# Whole-House Repiping in Columbus, Ohio

> Whole-house repiping in Columbus: every hot and cold supply line replaced in PEX or copper, the openings planned in writing, the City permit, a pressure test.

URL: https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/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.

Last Updated: October 29, 2026

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.

Last Updated: October 29, 2026

**2021 IPC** The model code the Ohio Plumbing Code is built on, which lists PEX, CPVC and copper tube for water distribution

**$275** City of Columbus plumbing permit for a 1, 2 or 3 family home, two inspections included

**51.4%** Share of Columbus homes on the County Auditor's records with a full basement, where most new mains can run

**1986** Year lead solder was banned in home plumbing, the line between old copper joints and new ones

[Slate Repiping Columbus](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/) replaces all of the water supply piping in Columbus houses, doubles and small buildings, and in nearby Franklin County communities. A whole-house repipe takes every hot and cold line out of service from the main shutoff to the fixtures and replaces it with PEX or copper, under one plumbing permit and one set of inspections. The work is carried out by licensed and insured plumbing contractors, and the job is planned around the walls, the people living in the house and the permit office that covers the street.

Whole-house is the right scope when the problem is the pipe itself rather than one bad spot. Galvanized steel corrodes from the inside along its whole length, and copper that has started pinholing in one run is often the same age, alloy and water as the rest. Replacing one section at a time leaves old pipe beside new for years, with a new set of openings each time. If one bathroom or one floor is clearly the problem, a [partial repipe](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/partial-repiping/) may be the better answer, and the [Columbus repipe cost guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-cost/) shows how the two compare.

## What happens on the first visit

The first visit starts where the water enters the house. In most Columbus homes that is the basement wall near the inside water meter, which is also where the service line, the main shutoff and the first few feet of house piping meet. The walk-through notes what each of those is made of, because a galvanized or lead service line can limit flow on its own and belongs to a different program.

From there it follows the main to the water heater and up to each fixture group: kitchen, baths, laundry, hose bibbs. It records the pipe material on each run, where earlier repairs already changed it, and how the new lines could travel. Open basement joists, a laundry chase, stacked closets and the back of a kitchen cabinet are the routes that save plaster. Where a wall would have to open, the plan marks it.

Pressure and flow are checked so the repipe is not blamed for a street problem: static pressure at a hose bibb or test point, and flow at the highest fixture with a second tap running. The visit ends with a written scope that lists the material, the openings, what old pipe stays, the permit and how the water will be shut off.

## Why Columbus supply piping wears out

Columbus is younger than many Midwest cities. Census figures put 12.0% of its homes before 1940, but the share runs far higher in the inner neighborhoods: more than half of the homes in the 43206 ZIP around German Village, and more than 40% in Bexley and Grandview Heights. Houses from that era were usually plumbed in galvanized steel, and many still have some of it.

Galvanized pipe fails from the inside. The zinc coating wears through, the steel rusts, and scale builds on the wall until the bore is a fraction of its size. The outside can look fine while the upstairs shower fades every time a toilet refills. Threaded joints go first because the threads cut away part of the wall, so a corroded nipple at the water heater or a rusty fitting in the basement ceiling usually says something about the rest.

Copper ages differently. Pinhole leaks have several causes, including water chemistry, flow velocity and how the original joints were made, and the [copper pinhole leak guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/copper-pinhole-leaks/) goes through how to read them. Columbus lime-softens its water to about 5.7 to 7.3 grains per gallon and adds a zinc orthophosphate corrosion inhibitor, according to the City’s water quality report. That treatment protects pipe walls, which is one reason a single pinhole does not prove a whole copper system is failing. Lead solder was banned in home plumbing in 1986, so copper joined before then can carry lead at the joints, and some homeowners repipe for that reason alone.

None of these symptoms proves one cause. Low pressure can come from the service line, a half-closed valve, a failing pressure-reducing valve or clogged aerators, which is why the [low water pressure page](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/low-water-pressure/) starts at the meter and why a repipe is never sold as a guaranteed pressure fix.

## PEX or copper, and how the layout is chosen

Both materials are allowed under the Ohio Plumbing Code, and neither is right for every house. PEX bends around joists and through bored holes, so long runs need fewer fittings and fewer openings, which matters in a plastered house. Copper suits runs that stay exposed in a basement or utility room and owners who prefer metal pipe. The [PEX vs copper guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/pex-vs-copper/) sets out the tradeoffs, including cost: copper mill prices rose about 30% over the past year in the Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index, while plastic pipe rose about 4 to 5%.

PEX can be laid out two ways. A trunk-and-branch system runs a main line with branches to each fixture, much like the old pipe did. A home-run manifold gives each fixture its own line from one panel of valves, which uses more tubing but lets one fixture be shut off without the rest. The [manifold vs trunk-and-branch guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/manifold-vs-trunk-and-branch/) explains where each fits.

