How Much Does It Cost to Add Plumbing to a Detached Garage or Shed? [2024 Data]

Normal range: $900 - $1,300

Adding plumbing to a detached garage or shed costs $1,100 on average. Most spend between $900 and $1,300.

How we get this data
A woman doing her laundry
Photo: gradyreese / E+ / Getty Images
Timothy Moore
Written by Timothy Moore
Contributing Writer
Updated January 16, 2024
A woman doing her laundry
Photo: gradyreese / E+ / Getty Images

Adding plumbing to a detached garage or shed roughly 20 feet away from home will cost $1,100 for the average homeowner. Homeowners pay between $900 and $1,300 just to run the lines when adding plumbing to detached garages and sheds. Costs are generally the same whether you're renovating or building a new garage or shed. Adding special plumbing features like hot tubs, saunas, or wet bars will increase the price to get this project done.

See the price range for adding plumbing to a detached garage:
How we get this data
Normal range for U.S.
$900 - $1,300
  • Average
  • $1,100
  • Low end
  • $700
  • high end
  • $10,000
LOWHIGH

Cost to Add Plumbing per Linear Foot

Piping is the largest material cost associated with adding plumbing to a detached garage or shed. Depending on the type of plumbing materials you choose, you’ll pay between $0.40 to $2 per linear foot for new plumbing. Your most popular options include CPVC and PEX.

Chlorinated Polyvinylchloride Piping (CPVC)

Priced at between $0.50 and $1 per linear foot, CPVC is an inexpensive, rigid option that won't corrode. While the lifespan of CPVC is between 50 and 75 years, this material has a slightly higher potential for leaks.

Homeowners extending piping 20 feet can expect to pay an average of $15 per foot when using CPVC.

Polyethylene (PEX) Piping

Costing between $0.40 and $2 per linear foot, PEX is flexible piping that doesn't rust, leak, or burst. PEX piping can last up to 100 years. The average cost is $24 for 20 feet.

Estimating the Cost to Add Plumbing in a Garage or Shed

Water pipe in trench
Photo: iStock / Getty Images

There are multiple steps involved with preparation and installation when hooking up plumbing to a garage or shed.

6 cost factors to add plumbing to a garage or shed, including connecting water

Labor

A local plumber will typically charge between $45 and $200 per hour. An electrician near you will charge between $50 and $100 per hour

Excavation

The cost of trenching to lay down new plumbing pipes costs $800 per 100 linear feet. Expect the cost for a 20-foot trench to fall between $200 and $300.

Connecting the Water Lines

You'll likely get an all-inclusive quote for the cost to hire a plumber to install new plumbing in a garage or shed. The average hourly cost for a plumber around the country is $330.

While replumbing an entire home takes anywhere from two days to a full week of labor, plumbing a shed or garage might only take one to three days. Factors that will impact price include:

  • Type of pipes

  • Number of fixtures

  • Piping type

Electrical Work

Even if your garage already has electricity, you may still need to budget in the cost to run electricity to a garage to attach plumbing fixtures and appliances (like installing a hot tub and sauna as part of your glamorous revamp). While electricians charge an average of $50 to $100 per hour, expect to pay anywhere from $300 to $800 for a full day of work based on the scope of your project.

Rough and Finish Work

It's likely that you'll need to cut some holes to get pipes installed in an existing garage or shed. It's sometimes necessary to demolish existing walls to add water lines. In this case, you'll need to pay for both wall demolishment and new wall installation. The average hourly rate for a carpenter is between $35 and $100 per hour.

Permits and Building Requirements

Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 for every permit needed. The number of permits needed will vary based on local requirements.

In some cases, you must add windows to any structures with toilets, sinks, showers, or other plumbing features. Adding a new window to an existing garage or shed can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 with labor and parts.

Cost to Install Plumbing in a Shed or Garage by Fixture

Running lines isn't the only cost associated with getting the water running in your backyard oasis with help from plumbers near you. You'll also pay for plumbing services for every fixture you install.

  • Sink: Getting a sink with a drain installed in your newly renovated space will cost $300 to $1,100, or an average of $700. Costs are similar for bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, and "wet bar" sinks.

  • Toilet: Installing a new toilet will cost between $250 and $550, or about $400 on average.

  • Bathtub: Hooking up a new tub can cost $200 to $1,000, or $600 on average without including the cost of the tub unit. This cost does include the typical $97 per drain that plumbers charge for drain installation.

  • Shower: A shower installation will cost an average of $700 in addition to the cost of the unit, or a range of $400 to $1,000. Showers with waterfall features, multiple showerheads, or other special touches that require additional plumbing cost more.

  • Sauna: While sauna units can easily cost $10,000 on their own, you'll need to factor in at least another $1,000 in labor costs to have your sauna professionally installed by a plumber.

  • Hot tub: Getting your new hot tub installed can cost $150 to $5,000. The big factor determining the cost of installing a hot tub is whether it’s an above-ground or in-ground unit. In-ground units cost more to install because of excavation. 

New Plumbing in Detached Garage or Shed Cost Factors

Costs for attaching plumbing to a detached shed or garage vary wildly because each property layout is dramatically different. The major factors influencing price are usually out of the homeowner's control.

Distance Between the Home and Detached Building

The distance that your new piping will need to travel is the single biggest factor in determining the cost of your project. You could easily pay ten times more if you want to hook up an outcropping on a far part of the yard.

Size of the Building

For example, a bigger shed or garage will warrant more outlets and water pressure you need. 

Number of Fixtures Connected

You'll pay per fixture when it comes to installation and hookup costs.

Location of the Pipes

Underground pipes will cost more to install, as will pipes within the walls. 

Cost of Materials

The price per square foot of piping that you choose influences total project costs. For instance, copper is more expensive than PEX.

Cost to Add Plumbing to a Shed or Garage Yourself

Unless you have a background in plumbing or construction, you should consider working with licensed pros when adding plumbing to detached garages or sheds. Laying piping from scratch isn't generally considered a DIY project.

Frequently Asked Questions

While adding a toilet to a garage is challenging, it is possible. If your garage has a concrete pad, it's necessary to break through the concrete to install pipes. Another option is to create raised platforms for the toilet, shower, and sink to allow waste pipes to run through your wall before routing underground.

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Learn more about our contributor
Timothy Moore
Written by Timothy Moore
Contributing Writer
Timothy is a home renovation, personal finance, and travel writer with more than a decade of experience in the industry.
Timothy is a home renovation, personal finance, and travel writer with more than a decade of experience in the industry.
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