For a 1,800 square foot, one-story, two-bath home in PEX over a crawl space, a repipe in Michigan runs about $6,700 to $12,400. Plumbers here earn about 7% more than the national average, which nudges the price up a little. One free call connects you to a local repipe company that will see your house and give you a fixed price. Michigan's older homes may have galvanized steel water pipes, and some homes built later may have polybutylene or Kitec. The year alone won't tell you what's in your house.
How much does a repipe cost in Michigan?
Plumbers in Michigan earn $37.14 an hour on average, compared with $34.70 across the country, about 7% more. One free call connects you with a repipe company that works in your area.
Labor is about 70 % of a repipe bill, so Michigan's higher pay adds a little. The same house that would cost about $6,400 to $11,800 at the national wage lands between $6,700 and $12,400 here.
Old pipes Michigan homes may have
The typical Michigan home was built in 1972, which makes the state's housing older than in most other states. More than a third of homes date from before 1960, so galvanized steel pipe is a real possibility in many of them.
- Before 1960: 35.8 % of Michigan homes fall in this age group, and galvanized steel water pipe was common back then.
- 1980 to 1999: Homes built in these years make up 21.2 %. That stretch covers part of the polybutylene era (1978 to 1995) and the opening of the Kitec years (1995 to 2007).
- From 2000 on: This period accounts for 16.8 % of homes.
Not sure what kind of pipe you have? The site's pipe identifier uses color and feel to help narrow it down. It can name 8 kinds of pipe: copper, PEX, CPVC, galvanized steel, polybutylene, Kitec, cast iron, and Orangeburg. If leaks, discoloration, or low pressure show up in more than one part of your home, call to connect with a repipe company that serves your area, and the call is free.
Michigan repipe costs by home and material
PEX pipe is a bendable plastic water line, with red marking the hot side and blue the cold. CPVC is a stiff plastic pipe in a cream or tan shade, and copper is a metal pipe whose joints are sealed with solder. A crawl space is that low, open gap beneath a house with a raised floor.
| House | Pipe type | Foundation | Michigan price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,200 sq ft, one bathroom, one story | PEX | Crawl-space | roughly $4,300–$8,100 |
| 1,800 sq ft, two bathrooms, one story | PEX | Crawl-space | roughly $6,700–$12,400 |
| 1,800 sq ft, two bathrooms, one story | CPVC | Crawl-space | roughly $7,800–$13,400 |
| 1,800 sq ft, two bathrooms, one story | Copper | Crawl-space | roughly $9,900–$19,700 |
| 1,800 sq ft, two bathrooms, one story | PEX | Slab | roughly $8,700–$17,100 |
| 2,400 sq ft, three bathrooms, two stories | PEX | Crawl-space | roughly $8,500–$16,900 |
Bathrooms and square footage set the price, not bedrooms. Most 3-bedroom houses have two bathrooms, so if that's your home, the 1,800 sq ft rows are a good place to start.
Does a slab foundation cost more?
It does. With a slab, the concrete floor sits right on the ground, and the pipes run underneath or inside it. Reaching them takes added labor. One guide allows an extra 25 to 50 % on labor, and another counts 30 to 38 % of the whole project.
Is repiping the whole house worth it?
A repipe is usually worth it once low pressure, discolored water, or leaks show up in more than one part of the house. Call now, and a repipe company that works in your area will see the house and give you a fixed price.
Can you keep living at home during a repipe?
For the most part, yes. One repipe company reports that most families remain at home through the whole repiping job.
Permits and plumbing licenses
A national guide lists permit fees for a repipe at $50 to $800. Ask whether your quote already covers the permit, so it doesn't appear later on as an add-on.
Michigan's Bureau of Construction Codes, plumbing licensing office handles plumbing licenses in the state. Check your plumber there before signing anything.
Plumbing permits and code in Michigan
Michigan law builds its state plumbing code on the International Plumbing Code, with state changes. Permits and inspections are handled by the state construction code office unless your city, township or county does that job itself. If you own a single-family home, a permit lets you install your own plumbing there. If you're not that homeowner, the work may only be done by a plumber licensed as a master or journeyman. Before work starts, the plumbing contractor must have the permit.
In Michigan, about 26.2 percent of people rely on a private well rather than city water. That's well above the national share, which is roughly 15 percent.
Locking in a firm price for your home
Estimates for the very same job can swing by $2,000 to $5,000, per a national guide. Your walls, floors and choice of pipe decide the final number, so a fixed price after someone sees your house is the way to know it. Call now, it's free, and you'll know your real number before any work starts.
Make the call today. A repipe company near you will come see the house and then give you a fixed price.
