# Copper vs PEX in NYC: Is PEX Legal for Repiping? | NYC Repipe & Repair

> Copper vs PEX in NYC: the 2022 NYC Plumbing Code doesn't list PEX for water distribution, so every repipe is copper. Why the claims conflict. Free estimates.

URL: https://nycrepipe.com/answers/copper-vs-pex-nyc/

Decision Guide

# Copper vs PEX: Is PEX Legal in NYC?

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By [NYC Repipe & Repair](https://nycrepipe.com/) · Last reviewed October 19

In the copper vs PEX question, NYC has already decided: **PEX is not a listed material for water distribution** under Table 605.4 of the 2022 NYC Plumbing Code, so repipes in the five boroughs are done in copper. PEX appears in NYC's Mechanical Code for heating and in New York State's code outside the city, which is why claims conflict.

[NYC Repipe & Repair](https://nycrepipe.com/) publishes these figures with named sources so every number can be checked before you call anyone, including us.

Most copper vs PEX articles weigh price, freeze resistance and installation speed, then recommend PEX. That comparison assumes a choice New York City plumbers don’t have. For the water you drink and shower in, the city’s code sets the material, and it isn’t plastic.

## What the NYC Plumbing Code allows

Table 605.4 of the [2022 NYC Plumbing Code, chapter 6](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/codes-pdf/cons_codes_2022/2022PC_Chapter6_WaterSupplyWBwm.pdf) lists the materials allowed for water distribution pipe:

| Material | Standard | Listed for NYC water distribution? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Copper tubing, Types K and L | ASTM B88 and others | Yes |
| Copper or copper-alloy pipe | ASTM B42, B302 | Yes |
| Brass pipe | ASTM B43 | Yes |
| Stainless steel 304/316 | ASTM A312, A778 | Yes |
| Ductile iron | AWWA C151 | Yes |
| PEX, PEX-AL-PEX, CPVC, PP-R | — | No |
| Galvanized steel, Type M copper | — | No |

The base model code that NYC adapted does list PEX and CPVC; New York City removed them. Joints are restricted too: PC 605.9 bans removable push-fit fittings of the SharkBite type, while permanent press-connect copper fittings made with a certified tool are allowed. Every fitting in contact with drinking water must meet NSF/ANSI 372 for lead content (PC 605.2).

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## Why you’ll read that PEX is allowed

The conflicting claims are real. Each one is true somewhere else:

-   **Heating, not plumbing.** Hydronic heating is governed by the NYC Mechanical Code, and [Table 1202.4](https://up.codes/viewer/new_york_city/nyc-mechanical-code-2022/chapter/12/hydronic-piping) lists PEX tubing. A boiler installer running PEX to radiators is following that code. That’s the situation behind one NYC homeowner’s question about why a GC’s plumber was [running everything in PEX](https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/1k9jvvq/hello_and_thank_you_for_having_me_a_question/).
-   **New York State, outside the city.** The [New York State Plumbing Code](https://up.codes/viewer/new_york/ny-plumbing-code-2020/chapter/6/water-supply-and-distribution) lists PEX for water distribution. Long Island and upstate articles describe that code, not NYC’s.
-   **Sprinklers.** Uponor reports that NYC Council approved its residential PEX fire sprinkler systems. Sprinkler piping isn’t drinking water distribution.
-   **Plastic drains.** PVC drain, waste and vent pipe is allowed in residential buildings of five stories or fewer (PC 701.9). “Plastic is allowed in small buildings” is true for drains, not supply.
-   **The manufacturer agrees.** [Uponor’s NYC page](https://www.uponor.com/en-us/campaign/nyc) states that New York City “has yet to add PEX to its plumbing code.”

So when a forum poster says both the plumber and the electrician assured them PEX was fine in a [private NYC two-family](https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/14f1oc/can_i_use_use_romex_pex_in_new_york_city/), the code text says otherwise for the water lines.

