A repipe is the plumbing decision people put off the longest, and that makes sense. It sounds like a big job, with new supply lines through the house, walls opened, days of work and a real cost. Nobody should repipe a house that doesn't need it, and the signs that a house does need it are easy to miss.
The first sign is usually a pinhole leak, then another one a year later in a different spot, because when one section of 60 year old galvanized or worn copper lets go, the rest of that pipe is the same age. Other signs are water pressure that's faded over the years as galvanized lines rust shut from the inside, rusty morning water, and repairs that keep landing on the same aging system. One of those signs on its own may just need a repair. Several together are a pattern, and that's the right time to talk about a repipe, because at some point, fixing old pipe one leak at a time costs more than replacing it.
The contractor looks at the evidence and explains it in plain English. That covers what the pipes are, what condition they're in, what a repipe would involve for your house, PEX or copper, the timeline and the disruption, and just as clearly, whether you're not there yet and targeted repairs still make sense. The decision is yours, made at your pace, with a licensed contractor performing the work when you're ready. The first step is finding out whether now is the right time.
