Does Your Home Need Re-Piping? Here's How to Tell

Many Northern Colorado homes built before 1985 still have their original plumbing. Galvanized steel and polybutylene pipes degrade in ways that are completely invisible from the outside — until they fail. A failed pipe inside a wall can cause thousands of dollars in water damage before it's even discovered. Here's how to identify your risk before it becomes a crisis.

What types of pipe are in your home?

Galvanized steel was the standard supply pipe in homes built before the early 1960s. It's steel coated in zinc, and it rusts from the inside out over decades, gradually restricting flow and contaminating water. Polybutylene — gray or bluish plastic pipe, often stamped "PB2110" — was used from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s and is prone to failure from chlorine reaction. Most insurers flag polybutylene as a high-risk material. Copper pipe, installed widely from the 1960s onward, is far more durable but can develop pinhole leaks in older installations.

Warning signs your pipes may need replacement

Low water pressure throughout the house — not just at one fixture — is a key indicator of galvanized pipe narrowing from the inside. Rusty or brownish water, particularly from hot taps, suggests internal pipe corrosion. Visible corrosion, flaking, or discoloration on exposed pipes in the basement or utility room are clear warning signs. Multiple small leaks appearing in different locations over a short period suggests widespread pipe deterioration. Water that has a metallic taste. Any home built before 1975 that has never been re-piped is a candidate for assessment.

What re-piping involves

A full re-pipe replaces all supply lines in the home with new copper or PEX-A pipe. We work section by section to minimize the time water is off — for most jobs, water is only shut off during specific work phases, a few hours at a time. Drywall access points are kept as small as possible and are always patched and finished as part of our scope. Most average-sized Colorado homes take 2–4 days.

Partial vs. full re-pipe

Not every situation calls for a full re-pipe. If you have copper pipe with isolated pinhole leaks confined to one area, a targeted partial re-pipe of that section is often the right call. We assess the entire system and give you an honest recommendation. We never push a full re-pipe when a repair or partial replacement is the right answer.

The cost of waiting

A pipe that begins leaking inside a wall or under a slab creates ongoing moisture that leads to mold growth, subfloor rot, and structural damage — often for months before it's discovered. The average insurance claim for an internal pipe leak that reaches the point of visible damage is $11,000. The cost of proactive re-piping for most homes is $4,000–$12,000 depending on size and material. If your home's plumbing is overdue for assessment, the economics of waiting are not in your favor.