When a plumbing system begins leaking in multiple locations over a period of time, it becomes more cost effective to repipe the whole system. After 3-4 service calls for leaks, the system should be replaced, because more repair bills will end up costing more than a repipe if the system continues to degrade.
A repipe is the removal and replacement of all hot and cold water supply lines and valves in a building. We use a combination of Flowguard CPVC, copper, and PEX, depending on the best option for your home or business’s particular needs, and all of our work is code-compliant.
It’s important to choose a reputable, experienced plumbing company who can efficiently and professionally replace your home’s water pipes.
Call Van Franey Plumbing at (239) 851-0207 to have your home repiped
When it is time to repipe
One leak is a repair. A second leak in a different place, on the same kind of pipe, is a pattern, and the third one usually settles the question. Southwest Florida homes reach that point for a few predictable reasons: gray polybutylene supply lines from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s, early CPVC that has gone brittle in a hot attic, and copper from the 1970s and 80s that pits from the inside until pinholes open up.
- Repeated leaks on supply lines, especially in the attic or at fittings.
- Gray polybutylene pipe visible at the water heater or under sinks.
- Discolored water, falling pressure, or a slab leak that has already been rerouted once.
- An insurance carrier or 4-point inspection that has flagged the pipe material.
- A remodel that will open the walls anyway.
What a repipe involves
A repipe replaces every hot and cold supply line in the house, plus the valves and the connections at each fixture. Drain lines are a separate system and are not part of it. On a slab home the new lines usually run through the attic and down the walls to each fixture, so the slab is never opened.
The work is permitted in Lee and Collier County. We pull the permit, schedule the inspection, and give you the paperwork for your records. Access openings in drywall are part of every repipe; we keep them as few and as small as the layout allows, and patching is coordinated so the house is put back the way it was.
What to expect during the job
Most single-family repipes run a few days from the first cut to the final inspection, with water restored each evening. Furniture near the walls is moved and covered, the floors are protected, and the water is off only during the working day. When the new system is pressure tested and inspected, every faucet is run to flush the lines, and the water heater is refilled and restarted.
Where repipes are common
The McGregor corridor, Iona, and the older streets of Fort Myers; Cape Coral homes from the 1970s and 80s; Fort Myers Beach and the islands, where salt air shortens the life of every metal fitting; Lehigh Acres homes on well water, where iron and hardness are hard on copper; and Estero and Bonita Springs neighborhoods built in the 1990s with early CPVC. If your home is in one of those groups and has had more than one leak, a repipe conversation is worth having before the next one.
Learn more before you decide
- How long does a repipe take, and what happens each day?
- PEX vs CPVC for a repipe in a Florida home
- Does my home have polybutylene pipes, and what should I do about them?
- Why copper pipes get pinhole leaks in Southwest Florida
- Signs your CPVC pipes are failing
Common questions about repipes
How long does a whole-home repipe take?
Most single-family homes take a few working days, with water back on each evening. Larger homes, two stories, and homes with finished ceilings take longer. We give you the schedule before the first cut.
Do you repipe with PEX, CPVC, or copper?
We use a combination of Flowguard CPVC, copper, and PEX, depending on the best option for your home or business’s particular needs. The estimate spells out which material goes where and why.
Will you have to open my walls?
Yes, in a limited way. Small access openings are made where lines drop to fixtures, and patching is part of the plan. The slab is not opened on a standard repipe.
Does a repipe need a permit?
Yes. A repipe is permitted work in Lee and Collier County. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection.