair. Two years later, second slab leak: $1,400. Year five, third leak plus water damage cleanup: $2,800.
Total spent: $5,400 over 5 years. And you've had three plumbing emergencies during that time. A whole-house PEX repipe at the start would have cost $6,500-ish and ended the leak cycle for 30+ years.
Rule of thumb
If you've had two slab leaks within 2 years on the same hot or cold line, the rest of that line is on borrowed time. If you've had two leaks on DIFFERENT lines, the whole system is going. Repipe.
PEX-A vs copper for the repipe
Both meet Clark County code. The honest comparison:
- PEX-A ($4,800-$7,800 installed): Flexible, freeze-tolerant, fewer joints, faster install, 25-year warranty. The modern standard for most Vegas repipes.
- Copper ($6,800-$9,500 installed): Traditional, longest residential track record (100+ years in some cases), higher resale value perception, code-compliant everywhere. Best for high-end homes.
For most Vegas families, PEX-A is the right call. The cost savings can be redirected to other home improvements, and the warranty and performance are excellent. For homes over $1M or where copper is preferred for resale, copper is the right premium choice.
What the repipe process actually looks like
- Day 1 morning: Permit pulled. Materials staged. Old plumbing assessed.
- Day 1 afternoon: New PEX/copper lines run through attic and walls. Water still on for fixtures using old lines.
- Day 2 morning: Tie new system to each fixture. Water off for short periods during connection.
- Day 2 afternoon: System pressure-tested. Old lines capped/abandoned. Water restored.
- Day 3 (if needed): Final drywall patches. Inspection by Clark County. Final cleanup.
Typical 3-4 bedroom home: 2 days. Larger homes: 3 days. We try to keep water available at the end of every day even if it's only at certain fixtures.
What it looks like after
The visible result is 10-15 small drywall patches throughout the home — usually in closets, behind cabinets, in the garage, and a few in main areas. Homeowners typically hire a painter afterward to texture and repaint these spots. Cost for paint touch-up: $200-$600 typical.
Whole-house repipe ROI
On a 30-year time horizon, repiping always wins financially vs chasing leaks in failing systems. On a 5-year horizon, it depends on how many failures you'd have during that time.
The non-financial wins are real: no more 2 AM water emergencies, no more mystery water bills, no more insurance friction. For people who plan to stay in their home, the peace of mind is half the value.
"I won't recommend a repipe unless the math is in your favor. Most of the time it's the wrong call — single-spot repair is cheaper and works. But when the system is going, throwing repairs at it is just delaying the inevitable. We'll tell you straight." — Matt, owner
Get an honest assessment
If you're trying to decide between repair and repipe, call us at (702) 682-1626. We'll look at your system, your leak history, and your plans, and tell you honestly which approach makes more sense. No pressure either way.