Rehab Cost Estimation: Cost To Repair Leaking Pipes

Repairing leaking pipes early is critically important to the structural safety of your property, as well as to the stability of your finances and your peace of mind. A leaking pipe left unaddressed can easily turn into a nightmare involving replacing structural supports in a wooden home or replacing a sewer line under your basement. This article details the cost estimations for leaking pipe repairs and replacement. Let’s get into it!

How Much Does It Cost to Fix a Leaking Pipe?

The cost to fix a leaking pipe can be as little as $150 to $200 or as much as several thousand dollars. The cost varies depending on the problem and the location of the leaking pipe (or pipes). You will also have to calculate the cost of repairing anything that may have to be removed to access the pipe, such as drywall or cement flooring. Also, keep in mind that plumbers will have to first detect the location of the leak if it isn’t immediately apparent, and the time spent on that will also cost you. Most US homeowners spend between $150 to $800 to fix leaky pipes. A major problem undetected or ignored for too long can easily cost several thousand dollars to repair, so try to address any issues as soon as you become aware of them!

Cost To Replace Pipes Under Kitchen Sink

Replacing pipes under the kitchen sink is usually an easy job. Because of that, these pipes are some of the cheapest to replace, with an average cost of $150 to $250. If for some reason, you need to replace the faucet as well, the price can go up to $300 to $400. Finally, if you have a cracked basin or you need to replace the whole setup, that’s when you’re looking at a range of $400 to $1,000 for the whole job.

Cost To Repair Leaking Pipe in Ceiling

A leaking pipe in the ceiling is bad news and can lead to a wide range of problems if not fixed quickly. These problems can be cosmetic – stains on the ceiling and walls, peeling paint – or much more serious, as wood and water don’t mix. In addition, a leaking pipe can lead to structural damage and require you to replace whole sections of a wall or ceiling. Finally, leaking pipes in the ceiling can lead to the growth of mold, which can be a serious problem in poorly ventilated or hot and humid environments such as in the southern states of the US. If you have a mold infestation due to a leaking pipe, any plumber you call out may refuse to work due to the health hazards presented by the mold. You may need to pay more for hazardous work and the equipment required to do such a job safely. 

Overall, expect to pay $400, all the way up to $2,500 to fix a leaking pipe in the ceiling. How much it costs depends on how easy it is to access the pipe, what needs to be removed to reach it, and the seriousness of the problem. As always, it’ll also cost you something to repair or replace the drywall or ceiling material that needed to be removed to fix the problem.

Copper Pipe Leak Repair Cost

Copper pipes cost considerably more per foot than polyethylene – from $2.50 to $10 per foot. Repairing copper piping also often entails soldering, a more delicate and time-consuming task than simply sticking and screwing the pipes together. The thickness of the pipe will also influence the cost. For example, fixing a pinhole leak in a half-inch copper pipe will run you around $150, but the same repair job on an inch-wide copper pipe will cost roughly $250 – a hundred dollars more. You can generally expect to pay an average of $500 for copper pipe repairs, with an average range of $250 to $1,000 per repair job.

Of course, you can try to do it yourself – fixing a pinhole leak with Teflon tape and a hose clamp, for example, might cost you just a few dollars. However, these DIY fixes – unless you know what you’re doing – will usually only last for a while until they need to be properly addressed by a professional. They might even lead to more serious and expensive problems down the line. Finally, any cost estimation for leaking pipe repairs or replacement must consider where the pipe is located. For example, a copper pipe behind drywall will cost less to replace than a copper pipe buried under a cement basement floor. 

Cost to Fix Broken Drainpipe Under Basement Floor

Fixing a broken drainpipe under your basement floor is usually the most expensive of the typical plumbing problems to fix. That’s because basement floors are often poured over the drainpipes. In other situations, the drainpipe might be leaking or have burst a distance from your home. In this case, the problem location will have to be determined with a camera (which can take time and repeated visits), and only after it is found can repair work be started. Fixing broken drain or sewer lines costs between $50 and $150 per foot. Most sewer line repair jobs under a basement range in cost from $2000 to $4000 if it is a short length – under 10 feet. A full sewer line replacement will run you much more – starting from around $8,000 and going up into the tens of thousands. Never ignore a leak under your basement!

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