# Copper Repiping in Columbus, Ohio > Copper repiping in Columbus: Type L or M tube, soldered or press joints, how lime-softened City water treats copper, routing rigid pipe, permit and testing. URL: https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/copper-repiping/ A repipe in rigid copper tube, with the tube type and joining method set out in the scope and the routes planned for straight runs. Last Updated: October 29, 2026 A repipe in rigid copper tube, with the tube type and joining method set out in the scope and the routes planned for straight runs. Last Updated: October 29, 2026 **about 30%** Rise in copper mill product prices over a year in the Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index **pH 7.8** Target pH of Columbus water after lime softening, with a zinc orthophosphate corrosion inhibitor added **1986** Year lead solder was banned in home plumbing, the dividing line for older copper joints Copper was the standard house pipe in Columbus for most of the second half of the last century, and plenty of 1950s and 1960s houses still run on their original lines. [Slate Repiping Columbus](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/) offers copper repiping for houses where the owner wants rigid metal pipe again, across Columbus and the nearby Franklin County suburbs. The work is carried out by licensed and insured plumbing contractors under the plumbing permit for the address. Choosing copper is a decision about tube type, joints and routes, not only material. A copper scope should say which wall thickness is going in, how each joint is made and how rigid pipe will get from the basement to the upstairs bath. If the choice between materials is still open, the [PEX vs copper guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/pex-vs-copper/) and the [PEX repiping](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/pex-repiping/) page cover the other side. ## What the first visit checks before copper is chosen If the house already has copper, the first question is why it is being replaced. A single pinhole in one hot line near the water heater can come from a local cause. Leaks scattered across hot and cold lines in several rooms point at the system. Green crust on joints, flattened or dented runs and old lead-soldered fittings all go into the notes, along with where earlier repairs changed the material. The [copper pinhole leak guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/copper-pinhole-leaks/) explains how to read the pattern, and for one bad spot, [copper pipe repair](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/copper-pipe-repair/) may be the right job instead. The walk-through then looks for straight routes, because copper does not bend around obstacles the way tubing does. Open joists, a laundry chase, stacked closets and the back of a cabinet are the paths that keep openings few. It records pressure and flow at the start so the owner knows what the street supplies, and it notes where copper would stay exposed, which is often where copper earns its cost. ## Type L or Type M Copper water tube comes in wall thicknesses named by letter, all made to the same ASTM standard. Type M is the thinnest of the common types and the lightest on cost. Type L is thicker, which gives more metal to lose before a pinhole forms at an elbow or where water moves fastest. Type K, the thickest, is what the City of Columbus requires for 2-inch and smaller service pipe from the main to the curb stop, which is buried work rather than house piping. The code allows either L or M inside a house. Some owners choose L throughout; others choose L for mains and hot lines and M for short cold branches. What matters is that the quote names the type, because two copper quotes for the same house can differ by wall thickness alone. ## Soldered joints or press fittings A soldered joint is made by cleaning the pipe and fitting, applying flux, heating with a torch and drawing lead-free solder into the gap. Done well, it lasts as long as the pipe. It needs a dry line and an open flame, which in an older Columbus house means working near dry framing, old insulation and plaster lath. Fire protection at each joint is part of the job. A press fitting has a sealing ring inside it and is crimped onto the pipe with a powered tool. There is no flame, a wet line is less of a problem, and joints go quickly in tight spaces. The fittings cost more. Each one has to be pushed to full depth and pressed with the right jaws, and the scope should say which method is used where. Many copper repipes mix the two: soldered joints on open runs in the basement, press fittings inside finished walls. ## How Columbus water treats copper Columbus lime-softens its water to about 5.7 to 7.3 grains per gallon, adjusts the pH to about 7.8 and adds a zinc orthophosphate corrosion inhibitor, according to the City’s water quality report. In the City’s own sampling, 0 of 50 sampled sites were over the action level for copper. That treatment is designed to protect pipe walls, so Columbus water by itself is not a reason to avoid copper. The [guide to Columbus water pressure and hard water](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/columbus-water-pressure-hard-water/) explains the numbers. Copper can still fail early in particular spots. Water moving too fast through undersized pipe, a recirculation pump that runs constantly, flux left inside joints, a dent from a past repair or a stray electrical current can each wear one area. None proves that a whole system is failing, and that list of causes is why a new copper system is sized and joined with them in mind rather than just copied from the old layout. ## Routing rigid pipe through the house Copper needs more fittings than PEX to change direction, and each fitting is a joint inside a wall. In a house with an open basement and stacked bathrooms, that adds little. In a house where the route to an upstairs bath crosses joists or jogs around a chimney, it can mean another opening or two. The scope lists every one, and the [guide to how invasive repiping is](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/how-invasive-is-repiping/) covers what to expect. Copper is supported with copper or coated hangers so it does not touch bare steel or rub on wood. Where copper meets galvanized steel at the meter side or at a retained branch, a dielectric or listed transition fitting keeps the two metals apart, since joining them directly can speed corrosion at the joint. Lines near exterior walls are insulated or moved; Columbus averages about 103 nights a year at or below freezing, and rigid copper splits rather than stretches. ## What drives the price of a copper repipe A typical Columbus-area range for a copper repipe is roughly $6,000 to $18,000 or more, depending heavily on house size. Copper costs more than PEX for the same house for two reasons: the material, and the labor of cutting and joining each change in direction. Copper mill product prices rose about 30% over a year in the Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index. Tube type, joint method, fixture count, stories and patching all move the figure, and