How Much Does It Cost to Replumb a Mobile Home? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $600 - $1,600
The average cost of replumbing a mobile home is $1,000
, but it can range between $600
and $1,600
, depending on a variety of factors.
The average cost of replumbing a mobile home is $1,000
, though most homeowners spend between $600
and $1,600
. Paying for the cost of repiping a home isn’t on anyone’s list of exciting purchases. But, if you’re living in an older mobile home, you might be living with lead pipes, which can make drinking water dangerous. If your mobile home is a little newer, you may still need to consider replacing the plumbing to get better water pressure, quieter nights, and warmer showers.
How Much Does It Cost to Replumb a Mobile Home by Fixture?
While square footage does matter, a more important consideration is how many fixtures you need. Fixtures include toilets, sinks, dishwashers, refrigerators, bathtubs, showers, and washer hookups. Residential properties typically bid by feature, not square footage, unless it’s new construction.
The average cost per fixture is between $600 to $1,600, depending on location and ease of access. When remodeling a mobile home, you’ll need to consider the location and number of fixtures to maximize efficiency and savings.
What Factors Affect the Cost to Replumb a Mobile Home?
There are a few factors that go into the cost of replumbing a mobile home. Your mileage will vary, depending on the specific items you need to replace or repair and the size of your mobile home. Some things you’ll need to consider when pricing your project include:
Repairing a Drain Line
If your plumbing job requires a repair to your drain line, expect to pay anywhere from $225 to $1,170, with an average cost of around $700. The cost may change depending on the severity of the repair and the type of material. However, this estimate typically includes the parts and labor you’ll need to repair or replace a small section of your drain line.
Repairing Floors
Plumbing jobs don’t just deal with pipes—you may also need to repair or replace parts of your floor to make everything look new again. Plumbing in mobile homes is typically run through the flooring, so you may need to replace or repair it when running new pipes. Your final cost will depend on the size of the repair and your type of flooring material. The average cost of repairing your mobile home flooring will be anywhere between $7 and $30 per square foot.
Replacing Lead Pipes
If you live in an older mobile home, you should repipe your entire home completely if your pipes are made of lead. Lead in drinking water can lead to kidney and brain issues, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), among other health problems. Your total cost will depend on the size of your home and how many pipes and fixtures you’ll need to replace, but the cost to replace lead pipes tends to start at around $2,500.
If your home contains galvanized steel pipes or polybutylene, you should also consider completely replacing the lines in your home. Galvanized steel corrodes over time and can reduce water pressure.
Accessing Your Pipes
In addition to the actual plumbing work, you need a pro to handle, how much work they’ll need to do to get to the pipes can also affect your final cost. If they need to cut through any insulation or debris, that can also increase what you’ll pay.
How Much Does Replumbing a Mobile Home Cost by Type?
The cost of materials will be one of your most significant expenses. Some of the most common pipe materials include:
CPVC: $0.50–$1 per linear foot
PVC: $.95–$1.25 per square foot
PEX: $.50–$2.50 per linear foot
When replacing your mobile home’s pipes, many experts recommend PEX as it’s better able to withstand freezing temperatures.
Reasons to Replumb Your Mobile Home
There are many benefits that make the cost to replumb a mobile home worth it for homeowners. While it may be tempting to put off this project, this choice could leave you with emergency plumbing bills. Here's a look at reasons why you might need to replumb your mobile home.
1. Quality of Drinking Water
If your mobile home has old, corroded piping, the quality of your drinking water may be suffering. Pipe scale in your plumbing system can cause flakes that show up in your drinking water. While most flakes are generally harmless, some older pipes can cause iron, lead, cadmium, and other toxic heavy metals to leach into your water. Corroded pipes will also begin to flake, rust, or develop holes. It's probably time to upgrade your plumbing if you're seeing red, brown, or yellow water coming out of your fixtures.
2. Leak Prevention
If your pipes are looking worn, they might be on their last legs. Older, worn pipes could eventually begin to leak. While you may notice harmless "sweating" along your pipes at first, aging can cause some pipes to create significant water damage and mold in a home.
3. Balanced Water Pressure
Do you suffer from erratic water pressure throughout your mobile home? Many people with older pipes actually avoid using two different fixtures at the same time because of this problem. Upgrading your piping can usually fix this.
4. Loud Pipes
If you have noisy pipes that are constantly rattling, this is more than just a nuisance. Rattling piping is actually a sign that pipes are either loose or deteriorating. In some cases, pipes could be filling up with sediment due to loose or dislodged fittings.
5. Safety
Your mobile home's pipes should be replaced immediately if they are made out of lead. If you're uncertain about your home's piping material, a plumber will be able to give you an answer following a quick inspection. Many pipes that were installed before the 1990s contain pollutants and harmful materials that can leak into your home's water supply. Additionally, any type of piping that is more than 50 years old is generally due for an upgrade.
How Much Does It Cost to Replumb a Mobile Home Yourself?
Unless you’re a licensed plumber, handling the pipework in your own home is unwise. If you make even a small mistake, you could face expensive problems in the future. Pipes that aren’t appropriately installed could leak, resulting in water damage and mold. You’ll also need to navigate the proper angle of the pipes to maximize water flow, and choosing suitable pipes, valves, and connections can be confusing.
If you do opt to handle new plumbing, make sure to get a permit from your local city, as it’s one of the home improvement projects that require proper documentation and inspections. The typical plumbing permit ranges between $50 and $500, depending on where you live and the extent of the work you plan to complete.
On average, local plumbers charge between $45 and $150 per hour to complete the project, but having a pro take care of things can save you from costly repairs later.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most significant difference is that the plumbing system in a manufactured (mobile) home is the size and location of the pipes. For example, in standard builds, the pipes run through the walls. In a mobile home, they run through the floor.
Sometimes. While many traditional homes use copper, galvanized steel, PVC, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and PEX, mobile homes will typically use PVC, CPVC, or PEX. These materials are more flexible, easier to work with, and handle colder temperatures.
Some of the most common plumbing problems in mobile homes are frozen pipes, leaking pipes, clogged drains, and low pressure. Since the pipes in a mobile home aren’t as insulated as those in a standard build, they’re more susceptible to fluctuating temperatures and damage.