# Repiping in Upper Arlington > Repiping in Upper Arlington: the City permit plus Franklin County plan review, mid-century copper and galvanized, crawlspaces, and LEAP for Columbus water. URL: https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/upper-arlington/ Last Updated: October 29, 2026 Last Updated: October 29, 2026 43221 Upper Arlington **City of Upper Arlington Building Division, with Franklin County Public Health plumbing plan review and inspection** issues the plumbing permit (City of Upper Arlington) **Ohio Plumbing Code (OAC 4101:3)** decides the water pipe **Columbus Water & Power (full-service contract)** supplies the water **n/a** ## What starts a repipe in Upper Arlington ### The fixture count has to match Since February 9, 2026, the City's plumbing permit application needs Franklin County Public Health's plan review approval, and the fixture count on both has to agree. ### A ranch over a part basement, part crawl Lines that cross from the basement into a crawlspace need an access plan for the crawl side, where the old pipe is hardest to reach and inspect. ### Original copper with a first pinhole A single pinhole in sixty-year-old copper may be a one-off or the first of several. Testing and a look at the rest of the run decide between repair and repipe. ### A Columbus water bill but no City schedule Upper Arlington buys its water from Columbus, so LEAP is open to owners here, but the City of Columbus street-by-street replacement does not cover the suburb. ## Services in Upper Arlington ### 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. ### 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. ### 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. ### Galvanized pipe replacement Old threaded steel water pipe inside the house replaced with PEX or copper, with the transitions, the loosened scale and the flush handled as part of the job. A repipe in Upper Arlington passes through two public offices before the first wall is opened. [Slate Repiping Columbus](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/) builds both steps into its plan: it offers whole-house and partial repiping in Upper Arlington, in PEX or [copper](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/copper-repiping/), and settles the paperwork before any demolition. From Old Arlington south of Lane Avenue to the streets around Northam Park and Tremont Road, licensed and insured plumbing contractors carry out the work. That permit path is the first thing that sets Upper Arlington apart from the Columbus neighborhoods next door. The second is the housing. On Census figures, 43.0% of the city’s homes were built between 1940 and 1959 and another 29.4% between 1960 and 1979, with a median year of 1959. That puts most houses in the copper era, with an older layer of galvanized in the first postwar streets and the original plat. ## Two offices, one permit The City of Upper Arlington issues the plumbing permit. Its building division states that a plumbing permit is required any time supply or waste lines are added, altered or removed, so a full or partial repipe is covered. Franklin County Public Health handles the plumbing side under its contract with the City: it reviews the plans and sends the plumbing inspector. Since February 9, 2026, the City’s application has to include FCPH’s plan review approval, and the fixture count on the two must match. In practice that means the scope has to be settled before the application goes in. Every fixture on the plan counts, including hose bibbs, the water heater connection and any new laundry or bar sink. Adding a fixture after review means going back to FCPH. Plumbing contractors working in Franklin County also register every year, and an owner may do their own plumbing only in a home they live in. The [repiping permit guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-permit-columbus/) compares this sequence with the City of Columbus process, and it is worth confirming current fees and the contract with the building division at application. ## Basements, crawlspaces and one-story layouts The County Auditor’s dwelling records for Upper Arlington show 61.5% of homes with a full basement and 29.3% with some crawlspace, including houses that are part basement and part crawl. Close to half, 48.5%, are one story. Those numbers shape the route more than anything else here. A full basement under a one-story house is the simplest case: the new main runs along the joists and each branch rises through the floor under its fixture. Where part of the house sits over a crawlspace, the lines that cross into it need their own access plan. Crawlspace work is slower and the old pipe there is the hardest to inspect, which is one reason a scope should say how the crawl side is handled rather than assuming it matches the basement. The [how invasive is repiping guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/how-invasive-is-repiping/) explains how openings are placed and patched in finished rooms. ## Mid-century copper and the galvanized layer Copper installed in the 1950s and 1960s is now well past sixty years old in many houses. Age alone does not condemn it, and Columbus treats its water with a zinc orthophosphate corrosion inhibitor. Still, the first pinhole in an old copper line raises a fair question: is it a single weak spot or the start of a pattern? A repair, a pressure test and a look at the condition of nearby runs answer that better than the age of the house. The [copper pinhole leaks guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/copper-pinhole-leaks/) covers what to check, and [copper pipe repair](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/copper-pipe-repair/) handles the single-leak case. Galvanized is less common than in the city’s older neighborhoods but not absent. The