Repiping and water lines
Repiping and water service line work for Victorians, Edwardians and everything built since, with trenchless replacement where the ground allows it.
Pipe lifespan is a range rather than a date, because the soil around it decides. Copper generally runs 50 to 80 years, galvanized steel 20 to 40, and PVC 20 to 50, with newer formulations past 70. Acidity in the soil, ground movement and water quality move every one of those numbers. The way to know what is left is to look at the system, which is where we start.
The second question is always how invasive the work is. That depends on the material and the route more than on the size of the home. We plan the run to be efficient and to open as little as possible, then walk you through the steps before anything comes off the wall. We install copper, PEX, PVC and ABS, and we will tell you what is in there now and why it is failing.
Water service lines, the run between the street and the home, are located before they are excavated. Acoustic sensors, ground microphones and camera inspection pinpoint the break, and in many cases we replace the line trenchlessly through small access points instead of trenching the garden. Cost follows length, depth, material, access and method, and on San Francisco lots it also follows sidewalks, steep driveways and shared utilities.
The work
Supply lines replaced through the building, planned around the finishes that have to be protected.
A targeted repair where it solves the problem, and a straight answer when it only postpones it.
The run from the street to the home, including the coordination the City and County of San Francisco requires.
Through small access points where conditions allow, which keeps landscaping and driveways intact.
Acoustic sensors, ground microphones and pipe cameras find the break before anything is dug.
Copper, PEX, PVC, ABS and galvanized steel each behave differently in this ground. We explain the trade-offs.
A pressure regulator takes the strain off new pipe and off everything downstream of it.
Water lines have to meet local plumbing code. We coordinate the permit and the inspection.
Questions
Copper generally runs 50 to 80 years, galvanized steel 20 to 40, and PVC 20 to 50, with newer formulations past 70. Soil acidity, ground movement and water quality all shift those ranges, so we assess the system rather than the calendar.
No. How invasive a repipe is depends on the material and the route. PVC goes in with less disruption than galvanized steel, and we plan the run to keep openings to the fewest we can work through.
In many cases, yes. Trenchless methods let us replace a damaged section through small access points, which preserves landscaping, driveways and hardscape.
Length and depth of the line, the pipe material, how accessible the work area is, and whether trenchless methods will work. On San Francisco lots, sidewalks, steep driveways and shared utilities change the scope as well.
It depends on where the line runs and where it meets the city supply. We walk you through what falls to the property owner, and coordinate the timing around any inspection the city requires.
Begin
A consultation for your build, your remodel, or a place in the Membership. If it’s an emergency, call us now.