Plumbers in West Virginia earn about 19 % less than the US average, and most of a repipe bill is labor, so you can expect a lower price here. The state's typical home was built in 1976, and many older homes may have galvanized steel or polybutylene pipes. A standard 2-bath PEX job over a crawl space runs about $5,600 to $10,300. That's for a typical 1,800 sq ft house. The repipe company sees yours and gives you a fixed price, so call now to find out what your home will cost.
Why do prices run lower in West Virginia?
About 70 % of a repipe bill goes to labor, according to Angi. So the wage plumbers earn close to home has a big effect on what you pay.
West Virginia plumbers average $28.26 an hour, versus $34.70 nationwide, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That wage ranks 10th lowest among the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Around 1,830 plumbers work statewide.
The same-size house (1,800 sq ft, 2 baths, in PEX) would cost about $6,400 to $11,800 if you paid the nationwide average wage. Here it runs about $5,600 to $10,300.
Old pipes in West Virginia homes
The typical West Virginia home was built in 1976, which puts the state 15th from the oldest end among the 50 states and DC, according to the Census Bureau. Nearly a third of homes here went up before 1960, when galvanized steel pipe was common, and about a quarter date from 1980 to 1999, the years of polybutylene and early Kitec.
- Galvanized steel: 31.3 % of homes went up before 1960, when this pipe was in wide use.
- Polybutylene and Kitec: 24.2 % of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. That stretch covers the polybutylene era, 1978 to 1995, plus the first years of Kitec, 1995 to 2007.
- Newer pipe: homes built in 2000 or after make up 20.4 % (Census Bureau).
Not sure what's in your walls? The pipe identifier on this site can tell you from its color and feel, from galvanized steel and polybutylene to copper and PEX.
What repipes cost by home size
These numbers come from this site's calculator and assume one floor and a crawl space underneath, at West Virginia labor rates. A crawl space is the low open area beneath a floor raised off the ground.
| House | Pipe | West Virginia price |
|---|---|---|
| 1,200 square feet, 1 bath | PEX | roughly $3,600 to $6,700 |
| 1,800 square feet, 2 baths | PEX | roughly $5,600 to $10,300 |
| 1,800 square feet, 2 baths | CPVC | roughly $6,400 to $11,100 |
| 1,800 square feet, 2 baths | Copper | roughly $8,200 to $16,400 |
| 2,400 square feet, 3 baths, 2-story | PEX | roughly $7,100 to $14,000 |
PEX is soft plastic water line that bends easily, usually red for hot lines and blue for cold. CPVC is hard cream or tan plastic, and copper is metal pipe that's joined with solder.
This calculator uses your home's size and bathroom count, not its bedroom count, to estimate the price. A 3-bedroom home usually comes with 2 bathrooms.
When your home sits on a slab
A slab means a concrete floor poured right onto the ground, with pipes running under or inside it. Getting at those pipes takes extra effort. On a slab, that same 1,800 sq ft, 2-bath house runs about $7,200 to $14,200.
Is a repipe worth it?
A repipe is usually worth considering when low pressure, discolored water, or leaks appear in several places around the home, according to Fuse Service. When those signs reach more than one room, call today. A local repipe company will look at your house and give you a fixed price, and this site charges nothing for the call.
Permits, quotes, and staying at home
Expect permit fees between $50 and $800, a national guide says. That guide also found that identical jobs can draw bids $2,000 to $5,000 apart, which makes it worth learning a fair price for your home before you agree to anything.
Most families live at home through the entire job, according to Repipe Solutions. For the calculator's example of a 1,800-square-foot, one-floor, two-bath home with PEX over a crawl space, the job usually runs two to three days.
License and code rules in West Virginia
West Virginia's State Building Code follows the «2018» «International Plumbing Code» and the «2018» «International Residential Code». The code applies only where a county or city opts to adopt it, and that local office does the enforcing. Check with yours to see if that's happened. You need no plumber license to work on a single-family home you own or lease. Hiring a crew changes things. If your home project costs $5,000 or more, a contractor license with a plumbing class is required.
21.2 percent of West Virginians get their water from a private well, above the 15 percent national rate.
Checking the plumber's license
Plumbers in the state are licensed by the West Virginia Division of Labor. Check your plumber there before signing anything, so you can confirm the license is real and up to date.
How to get a fixed price for your home
One free call connects you with a repipe company that works near you. The company looks over your house first and then quotes one set price, so nothing is a surprise once the work gets going.
Working out the price
The calculator blends two prices for your house. One starts with the home's size and the usual cost of installing pipe for each square foot; the other starts with the going rate for the number of bathrooms. It tacks on the extra for copper or CPVC.
Because West Virginia plumbers earn less than the US average, the calculator lowers the labor part of the price to match. Then it adds the extra cost of a slab or second floor.
