# Whole House Repiping NYC | Copper, DOB-Permitted | NYC Repipe & Repair > Whole house repiping in NYC with Type L copper, a DOB NOW permit and a written price before walls open. Houses typically run $12k–$35k. Free estimates. URL: https://nycrepipe.com/whole-house-repiping/ # Copper Whole House Repiping in NYC For 1–3 family houses, brownstones and rowhouses whose galvanized, lead or failing copper supply pipe has reached the end of its life. Get a free estimate → [☎ Call (929) 659-6658](tel:+19296596658) By NYC Repipe & Repair · Last reviewed October 19 New copper risers run through a neat access opening in a prewar plaster wall. Illustrative. [NYC Repipe & Repair](https://nycrepipe.com/) replaces the complete water supply system in New York City houses: every hot and cold line from the water meter to each fixture, in Type L copper, the material the 2022 NYC Plumbing Code lists for water distribution. Whole house repiping is the right call when the pipe itself has failed, not just one joint. That means rust-colored water, falling pressure on the upper floors, or a third leak in a year. One permitted job ends the cycle of patch repairs. ## What happens on the first visit 1. Pressure and flow readings at the meter, the lowest fixture and the top-floor shower, so the problem is measured, not guessed. 2. Pipe material identified at three or more points (galvanized, lead, brass, Type M or Type L copper) and the service line checked from the curb valve to the meter. 3. A walk-through to plan pipe routes through closets, chases and ceilings, with every wall opening marked in advance. 4. A written scope and fixed price, including the DOB permit, testing and the wall-opening plan, before any work is booked. ## Why so many NYC houses need repiping now Most supply pipe in New York City houses is older than the people living in them. City property records (MapPLUTO) show **74% of Brooklyn’s one- to four-family lots were built before 1940**, with a median build year of 1925. Queens has a median of 1935. Galvanized steel was the standard supply pipe through that era, and published lifespans for it run roughly 40 to 60 years. A house that still has its original galvanized pipe is running decades past that. NYC water speeds up the decline. The city’s supply is soft, averaging about 25 mg/L hardness, and it is chemically aggressive. DEP’s annual water quality report puts the average Langelier saturation index at **−2.21**; a negative value means the water dissolves metal rather than coating it. DEP doses orthophosphate to slow that, but it can’t reverse 80 years of internal rust. The symptoms are predictable: - **Brown or orange water** after the tap has been off overnight, worst on hot water. - **Falling pressure on the top floor**, because rust narrows a 3/4-inch line to the bore of a pencil. - **Leaks at threaded joints**, where galvanized pipe is thinnest. - **Pinhole leaks in older copper**, especially thin-wall Type M copper installed from the 1960s onward. When two or more of these show up together, the system has failed. Patching one leak moves the pressure to the next weakest joint. [Should I replace galvanized pipes?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/should-i-replace-galvanized-pipes/) walks through repair-versus-replace in detail. ## Copper only: what the NYC code allows New York City writes its own plumbing code, and it is stricter than the codes behind most national repiping advice. **Table 605.4 of the 2022 NYC Plumbing Code** lists the materials allowed for water distribution inside a building: brass, copper and copper-alloy pipe, copper tubing **Types K and L**, ductile iron and stainless steel. PEX, CPVC, PP-R and galvanized steel are not on the list, and neither is thin-wall Type M copper. That changes what a correct NYC quote looks like: - **The pipe is Type L copper** (ASTM B88), joined by solder or by permanent press fittings made with a manufacturer-certified tool. - **Removable push-fit fittings are prohibited** (PC 605.9), so a hardware-store push-to-connect repair is not code work. - **Where new copper meets old steel**, the joint uses a brass fitting or an ASSE 1079 dielectric union (PC 605.24.1) to stop galvanic corrosion. - **Every fitting and valve on drinking water** must be lead-free to NSF 372. A quote priced off PEX is either not for NYC or not for a legal job. [Copper vs PEX in NYC](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/copper-vs-pex-nyc/) covers the code history and why Long Island and upstate rules differ. ## How the job runs in a lived-in house Whole house repiping doesn’t mean gutting the house. The new copper is run as a parallel system: