Whole-House Repiping in Littleton, CO

Whole-house repiping replaces all of your home's water supply lines — hot and cold, from the main to every fixture — with new pipe, usually PEX, routed through walls, ceilings and the attic instead of under the slab. It is the permanent answer for homes with aging copper that keeps springing leaks. Drain lines are a separate system and are not replaced in a standard repipe.

When does a whole-house repipe make sense?

• Your home has had two or more slab leaks
• The copper is original and 40+ years old, common in many Littleton neighborhoods
• Pinhole leaks keep appearing in walls as well as under the slab
• Discolored water or low pressure at multiple fixtures
• You are remodeling and walls are already open
• You want to sell without a slab-leak history hanging over the inspection

How does a whole-house repipe work?

1. Survey. We map every fixture and plan the route through attic, walls and basement ceilings.
2. Protect. Floors and furniture are covered; work zones are contained.
3. Open small access points in drywall where pipe needs to pass.
4. Install new lines from the main shutoff to a manifold or trunk lines, then to each fixture.
5. Connect fixtures one area at a time so you keep water as much as possible.
6. Pressure-test the entire new system.
7. Inspect. Where a permit is required, the line is inspected before walls close.
8. Patch drywall openings and leave them ready for paint.

PEX vs. copper for a repipe

Will a repipe disrupt daily life?

You'll have water most evenings. Expect contractors in the house for several days and small drywall openings until patching is done.

What about the old pipe?

The under-slab copper is disconnected and capped. It stays in place, holding no water.

How much does whole-house repiping cost in Littleton?

Repipe vs. repeated repairs: the math

Each slab leak costs detection, repair, flooring and sometimes water damage. Two or three of those in a decade can approach the price of a full repipe — without solving the problem. If your copper is aging, ask us for both prices side by side.

Why do slab leaks happen in Littleton homes?

Littleton's housing stock tells most of the story. A large share of homes went up during the building boom of the 1960s through the 1980s, and many of them have copper water lines buried in or under a concrete floor — a basement slab, a garage slab, or the slab of a ranch or split-level that sits on grade. Newer subdivisions on the south and west sides were often plumbed with PEX, which fails differently but can still be damaged under concrete.

• Expansive clay soil. Much of the Front Range sits on clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. That seasonal movement pushes and pulls on pipes locked in concrete, and fittings and bends take the strain first.
• Abrasion. A copper line that rests against gravel, rebar or the edge of the slab vibrates every time water flows. Over decades it rubs a hole through its own wall.
• Water chemistry and age. Pinhole corrosion from the inside is common in older copper. Once one pinhole appears, others along the same run often follow.
• Freeze-thaw and construction defects. Lines that run near an exterior wall, a crawl-space transition or a poorly bedded trench are more exposed to stress.

Planning a repipe in a Littleton home

Most Littleton repipes follow one of a few patterns, depending on home style.

Ranch with basement

New trunk lines run along the basement ceiling with short drops into main-floor fixtures. Often the fastest repipe style.

Split-level

Lines go through the floor framing between levels. Openings are small and grouped near bathrooms and the kitchen.

Two-story

Vertical runs go up interior walls or chases to the second floor. We often go through closets to keep openings out of sight.

Slab-on-grade

The attic carries most of the new pipe, insulated against freezing, with drops through interior walls.

What's included in our repipe price?

• All new hot and cold supply lines from the main to every fixture
• New shutoff valves at fixtures where needed
• Connections to the water heater, washer and fridge
• Pressure testing of the complete system
• Permit and inspection where required
• Drywall patching of access openings

Painting and texture matching are often quoted separately — ask for it in writing either way.

Manifold or trunk-and-branch?

A manifold system runs a separate line from a central panel to each fixture, so you can shut off one fixture without affecting others, and hot water arrives more evenly. A trunk-and-branch layout uses larger main lines with branches, using less pipe. We'll recommend the layout that fits your home and budget.

Repipe timeline for a typical Littleton home

Day 1: protect the home, open access points, begin running trunk lines. Day 2–3: run branches to fixtures, connect one area at a time, restore water each evening. Final day: complete connections, pressure-test the whole system, inspection if required, patch drywall. Larger homes can take a little longer.

Is a repipe worth it before selling?

If your home has had slab leaks, buyers and inspectors often ask about them. A documented repipe answers that question cleanly. Whether the cost is recovered in sale price varies, but it removes a common objection and can help a sale go smoothly.

Signs you're due for a repipe, not another repair

• Two or more slab or in-wall leaks in a few years
• Pinholes found during an earlier repair, not just at the leak
• Blue-green staining on fixtures or visible pitting on exposed pipe

How to prepare for a repipe

• Clear closets and cabinets where access points are likely
• Move valuables and fragile items away from walls being opened
• Plan meals and showers around daytime water shutoffs
• Let neighbors know there may be work vehicles for a few days
• Keep pets in a quiet room away from the work

We give you a schedule up front, so you know which areas we'll be working in each day.

Why PEX is the default for most Littleton repipes

PEX handles freeze-thaw better than rigid pipe, has fewer joints, doesn't corrode in Colorado water, and installs faster through existing walls — which lowers labor cost and the number of drywall openings. Copper remains a good choice if you prefer it, and we install both. Whichever you choose, the pipe is sized for your fixtures so pressure stays strong at the far end of the house, and every run is supported, protected where it passes through framing, and insulated wherever cold could reach it. Ask us to walk you through the planned route before work begins.

Whole-house repiping FAQ