The problem: one leak, and a question about the rest
Most slab leaks are dealt with one at a time. A technician locates the leak and the owner chooses between a spot repair, a reroute or lining. Sometimes the leak raises a wider question: is the line that failed typical of the lines around it? If so, fixing one point may leave the system with several others that are close behind.
Repiping is the option that answers that question directly. It replaces a larger part of the supply plumbing with new pipe, run on a new route. It is the largest of the options and the one with the biggest effect on the home, which is why it is always presented as a choice and never assumed.
The technician we dispatch will not suggest it to every caller. Many leaks are handled well without it. It is raised where the facts point that way, and the decision stays with you.
When the conversation starts
A few situations bring repiping up. Several leaks have been found on different lines in a short time. The same line has leaked more than once. The technician sees widespread wear or a pattern of failures on the lines they can inspect. The owner is planning other work in which walls or floors will be open anyway, and wants to deal with the supply lines at the same time.
It may also come up for homes whose pipe materials have a reputation for trouble in a particular era. We do not say what a given home has. The technician can describe what they see on lines they open or inspect, and what that suggests. See polybutylene-era homes and copper pipe leaks under the slab for general terms.
Options and price before work begins.
Call for Upfront PricingWhy it comes up more in some Florida homes
Many Florida slab homes were built between the 1960s and the 1990s, and they have had decades of service. Water chemistry, contact with concrete, repeated heating and cooling and past repairs can all play a part in how lines wear. Homes from other building eras have different piping, and each house also has its own history of alterations.
A technician does not assume. They test the lines, look at what they find and say what they can and cannot conclude. That is why repiping is discussed after a leak is located, not before, and why the answer differs from one home to the next.
Partial and whole-home repiping
Repiping comes in more than one scale. The technician explains which applies to your home.
Partial repipe. One section or branch is replaced, such as the lines serving a bathroom and kitchen, while the rest stays in service.
Hot-line or cold-line repipe. One side of the supply system is replaced when it is the side that has been failing.
Whole-home repipe. All the supply lines are replaced with new pipe, usually run above the slab through walls and the attic.
Repipe combined with a reroute. Lines in the slab are taken out of service and replaced on a new route, which is how many repipes are carried out in slab homes.
In a slab home, a repipe often leaves the old lines in the concrete, out of use, and runs the new ones above. That is the same approach as a reroute, on a larger scale.
Repeat leaks are a common reason repiping comes up.
Another Slab Leak? Call UsWhat steers the decision
How many lines are affected and where. What the technician sees on the pipe they inspect. How many leaks the home has had. The layout and access: attic space, walls and the fixtures involved. Whether the owner plans to stay, sell or rent the home. What the work will disrupt, and for how long. And price, which is explained before work begins.
It also helps to consider the alternative. A repair now and another repair later has its own costs, in time and in disruption. A larger job once may or may not cost less than several small ones. The technician cannot predict whether another leak will happen, and will not promise it. They can lay out the options so you can weigh them.
What to do and what not to do
If a leak is active, close the main if you can reach it safely, keep clear of wet areas and move valuables. If the leak is slow, ask the technician whether water can stay on while you decide.
Please do not start cutting into walls or flooring to inspect pipe, and do not buy materials in advance of a quote. If you smell gas, leave the building and call the gas utility and emergency services from outside. Be cautious of anyone who proposes a whole-home repipe without first locating and testing the leak.
No pressure to decide on the call.
Speak With Someone LocalWhy testing comes first
A repipe should follow evidence. The technician isolates and pressure tests the lines, locates the leak with acoustic and thermal equipment and notes what they see on the pipe. Those findings, not the age of the house, are the basis for any discussion of a wider job. See how slab leaks are found.
If you are buying an older home and a leak is found before closing, the same applies. See slab leak check before buying.
How it compares with the other options
A spot repair deals with the leak found. A reroute replaces one line. Lining treats the inside of a line. Repiping replaces much more. It is the answer to a question about the system, not a response to one point of failure.
You may reasonably choose a smaller option now and revisit repiping later. The technician can tell you what that choice means in your home. See repair options compared.
Afterwards
After a repipe, the new lines are pressure tested and the fixtures checked. Walls and ceilings opened for the work need finishing by the appropriate trade, which is often separate from the plumbing work. Ask what the quote includes.
Workmanship on completed work is covered by a guarantee. We do not give lifespans, and nobody can promise that another leak will never occur. Restoration companies handle drying and cleanup of wet flooring. Keep a record of what was replaced and what was left in place, for the next owner.
The steps once the work is finished are covered in after a slab leak repair.