service line inventory for Upper Arlington shows 7.7% of lines galvanized on the owner’s side and 948 records marked as galvanized requiring replacement. Older houses in the first plat, and some early postwar houses, are the likeliest to have galvanized inside as well, sometimes with copper spliced in where a leak was fixed. The [PEX vs copper guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/pex-vs-copper/) helps with the material choice if a repipe is the answer. The County Auditor’s permit descriptions also show 27 repipe-type permits in Upper Arlington since 2020, the most of any suburb in that file. Reporting differs from city to city, so the number shows that repipes happen here rather than how often. ## Old Arlington, south of Lane Avenue Part of Upper Arlington south of Lane Avenue is a designated historic district, known for its Colonial and English Revival houses. The City’s historic rules, as it describes them, are aimed at demolition rather than interior work, and a repipe stays inside the house. Anything that changes the exterior, such as a new wall hydrant on a front elevation, is worth asking the City about first. ## Columbus water, without the City’s schedule Upper Arlington is a full-service contract community: Columbus Water & Power supplies the water and sends the bill. That makes owners here eligible for LEAP, the City’s 0% deferred loan of up to $10,000 for replacing a lead or galvanized service line, with three quotes and a three-party agreement signed before work starts. The City of Columbus street-by-street replacement program is a different matter, and Columbus says customers outside its limits will be notified by their own municipality. Its project map shows only 31 signed work agreements inside Upper Arlington. The [water line replacement](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/water-line-replacement/) page covers private service line work. ## What a repipe costs here Square footage, the number of baths and any crawlspace sections push a project up the typical Columbus-area range of $4,000 to $15,000+ for a whole-house repipe, and larger multi-bath, copper or complex homes run higher. A compact one-story over a full basement sits lower. The [Columbus repiping cost guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-cost/) explains each driver. ## Neighboring areas To the southeast, [Grandview Heights](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/grandview-heights/) has the same County plan review and an older galvanized-heavy housing stock. Across the Olentangy, [Clintonville](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/clintonville/) follows the City of Columbus permit, and further south the [Hilltop](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/hilltop/) is where the City’s line program is most active. More communities are on the [service areas page](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/). ## Neighborhoods and coverage - Old Arlington (Upper Arlington Historic District) - Northam Park area - Tremont area ### Landmarks - Northam Park - Scioto River ### Routes - Lane Avenue - Tremont Road 1. 1. Bexley 2. 2. Clintonville 3. 3. German Village 4. 4. Grandview Heights 5. 5. Hilltop 6. 6. Upper Arlington ## Upper Arlington questions ### What is the price range for repiping an Upper Arlington home? A typical Columbus-area range for a whole-house repipe is $4,000 to $15,000+, and larger multi-bath, copper or complex homes run higher. Prices do not change because a house is in Upper Arlington. Size, number of baths, crawlspace access and the choice between PEX and copper are what move a project within that range. ### Who reviews and inspects a repipe in Upper Arlington? The City of Upper Arlington issues the plumbing permit, and Franklin County Public Health reviews the plumbing plans and inspects the work under its contract with the City. Since February 9, 2026, the permit application must include FCPH's plan review approval with a matching fixture count. ### Does Upper Arlington require a permit to replace water lines? Yes. The City's building division says a plumbing permit is required any time supply or waste lines are added, altered or removed, which covers a full or partial repipe. The permit is pulled by a plumbing contractor registered to work in Franklin County, or by an owner doing the work on a home they live in. ### Can Upper Arlington homeowners use the Columbus LEAP loan? Yes, if the water bill comes from Columbus Water & Power, which it does in Upper Arlington. LEAP covers replacement of a lead or galvanized service line with a 0% deferred loan of up to $10,000. It does not pay for interior repiping, and the City of Columbus scheduled replacement program does not extend to the suburb. ### Are Upper Arlington's mid-century houses likely to have galvanized pipe? Some do. The service line inventory shows 7.7% of Upper Arlington lines galvanized on the owner's side, much lower than older Columbus neighborhoods but not zero. A house built in the 1940s or early 1950s can have galvanized inside even where a later owner replaced parts of it with copper. ## Related guides - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. ## Nearby service areas - [Grandview Heights](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/grandview-heights/)City of Grandview Heights Building and Zoning, with Franklin County Public Health plumbing plan review and inspection permits, Ohio Plumbing Code (OAC 4101:3) - [Clintonville](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/clintonville/)City of Columbus Building and Zoning Services permits, Ohio Plumbing Code (OAC 4101:3) - [Hilltop](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/service-areas/hilltop/)City of Columbus Building and Zoning Services permits, Ohio Plumbing Code (OAC 4101:3)