the [Columbus repipe cost guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-cost/) shows how the parts add up. ## Permit, test and flush A copper repipe needs a plumbing permit. Inside the City of Columbus, Building and Zoning Services issues it, at $275 for a 1, 2 or 3 family home with two inspections. In most suburbs the city issues the permit and Franklin County Public Health reviews the plan and inspects, and the [Columbus repiping permit guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-permit-columbus/) lists which office covers which address. Before walls close, the system is pressure tested and every joint is checked. It is then flushed to clear flux and cutting debris, which otherwise collects in aerators and valve cartridges. Copper laid since 1986 is joined with lead-free solder, and fittings and valves are lead-free under current rules, so a new copper repipe also retires any older lead-soldered joints in the lines it replaces. For a full system, see [whole-house repiping](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/whole-house-repiping/). ## What's included - Copper tube type and joining method named in writing - New hot and cold copper from the main shutoff to each fixture in the scope - Hangers and isolators sized for copper, so the pipe does not rub on steel or wood - Dielectric or listed transition fittings where copper meets steel or another metal - Fire protection at the work area when joints are soldered - Insulation where pipe runs near an exterior wall or in an unheated space - Pressure test, flush and labeled shutoffs ## Soldered joints compared with press fittings on a copper repipe | | Soldered joints | Press fittings | | --- | --- | --- | | How the joint is made | Pipe and fitting heated with a torch, lead-free solder drawn in | Fitting with a sealing ring crimped onto the pipe with a powered tool | | Open flame in the house | Yes | No | | Pipe must be dry | Yes, water in the line stops the joint taking solder | Less critical | | Fitting cost | Lower | Higher | | Quality depends on | Cleaning, flux and heat control at each joint | Correct depth, a calibrated tool and the right jaws | | Where it fits | Long runs where the work area can be protected | Older wood-framed walls, finished spaces, tie-ins to wet lines | ## Related resources - Decision Guide [PEX vs copper repiping: which fits your house?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/pex-vs-copper/)Both are allowed by the Ohio Plumbing Code. The choice turns on the house: its access, its exposure to cold and sunlight, the budget, and how long the owner plans to stay. - Learn [What causes pinhole leaks in copper pipes?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/copper-pinhole-leaks/)Copper pinholes have several causes, and no single one explains every house. What matters is reading the pattern: where the leaks are, how many, and what the pipe looks like inside. - Learn [Does Columbus have hard water, and do you need a pressure-reducing valve?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/columbus-water-pressure-hard-water/)The City's own treatment numbers for each of its three plants, how that water treats old and new pipe, why nobody can quote you a Columbus street pressure, and how to tell whether your house needs a pressure-reducing valve. - Cost Guide [How much does it cost to repipe a house in Columbus?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-cost/)Typical Columbus-area ranges for a whole-house repipe in PEX or copper, what sits inside the price, the permit fees by office, and why two quotes for the same house can differ. - Learn [Do you need a permit to repipe a house in Columbus?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-permit-columbus/)Which office issues the permit for your address, who is allowed to pull it, what it costs, what changed with county plan review in February 2026, and what happens when a repipe is done without one. ## How a repipe runs 1. First call Describe the houseIts age, the pipe you can see in the basement, the leaks so far and which floors lose pressure. 2. Walk through Map and scopeMains, branches, shutoffs and fixtures traced from the meter; material, openings and permit agreed in writing. 3. Pipe day Replace and reconnectWater shut off in stages, new lines run, fixtures and the water heater reconnected. 4. Sign off Test, inspect, patchPressure test and flush, permit inspections, then the openings are closed. ## What this work looks like New copper water pipe with press-fit tee and elbow and a red-handled ball valve under basement joists, in a Columbus house Soldered copper tee on a water line against framing, with a gray heat-shield cloth behind it and a torch on a ladder, in an older Columbus home New copper water pipe running along a white basement wall on copper clips and turning up into the joists, in a Franklin County house Brass dielectric union joining a copper water pipe to an old threaded galvanized nipple, in a Columbus house Before After ## Copper repiping questions ### Should a copper repipe use Type L or Type M tube? Both are copper water tube allowed under the plumbing code Columbus enforces. Type L has a thicker wall than Type M, which gives more margin against wear at fittings and elbows, and costs more. Type M is lighter and cheaper. The scope should name which one is going in, because quotes that do not say are hard to compare. ### Are press fittings as reliable as soldered copper joints? Listed press fittings installed correctly are an accepted way to join copper for drinking water. They avoid an open flame inside an old wood-framed house and can be made on a line that is not perfectly dry. Their reliability depends on full insertion depth and a calibrated tool, the same way a soldered joint depends on cleaning and heat. ### Is copper worth the extra cost over PEX in a Columbus house? For some owners. Copper suits long runs that stay exposed in a basement, owners who want metal pipe, and spaces where plastic would be exposed to light or heat. PEX usually costs less and needs fewer openings. A typical Columbus-area range for a copper repipe is roughly $6,000 to $18,000 or more, depending heavily on house size, against $4,000 to $12,000 for PEX. ### Should a copper repipe include the main line from the meter? The house main, from the main shutoff through the basement to the water heater and branches, is usually the first thing replaced. The buried service line from the street to the meter is a separate job. Inside Columbus, work on the City water service needs a City water contractor license, and the service pipe is Type K soft copper. ## Related services ### Whole-house repiping Every hot and cold supply line from the main shutoff to the fixtures, replaced in PEX or copper, pressure tested and inspected under a City or suburban plumbing permit. ### PEX repiping A repipe in crosslinked polyethylene tubing, with the tubing type, fitting system and layout chosen for the house and written into the scope. ### Copper pipe repair Pinhole and joint leaks in copper supply lines repaired with new tube and lead-free joints, and the cut section read for what caused the failure.