Galvanized steel rusts from the inside, and as it does, the opening narrows. In homes around Carlton Hills, Carlton Oaks and Sky Ranch with galvanized pipe, the inside can close down to a fraction of what it was. Copper wears out differently, with pinhole leaks that keep showing up in new spots. Either way, once a system gets there, patching one spot may not stop the next.
Not every house with old pipe needs a repipe. One leak usually means one repair. Leaks in different rooms, month after month, mean the whole system is wearing out, and patching it keeps costing more. The contractor looks at what you actually have, what shape it's in and what's failed before, and gives you a straight answer, including when the answer is not yet.
If it is time, this is what a repipe looks like. New hot and cold lines through the house in PEX or copper, with walls opened only where needed. The timeline depends on the house. Every step and cost is explained in plain English first, the decision is yours, and a licensed contractor does the work when you say go.