risers go up through closets, chases and stacked bathroom walls, and branches feed each fixture through small, planned openings. The old pipe stays live until each section is switched over, so the house is normally back on water at the end of each working day. Prewar houses add two things a national quote won’t account for. **Plaster and lath** is opened in clean squares rather than broken out, so it can be patched flat. And in a **landmark district** such as Park Slope or Fort Greene, interior plumbing that needs a DOB permit generally also needs a Landmarks Preservation Commission Certificate of No Effect. Allow several extra weeks for it before work starts. Before any wall is closed, the new system is pressure-tested, and the permit is inspected and signed off. That sign-off is what shows up when the house is sold or refinanced. The [repiping timeline guide](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/how-long-does-repiping-take/) breaks the job down day by day. ## Permits, insurance and paying for it In NYC, replacing a house’s supply piping is filed in **DOB NOW: Build**, usually as a Limited Alteration Application, by a NYC Licensed Master Plumber. The permit fee is small next to the job. For a one- to three-family house, DOB’s published LAA chart starts at **$130 for work up to $5,000, plus $2.60 per additional $1,000**. A $30,000 repipe carries a $195 filing fee. Skipping the permit costs more: the penalty for unpermitted work on a one- or two-family house starts at $520. Homeowners insurance usually pays for **sudden, accidental water damage** from a burst pipe, not for replacing pipe that wore out. Repiping is generally a planned capital cost, which is why the written estimate itemizes the plumbing, the permit and the wall restoration separately. [Is repiping covered by insurance?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/is-repiping-covered-by-insurance/) explains what adjusters look for. For prices by house type, see [how much repiping costs in NYC](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/repiping-cost-nyc/) or run your own numbers in the [repipe cost estimator](https://nycrepipe.com/tools/repipe-cost-estimator/). ## What's included - Type L copper for all hot and cold supply (ASTM B88) - New shutoff valves at every fixture and a full-port main valve - Lead-free brass and fittings certified to NSF 372 - Dielectric or brass transitions where copper meets other metal - DOB NOW permit filed by a NYC Licensed Master Plumber - Pressure test of the new system before walls are closed - Pipe supports and insulation where the code requires them - Removal of abandoned pipe that can be safely reached > Brown water, weak pressure or a third leak this year? A pressure test settles whether it's a repair or a repipe. [(929) 659-6658](tel:+19296596658) Typical NYC price $12,000–$35,000 per 1–4 story house. Published range, not a quote. Sources: [A Good Plumber, Brooklyn cost table](https://agoodplumber.com/plumbing-articles/old-brooklyn-brownstones-and-plumbing-whats-lurking-behind-the-walls/); [The Plumber NYC, Brooklyn FAQ](https://theplumbernyc.com/borough/brooklyn) Calls answered 24/7 Leak right now? Shut the main valve by the meter, then call. [☎ (929) 659-6658](tel:+19296596658) Get a free estimate Spec
MaterialType L copper
CodeNYC PC T.605.4
Lead-freeNSF/ANSI 372
TransitionsASSE 1079
PermitDOB NOW · LAA
[Free tool Repipe cost estimator → Your house, your number, in under a minute.](https://nycrepipe.com/tools/repipe-cost-estimator/) The permit trail ## What a legal NYC repipe *leaves on the record* Every permitted repipe produces the same paper trail at the Department of Buildings. It's what a buyer's attorney, a co-op board or a lender will look for later. 1. DOB NOW: Build Filed Limited Alteration Application Filed by the Licensed Master Plumber, with the scope and the job cost. 2. DOB Issued Work permit Issued in real time for most repipes, and posted at the job. 3. On site Installed Type L copper in Run alongside the old pipe and switched over section by section. 4. Plumbing Code §108 Tested Pressure test The whole new system holds under test before walls close. 