Galvanized steel pipes were the default plumbing material for LA homes built between 1920 and 1965. They were never supposed to last 100 years, but a lot of Valley homes are asking them to. The result is the slow, expensive failure epidemic we treat every week in Sun Valley, Arleta, Pacoima, Van Nuys, Reseda, and North Hollywood.
When a homeowner finally decides to replace, the first question is always the same: how much. Here are real 2026 LA numbers, including what's usually included and what gets billed separately.
The Drivers of Cost
- Home square footage. More square footage = more linear feet of pipe = more labor. Not perfectly linear — a 2,000 sq ft single-story can cost less than a 1,400 sq ft two-story because of accessibility.
- Material: PEX vs copper. PEX is 30–40% cheaper than copper. Labor is also faster because PEX is flexible and has fewer fittings.
- Number of fixtures. Each toilet, sink, shower, bathtub, washer, ice maker, and outdoor hose bib is a termination point that needs to be tied in.
- Slab vs raised foundation. Post-war SFV homes with crawl spaces are easier to repipe than slab-foundation homes where supply runs below concrete.
- Accessibility. Finished basements, deep hillside crawl spaces, complex HVAC routing, or wall-mount layouts can add labor hours.
- Extent of drywall patching required. We minimize cutouts but can't eliminate them entirely. Popcorn or specialty-textured ceilings add cost.
PEX Repipe Pricing — Typical SFV Home
| Home size | Fixtures | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| 900–1,200 sq ft (1–2 bath) | 10–14 | $5,500–$7,500 |
| 1,200–1,600 sq ft (2 bath) | 14–18 | $7,000–$9,500 |
| 1,600–2,200 sq ft (2–3 bath) | 18–24 | $9,000–$12,000 |
| 2,200–3,000 sq ft (3 bath+) | 24–30 | $11,000–$15,500 |
| 3,000+ sq ft (multi-story) | 30+ | $14,500 and up — quoted per home |
Includes: permit, PEX-A or PEX-B material, manifold system where applicable, labor, pressure test, city inspection, base drywall patching at cutout points, haul-away of old galvanized sections we access.
Copper Repipe Pricing — Typical SFV Home
| Home size | Fixtures | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| 900–1,200 sq ft (1–2 bath) | 10–14 | $8,500–$11,500 |
| 1,200–1,600 sq ft (2 bath) | 14–18 | $11,000–$14,500 |
| 1,600–2,200 sq ft (2–3 bath) | 18–24 | $14,000–$18,500 |
| 2,200–3,000 sq ft (3 bath+) | 24–30 | $17,500–$23,500 |
| 3,000+ sq ft (multi-story) | 30+ | $22,000 and up — quoted per home |
Includes everything above plus Type L copper material, hand-soldered joints, lead-free solder and brass fittings, and lifetime workmanship warranty on every joint we make.
What's Usually NOT Included (and Fair)
- Drywall texture and paint. We patch to primer-ready. Matching your existing texture and paint is a drywall-finisher's specialty, and most of our customers prefer to hire their own painter to color-match.
- Tile work. If a cutout falls on a tiled wall or tub surround, we coordinate with a tile-setter — billed separately.
- Lath-and-plaster work. Pre-1950 homes with original plaster walls need a plaster-specialist for patches. Drywall patching over plaster looks visibly different.
- Fixture upgrades. Replacing a 40-year-old shower valve at the same time as the repipe is often a good idea, but is an additional line item.
- Water heater replacement. Sometimes the old galvanized flex to the water heater is the only galvanized left — easy add. But replacing the water heater itself is a separate decision.
Hidden Costs to Watch For (Not From Us)
- Unpermitted work. A quote that's suspiciously cheap may skip the permit. That saves $350 up front and costs you $2,500–$10,000 if you sell the home or file an insurance claim later.
- "Flex lines instead of proper tie-ins." At faucets, toilets, and water heaters, cheap installs leave visible flex lines hanging in ways that won't pass inspection in 10 years. Look at the quote: is the final connection rigid or flex?
- Copper Type M instead of Type L. Type M is thinner-wall copper — code-permitted in some jurisdictions but shorter-lived in LA's mineral-heavy water. A quote should specify Type L.
- No bonding at the new copper lines. Electrical code requires copper plumbing to be bonded to ground. A cheap installer may skip it; an inspector will catch it.
Repiping is big money and long-life infrastructure. Paying 10–15% more for work that's done right is cheaper in the long run than fixing shortcuts.
Get a real SFV repipe quote
Plumbing Geeks is C-36 licensed, family-owned, and dispatches 24/7 with no overtime charges. We serve the San Fernando Valley and the rest of the San Fernando Valley and Greater LA from our Sun Valley base.