Repiping a house involves replacing all of the water lines and, sometimes, the drain pipes. This project is a fairly major undertaking and not something you want to trust to just anyone. If you’re not careful about who you hire, there’s no guarantee the work will be performed properly and your plumbing will function as it should. That’s why you should consider these factors when deciding who to hire for your repiping project.
1. Licenses and Insurance
When hiring a plumbing company to repipe your home or for any other service, the first thing you should always check is that they are licensed by the state of Arizona and fully insured. In Arizona, plumbers must hold a state-issued contractor’s license from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC). This license ensures that the plumbing company meets the state’s standards for experience, knowledge, and financial stability. Specifically, they should have a C-37 or a C-37R (Residential Plumbing) license for plumbing work.
To obtain this license, a plumbing contractor must have a minimum of four years of experience and must pass both business and trade exams. Hiring a licensed contractor ensures that the plumbing company is qualified to handle your repiping project in compliance with state and local codes.
Additionally, any major plumbing work, like repiping, will require a permit from your local municipality in Chandler. Only licensed contractors are authorized to apply for these permits, and all new plumbing installations will need to pass an inspection by a local building official. Failing to obtain the necessary permits and inspections could result in fines, and you may be required to have a licensed plumbing company redo the work.
Ensuring the plumbing company is fully insured is equally important to protect yourself from potential liability issues. In Arizona, plumbing contractors should carry both general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. General liability insurance covers any accidental damage caused to your property during the work, while workers’ compensation insurance covers medical expenses and lost wages if any of the company’s employees are injured while on your property. Without these insurances, you could be held financially responsible for any injuries or damage that occur.
2. Experience
Repiping is a complex job, especially if your home has a slab foundation instead of a basement or crawl space. You don’t want to pay to have your plumbing replaced only to quickly start encountering issues with leaks or other problems. That’s why you want to make sure that whoever you hire is fully experienced in repiping, which isn’t the case for all plumbing companies. Hiring an experienced repiping specialist also helps ensure the job is performed effectively, which can cut down on the time and expense of the project. It also ensures that all of your pipes and plumbing fixtures will work properly.
3. Warranties and Service Guarantees
You also want to make sure that whichever plumbing company you hire offers a reasonable warranty or service guarantee on the work they perform. A warranty typically ranges from 1 year for workmanship to 10–25 years for materials, depending on the type. A service guarantee ensures that if any part of the project isn’t done properly, the company will fix the issues at no additional cost to you.
The guarantee should also ensure that the company will repair any issues that arise in the near future as a result of improper workmanship. For instance, if a water line starts leaking shortly after being installed, you want to be sure that the company will stand by its work and quickly send someone out to fix the issue for free.
4. Pricing and Estimates
Repiping an entire house or even part of a house is never cheap, but you obviously don’t want to end up paying more than you should. Look for a company that provides free, no-obligation estimates so you know exactly how much your repiping project will cost before you get started. Getting an estimate also allows you to compare prices from different companies if you think the first price seems too high or too low to be true.
Finding a company that offers honest, transparent pricing is also essential to ensure you’re getting a fair deal and not being overcharged or surprised by hidden fees at the end. An honest company should be able to provide a full breakdown of the estimate, including parts, labor, and any other fees, rather than just stating a total price. They should also be able to clearly answer any questions you have about the price and explain why each component is necessary.
One last thing to know about pricing is that you always have multiple options when repiping a house, such as whether to use copper or PEX piping for your water lines and where to run all the new lines. Make sure the estimate breaks down the different options and how they affect the price. The plumber should also be willing to explain the pros and cons of each option instead of just trying to get you to go with the most expensive one.
How to Know if You Should Repipe Your Home
The age of your home is typically one of the biggest factors in whether or not it should be repiped. If your home is older and your water lines are anything other than copper or PEX, it’s a sure sign that repiping is necessary. Some older homes have galvanized steel, polybutylene, or even lead water lines, which can leach harmful chemicals and contaminate your drinking water.
If you’re planning on doing major renovations and your plumbing is more than 30–40 years old, it’s worth having it repiped at the same time. Doing so can save you money and avoid the hassle of eventually needing to have it done in the future.
Another time when repiping is a smart decision is if you frequently experience plumbing problems. Many homes in Arizona are prone to slab leaks since much of the plumbing is located under the foundation. As the foundation settles or shifts, it can lead to underground pipes leaking, potentially causing structural damage and mold growth. Hard water is another common issue in Arizona that leads to mineral deposits building up inside all of a home’s pipes, contributing to poor water pressure. In this case, repiping is often the most effective solution to ensure sufficient water pressure throughout your house and to prevent damage to fixtures and appliances.
With more than two decades of experience serving residents in Chandler and the Phoenix Metro area, Emergency Air Heating Cooling & Plumbing is the company you can trust for all of your plumbing and HVAC needs. Our highly skilled plumbers are experts in repiping, remodeling services, and can offer innovative solutions that specifically meet your home’s plumbing needs. To schedule a consultation and get a free estimate on how much it will cost to repipe your home and what your options are, contact us today.
