Water pipes: what owners spent in 2021–2023
The typical U.S. owner paid $1,000 for water pipes work; across 6 big metros the typical job ran $686 to $2,121.
What owners paid
$1,000
The typical (median) U.S. job: half of owners paid less, half paid more.
The Census table gives no margin of error for the national figure.
Lowest big metro, $686: Detroit. Highest, $2,121: Los Angeles.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked .
What owners paid in each big metro
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first. The margin of error is the Census Bureau's 90% range around each median.
- Los Angeles$2,121
- Riverside$2,000
- Seattle$2,000
- Atlanta$1,547
- Boston$1,000
- Detroit$686
No published figure: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington DC.
What these figures cover: Adding or replacing water pipes, from one run to a whole-house repipe. Toilets, sinks and other fixtures are counted separately.
The figures as a table, with margins of error
Scroll the table sideways to see every column on a small screen.
| Metro area | Typical job (median) | Margin of error (90% confidence) |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $2,121 | ±$395 |
| Riverside | $2,000 | ±$548 |
| Seattle | $2,000 | ±$847 |
| Atlanta | $1,547 | ±$489 |
| Boston | $1,000 | ±$491 |
| Detroit | $686 | ±$311 |
| Chicago | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Dallas | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Houston | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Miami | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| New York City | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Philadelphia | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Phoenix | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| San Francisco | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Washington DC | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
Source: Census Bureau and HUD, 2023 American Housing Survey, Table 16, category “Water pipes” under “Interior Additions and Replacements”. Updated 2026-09-19. The metro values and margins of error use the survey's metropolitan areas, not city limits. A metro with no published figure stays blank; we never fill it in from its neighbors.
Why do cost guides disagree?
They measure different things. An estimate prices one defined job at today's rates; these figures are what owners actually paid, across every size and kind of job in the category. A full job on a large house can sit well above the typical figure, and a small one well below it. Your own quotes, compared line by line, are the price that counts.
Before you compare quotes
If a quote is well above the typical $1,000, ask what is in it that the typical job is not. Separate supply pipes from drain work. Compare fixture count, pipe material, access, patching and painting, permits and the service-line boundary.