Pipe lining vs. repiping: which one do I actually need?
Quick Answer
Repiping means demolishing your way to the old pipes and installing new ones, typically 4 to 6 weeks of construction and $37,000 to $89,000 all-in for a typical Florida home. Lining builds a new structural pipe inside your existing one in 1 to 3 days for $15,000 to $22,000. For most failing cast iron, lining does the same job for a fraction of the cost and disruption.
What each one really involves
Traditional replacement is honest, brutal work: jackhammer through the slab and floors, trench through the home, replace the pipe, backfill, pour new concrete, then rebuild the flooring, cabinets, and drywall that were demolished to get there. Most families move out for part of it. The pipe work itself is a fraction of the bill. Demolition and restoration are what you are mostly paying for.
Lining approaches the same pipe from the inside. A resin-saturated structural liner goes in through existing access points, inflates against the pipe wall, and cures into a hard, seamless new pipe inside the old one. No demolition, no restoration, homeowners stay home, and plumbing is back in service the same day.
When repiping still wins
Lining needs enough of the old pipe left to line against. A fully collapsed section, a badly offset joint, or a root-fractured segment cannot hold a liner, and those spots need physical repair. Even then, full repiping is rarely the answer. We fix the failed spot with a small targeted excavation and line the rest of the run. The camera inspection decides this before anything is quoted, so you are never guessing which method applies to your home.
The Homeowner Takeaway
Do not accept a repiping quote before a camera inspection proves lining will not work. Most failing cast iron can be lined, and the difference is measured in weeks and tens of thousands of dollars.