## Copper vs PEX on cost

National guides put PEX at $0.40–$2 per foot and copper at $2–$8 ([Bob Vila](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/cost-to-repipe-a-house/)), and a copper repipe at 30–60% above PEX for the same house ([ThePricer](https://www.thepricer.org/replacing-galvanized-pipes-cost/)). That’s why national repipe averages look low next to NYC quotes. In the five boroughs the useful comparison is copper against copper: a house typically runs $12,000–$35,000 and an apartment $3,000–$8,000 (see [how much repiping costs in NYC](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/repiping-cost-nyc/)). Labor, at roughly 70% of the bill, matters more than the pipe. A quote that comes in far below those ranges and names PEX is quoting work that wouldn’t pass a DOB inspection. Run the [repipe cost estimator](https://nycrepipe.com/tools/repipe-cost-estimator/) for copper numbers on your own house.

## What copper means for your repipe

-   **Type L for most interior work.** Type K is the heavier wall used underground. The [Type L vs Type K guide](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/type-l-vs-type-k-copper/) covers where each goes; Type M isn’t listed.
-   **Long service life.** Habitat’s account of a Manhattan co-op repipe describes the new copper as lasting up to 80 years ([Habitat](https://habitatmag.com/Archive2/217-November-2005/Re-piping-the-Plumbing)). NYC’s soft, corrosive water can still cause [pinhole leaks in copper](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/pinhole-leaks-copper-pipes/), which is one reason wall thickness matters.
-   **No shortcuts on the joints.** Soldered, brazed or permanent press only.
-   **No liners.** Epoxy and CIPP lining are banned under PC 701.10; see [pipe lining vs repiping](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/pipe-lining-vs-repiping/).

The [whole house repiping](https://nycrepipe.com/whole-house-repiping/), [apartment repiping](https://nycrepipe.com/apartment-repiping/) and [galvanized pipe replacement](https://nycrepipe.com/galvanized-pipe-replacement/) pages describe the copper work itself, and the [repiping permit guide](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/repiping-permit-nyc/) covers the DOB filing. The rule is the same in every borough, from [Brooklyn](https://nycrepipe.com/boroughs/brooklyn/) brownstones to [Queens](https://nycrepipe.com/boroughs/queens/) two-families and post-1960 [Staten Island](https://nycrepipe.com/boroughs/staten-island/) houses, and it applies to a [two-family house repipe](https://nycrepipe.com/two-family-house-repiping/) exactly as it does to a co-op apartment.

## Bottom line

For drinking water in New York City, the copper vs PEX debate ends at Table 605.4: **copper, Type L or K, is what a permitted repipe uses**. Compare quotes on copper type, joints, permit and restoration, not on plastic. Call [(929) 659-6658](tel:+19296596658) for a free on-site estimate with a written, itemized price.

[The service Whole House Repiping → Every supply line from the meter to each fixture, replaced in Type L copper for 1–3 family houses, brownstones and rowhouses.](https://nycrepipe.com/whole-house-repiping/)

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More answers

-   [Type L vs Type K Copper: Which Does NYC Code Require?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/type-l-vs-type-k-copper/)
-   [How Much Does Repiping Cost in NYC?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/repiping-cost-nyc/)
-   [Pipe Lining vs Repiping: Can You Line Pipes in NYC?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/pipe-lining-vs-repiping/)
-   [Does Repiping Require a Permit in NYC?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/repiping-permit-nyc/)
-   [Pinhole Leaks in Copper Pipes: Repair or Repipe?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/pinhole-leaks-copper-pipes/)

Also asked

## Quick answers

My plumber says PEX is fine for my NYC two-family. Is that right?

Not for the water supply. Table 605.4 of the 2022 NYC Plumbing Code lists brass, copper and copper-alloy pipe, copper tubing Types K and L, ductile iron and stainless steel, and nothing else. A DOB-filed repipe in PEX wouldn't match the code. Ask what the PEX is for: heating loops are covered by a different code that does list it.

Is PEX allowed for radiant or baseboard heating in NYC?

Yes. Hydronic heating falls under the NYC Mechanical Code, and Table 1202.4 of its 2022 edition lists cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing to ASTM F876 and F877. That is a heating system, separate from the potable hot and cold water a repipe replaces, which the Plumbing Code governs.

Will NYC ever allow PEX for drinking water?

There's no adoption date. Uponor, a major PEX manufacturer, says on its NYC page that New York City has yet to add PEX to its plumbing code, and mentions a proposal tied to accessory dwelling unit legislation to adopt the state plumbing code. Until the NYC Plumbing Code changes, permitted water distribution work is copper or another listed metal.

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