I'm wondering if the $25,000 quote I received for re-draining our sewer system is reasonable. We have a 1,700 sq ft house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms located in Orange County, California. The plumber said our old cast iron pipes are beyond repair and that we need to replace them with ABS piping in the crawlspace. The quoted price includes 4 days of work, repairing the wall sections they cut open, installing a free sewer cleanout, removing the old pipes, and providing a 25-year warranty on the new piping. I've heard conflicting opinions, so I plan to get multiple quotes to compare. Any insights on what a fair price should be? Thanks!
3 Answers
That price does seem high. It's definitely worth considering doing the wall repairs yourself or hiring someone else to avoid paying the plumber those extra costs. Just for the re-piping, it seems inflated even at $22k.
Are you planning to remove and replace the cast iron pipes completely? If so, $25k just for that seems insane! I would consider tackling it myself if I were you; at least then you wouldn't be managing the high costs. Just duplicating the framework with plastic pipe shouldn't be too complicated if you’re moderately handy.
Yeah, I'm not great at plumbing! Unfortunately, my neighbor who offered to help is busy, so I guess I need a pro to do it.
Honestly, that price feels a bit steep to me. Living in Cincinnati, I would expect something closer to $12k for that job. But I know costs can vary drastically by region since plumbing can be one of the most expensive trades.
Fingers crossed it's closer to that—I can handle $12.5k much better than $25k!
You're right! I think we'll handle the wall repairs separately. But $22,300 just for the repiping still feels excessive.