Expect to pay roughly $6,800 to $12,500 to repipe a 1,800 sq ft Montana house with 2 baths and 1 floor in PEX. PEX is flexible plastic pipe, usually red for hot water and blue for cold. That runs a bit above the national price for the same house, since Montana plumbers make $37.59 an hour, roughly 8 % more than the US average. A quarter of Montana homes (25.2 %) were built before 1960, when galvanized steel pipe was common, and 22.0 % were built from 1980 to 1999, which overlaps the polybutylene years. If leaks show up in more than one part of the house, a repipe is usually worth it.
Repipe prices in Montana by house size
The numbers below come from this site's calculator for Montana. Treat each one as a ballpark for the house listed. The repipe company sets the final fixed price once it has looked over your house.
| Home | Pipe material | Foundation | Montana cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,200 square feet, 1 bath, 1 story | PEX | Raised | roughly $4,300 to $8,100 |
| 1,800 square feet, 2 baths, 1 story | PEX | Raised | roughly $6,800 to $12,500 |
| 1,800 square feet, 2 baths, 1 story | PEX | Slab | roughly $8,800 to $17,200 |
| 1,800 square feet, 2 baths, 1 story | CPVC | Raised | roughly $7,800 to $13,500 |
| 1,800 square feet, 2 baths, 1 story | Copper | Raised | roughly $9,900 to $19,900 |
| 2,400 square feet, 3 baths, 2 stories | PEX | Raised | roughly $8,600 to $17,100 |
Bedroom count doesn't shift the number. Repipes get priced by size and bathroom count, and a house with 3 bedrooms usually comes with 2 bathrooms.
What makes repipes pricier in Montana?
The plumber's time is most of what you pay for. Roughly 70 % of a repipe bill goes to labor, so what local plumbers earn matters more than the price of the pipe. Counting the 50 states plus DC from lowest to highest, Montana comes in 38 of 51 for plumber pay, and 1,860 plumbers work in the state.
The final price depends on what the repipe company finds when it sees your home.
Pipe types that show up in older Montana homes
The typical Montana home was built in 1982, so many houses here are old enough to have galvanized steel or polybutylene pipe, and some may have Kitec. Looking at when homes were built, a few pipe types stand out.
- Galvanized steel: 25.2 % of Montana homes date from before 1960, an era when this metal pipe was standard.
- Polybutylene: this plastic pipe went into homes from 1978 to 1995, and 22.0 % of Montana homes were built from 1980 to 1999, which overlaps those years.
- Kitec: used from 1995 to 2007, this pipe overlaps the tail end of that same building stretch.
Another 30.1 % of Montana homes were built in 2000 or later; the build year alone won't tell you which pipes your home has. Not sure what's inside your walls? This site's pipe identifier can name 8 pipe types by how they look and feel.
Does a whole-house repipe make sense?
It usually pays off once low pressure, discoloration, or leaks start appearing in several areas of the house. Call to connect with a local repipe company that can see your house and give you a fixed price.
Slabs, copper, and other price factors
With a slab, the concrete floor sits right on the ground, and the pipes run under it or inside it. Reaching pipes under concrete takes more work, so a slab raises the same Montana house to about $8,800 to $17,200.
Copper costs the most, roughly $9,900 to $19,900 for that 2-bath house. CPVC comes in at about $7,800 to $13,500. Adding a second floor raises the bill too. Permit fees run about $50 to $800, according to a national guide. Ask the repipe company whether the permit is included in your fixed price.
How to weigh your quotes
A national guide found that quotes for the exact same job can differ by $2,000 to $5,000, which is why a fixed price after a real visit matters. It's easier to compare a fixed price set once someone has walked your house than a guess given over the phone. If you call via this site, the repipe company visits your home and then quotes that fixed price.
Living at home during a repipe
Most families stay in their homes throughout the entire repiping job. A 2-bath, 1-floor PEX house usually takes about 2 to 3 days. A 3-bath, 2-floor house usually takes 3 to 5 days. These are calculator estimates for houses like these, not promises for yours.
How to verify a Montana plumber's license
Plumbers in the state get licensed by the Montana Board of Plumbers. Search the plumber's name there before signing anything, so you know the person touching your water lines is licensed and current.
Plumbing permits run by the state of Montana
Plumbing permits are run by the state itself across much of Montana. A town or county can operate a local code program, but the state has to certify it first. For all remaining areas, the state Building Codes Program is in charge, issuing the permits and sending the inspectors. The 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code applies statewide. No state plumbing permit is needed when a homeowner does the work alone on their own house. This exception doesn't apply to rentals or homes built to sell. Once a permit is issued, the inspector has to look at the pipe before it gets covered.
About 29.5 percent of Montanans get their water from a private well, which means it comes from their own land rather than a city supply. The national share is about 15 percent, so that's roughly double.
Getting a fixed price for your house
One free call connects you to a repipe company that works in your part of Montana. They see your house and then give you a fixed price, so you know the real number before you decide. Call now and get yours.