## Openings, water shutoffs and living in the house

Most of a Columbus repipe happens in the basement. The County Auditor’s records show 51.4% of Columbus homes with a full basement and much higher shares in the older ZIPs, so the new main and many branches run along exposed joists. The openings come where pipe has to climb: behind a kitchen sink, beside a bathtub, in a closet below an upstairs bath. Each one is listed in the scope with its size and who closes it, because patching plaster or drywall is a real part of the price and the part most often left vague.

Water is shut off in stages. New lines are run while the old ones are still in service, then each fixture group is switched over, so the house usually has water at the end of a working day. The [guide to how long a repipe takes](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/how-long-does-repiping-take/) covers a typical schedule, and [how invasive repiping is](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/how-invasive-is-repiping/) covers what to move out of the way.

## Permit, inspection and testing

A whole-house repipe needs a plumbing permit. Inside the City of Columbus, Building and Zoning Services issues it, and a permit for a 1, 2 or 3 family home costs $275 with two inspections. The permit is pulled by a plumbing contractor licensed by the State of Ohio and registered with the City, or by an owner doing the work on a single-family home they live in. In many suburbs, including Upper Arlington, Bexley and Grandview Heights, the city issues the permit and Franklin County Public Health reviews the plan and inspects the work. The [Columbus repiping permit guide](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-permit-columbus/) covers which office handles which street.

Before walls close, the new piping is pressure tested and checked for leaks, then flushed so debris from the cutover clears the aerators and the water heater. The inspector sees the work while it is still visible. Shutoffs at the main and at each branch are labeled so the next person who needs them can find them.

## What's included

- A written map of the mains, branches, shutoffs and fixtures being replaced
- New hot and cold distribution piping from the main shutoff to every fixture in the scope
- A new main shutoff valve where the old one is seized or a gate valve
- Reconnection of the water heater, toilets, sinks, tubs, showers, laundry and hose bibbs
- Old pipe removed where it is reachable, or cut, capped and left in place where it is not
- Pressure test and flush of the new system
- The City of Columbus or suburban plumbing permit and its inspections
- A list of every wall and ceiling opening, and who closes each one

## What a whole-house repipe changes, compared with a partial repipe

|  | Partial repipe | Whole-house repipe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pipe replaced | One branch, bath group, floor or the hot side only | All hot and cold distribution piping from the main shutoff |
| Old pipe left in service | Everything outside the written boundary | None, apart from abandoned pipe capped in place |
| Openings | Fewer now, more again when the next section fails | All planned at once |
| Permit and inspections | One permit for the section | One permit for the house |
| Where it fits | One area is clearly worse, or the budget has to be staged | Galvanized throughout, repeat leaks on several lines, low flow at several fixtures |

## Related resources

- Learn [How does repiping a house work?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/repiping-guide/)The whole picture in one place: what the water supply system is, why galvanized and older copper give out, how a repipe is scoped, permitted, installed and tested in Columbus, and what to ask before agreeing to one.
- 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 [How long does it take to repipe a house?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/how-long-does-repiping-take/)A repipe is measured in days, not weeks, but the number depends on the house. Here is what stretches or shortens the schedule, how the water stays on in stages, and where the inspection and the patching fit.
- Learn [How invasive is repiping a house?](https://slaterepipingcolumbus.com/guide/how-invasive-is-repiping/)Where the openings go and why, how plaster and drywall differ, how dust is kept in one room, what to clear out beforehand, and the scope question that decides who closes every hole.
- 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

Red and blue PEX lines on white hangers across bright basement ceiling joists, in a Columbus house

Two new chrome shutoff valves with braided supply lines under a bathroom sink, cabinet doors open, in a Columbus house

Pressure test gauge on a capped stub-out in an open stud wall, with new red and blue PEX lines in the bay, in a Columbus house

Freshly skimmed square patch on a plaster wall, with a mud pan and putty knife on a drop cloth, in a Columbus house

Before

After

## Whole-house repiping questions

### Is PEX allowed for a whole-house repipe in Columbus?

Yes. The Ohio Plumbing Code is built on the 2021 International Plumbing Code, which lists PEX for hot and cold water distribution alongside copper and CPVC. The City of Columbus and the suburbs enforce that state code, so the choice comes down to the house: how runs can be routed, how much pipe stays exposed, and preference.

### Does a whole-house repipe include the water service line from the street?

No. The repipe starts at the main shutoff inside the house. The buried service line is a separate job, and inside Columbus its replacement is handled through the City's own lead and galvanized line program or by a contractor holding a City water contractor license.

### Can we stay in the house during a whole-house repipe?

Usually, yes. Water is shut off in stages rather than for the whole job, and new lines are connected a section at a time. The scope should say which days the water is off and for roughly how long, and which rooms have open walls.

### What happens to the old galvanized pipe?

Pipe that can be reached in the basement or an open wall is cut out and removed. Pipe buried in plaster or between floors is usually cut at both ends, capped and left in place, which is safe once it is disconnected. The scope lists where old pipe stays.

## Related services

### 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.

### 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.

### Partial repiping

One section of the water supply replaced, such as the hot side, a bath group, a floor or the basement main, with the boundary and the old pipe that stays written into the scope.