Whole-house repipe
A whole-house repipe replaces the supply pipes through the walls, floors and cellar with new pipe. The plumber opens only the places that give access and patches them afterward.
Repiping and Water Line Replacement in Paterson
We repipe whole houses, replace single sections of supply pipe and install new water service lines. Call about pipes that leak, or about old lead and galvanized lines you want replaced.
This page also covers what Paterson’s lead service line program did and which permit rules apply to new piping.
Repiping choices
Replacing one section
When only one run is worn or leaking, that section can be replaced by itself. The plumber connects the new pipe to the sound pipe on each side.
A new water service line
The service line carries water from the main toward the house. Replacing it means digging along its path, and the plumber walks you through the route and the connection at the house.
PEX or copper
Copper pipe is stiff metal, while PEX is soft plastic tubing that bends around corners. Your plumber goes through the house run by run and says which material suits each one.
Lead in old water lines
The Passaic Valley Water Commission says lead was used for water service lines until 1960 and for fixtures and solder inside homes until the 1986 ban. In Paterson, half of the homes date to 1953 or earlier, before both cutoffs.
The 2021 state law treats galvanized steel service lines as lead lines. The Commission’s program was free in Paterson, Passaic, Clifton and Prospect Park, where ordinances required replacement, and it covered service lines.
Permits for new piping
The state construction code calls it minor work when existing piping is replaced with new approved material of like capacity. A permit is needed, and work may begin once notice has gone to the local office.
A larger or rearranged system is outside minor work and needs a full permit. This is the state rule, and it applies in Paterson as it does across New Jersey.
Frequently asked questions
Did the lead service line program cost homeowners anything?
No. The Passaic Valley Water Commission’s lead service line program was free for water users in Paterson, Passaic, Clifton and Prospect Park, the four places with ordinances requiring replacement.
Leak detection is the place to start when you do not know which line is failing. The water heater page covers the heater connections, and the homepage lists all seven services.
Call for a free plumbing quote
Call us to discuss your current issue and how we can assist you. The call is free and you get a free, personalized estimate with no obligation. We're here to help.
Call (855) 321-3426