5. DOB Signed off Inspection and sign-off The job closes cleanly on the building's DOB record. Three ways it gets done ## Patch, cheap repipe, or permitted copper Three ways NYC pipe work gets done. Only one survives a co-op board, a refinance and the next winter. | What matters | DIY patch | Cheap operator | Permitted copper job | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Pipe material | Whatever the hardware store sells, often PEX | PEX or thin Type M copper to save money | Type L copper, listed in NYC Plumbing Code Table 605.4 | | Fittings | Push-fit connectors (prohibited, PC 605.9) | Mixed: some push-fit, some solder | Soldered or permanent press joints; dielectric unions at steel | | Who may legally do it | Not the owner: NYC requires a Licensed Master Plumber | Often unlicensed, or a licence borrowed for the filing | A NYC Licensed Master Plumber, or a crew under one | | Permit | None | Often skipped (penalties start at $520, or $6,000 in 3+ family buildings) | Filed in DOB NOW and signed off | | Pressure test | None | Rarely | Whole system tested before walls close | | Co-op or condo board | Will not approve | Usually rejected at the insurance-certificate stage | Meets typical alteration-agreement requirements | | At sale or refinance | Unpermitted work can surface in inspection | Open DOB issues can delay closing | A clean DOB record for the job | Sources: [2022 NYC Plumbing Code, Chapter 6](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/codes-pdf/cons_codes_2022/2022PC_Chapter6_WaterSupplyWBwm.pdf); NYC DOB LAA fee and penalty charts ([1–3 family](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/laa_category_2_fee_chart_1-2-3_family.pdf), [other buildings](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/laa_fee_chart_other.pdf)). From the field ## What whole house repiping looks like in an NYC house Illustrative photographs of typical conditions and the copper that replaces them. Answered ## Whole House Repiping, answered How long does whole house repiping take in NYC? Most 1–3 family NYC houses take about five to ten working days on site. A 2–3 story house with one or two bathrooms sits at the shorter end; a four-story brownstone with plaster walls sits at the longer end. Wall restoration and the DOB sign-off follow the plumbing. Water is normally restored at the end of each working day. Can you repipe a house with PEX in New York City? No. Table 605.4 of the 2022 NYC Plumbing Code lists brass, copper and copper-alloy tubing (Types K and L), ductile iron and stainless steel for water distribution. PEX, CPVC and Type M copper are not on the list, so a whole house repipe in the five boroughs is done in copper. Will you have to open every wall? No. Copper is routed through closets, chases, basements and ceilings wherever possible, so a typical house needs a series of small access openings rather than open walls. Each opening is marked in advance on the written plan. Plaster-and-lath walls are opened in neat squares so they can be restored cleanly. Does repiping include the drain pipes? Not by default. Whole house repiping replaces the water supply: the pressurized hot and cold lines. Cast iron drain and vent stacks are a separate scope with different code rules. In NYC, plastic drain pipe is allowed only in residential buildings five stories or less. Both can be priced together when the walls are open anyway. Who actually does the plumbing work? In New York City, permitted plumbing work must be performed by a NYC Licensed Master Plumber or by workers under an LMP's direct supervision, and the LMP files the permit in DOB NOW. Ask any contractor for the LMP's licence number before work starts, and check it on the DOB's public licence search. Further reading ## Related answers - [How Much Does Repiping Cost in NYC?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/repiping-cost-nyc/) - [Copper vs PEX: Is PEX Legal in NYC?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/copper-vs-pex-nyc/) - [Does Repiping Require a Permit in NYC?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/repiping-permit-nyc/) - [How Long Does It Take to Repipe a House?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/how-long-does-repiping-take/) - [Is Repiping Covered by Homeowners Insurance?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/is-repiping-covered-by-insurance/) - [Should I Replace Galvanized Pipes?](https://nycrepipe.com/answers/should-i-replace-galvanized-pipes/) Related work - [Galvanized Pipe ReplacementRust-clogged galvanized steel replaced with copper, the fix for brown water and weak pressure in prewar houses.](https://nycrepipe.com/galvanized-pipe-replacement/) - [Brownstone RepipingFour-story vertical runs, plaster and lath, parlor-floor kitchens and the lead service under the stoop.](https://nycrepipe.com/brownstone-repiping/) - [Water Line ReplacementThe service pipe from the street to your meter: leaking, galvanized or too small. Replaced in Type K copper to DEP standards.](https://nycrepipe.com/water-line-replacement/) Get your whole house repiping priced in writing Pressure measured, pipe identified, an itemized price including the DOB permit.