Whole-House Repiping in
San Mateo County

Does Your San Mateo County Home Need a Repipe?

San Mateo County's housing stock is remarkably concentrated in a single construction era -- the vast majority of homes on the Peninsula were built between 1940 and 1970. This means the county has a very high proportion of galvanized steel plumbing, all of it now well past its expected lifespan.

1940s–1960s: Galvanized Steel (Majority of Peninsula Homes)

The cities of Daly City, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, and Redwood City were substantially developed between 1940 and 1965. Nearly all of these homes were built with galvanized steel water supply lines -- a material with a 40-to-50-year lifespan that is now 60 to 85 years old across the county. The classic signs of galvanized pipe failure are pervasive on the Peninsula: rust-colored water when you first turn on a faucet, reduced water pressure at second-floor fixtures, pinhole leaks at pipe elbows and joints, and recurring repairs that never seem to solve the underlying problem. The Westborough neighborhood in South San Francisco, the Mills Estates area of Millbrae, and the Baywood Park neighborhood of San Mateo are particularly dense concentrations of homes with failing galvanized systems.

1920s–1940s: Older Galvanized and Cast Iron (Burlingame, Menlo Park, San Mateo)

The most established neighborhoods in Burlingame, San Mateo, Menlo Park, and Redwood City have homes dating back to the 1920s and 1930s. These homes often have a combination of galvanized steel supply lines and cast iron drain lines, both of which are now approaching or exceeding 100 years old. The galvanized supply pipes in these homes are frequently so corroded that the internal diameter is reduced to a fraction of its original size. Some homeowners discover during repiping that their original galvanized pipes have less than a quarter-inch of open passage remaining where the original diameter was three-quarters of an inch.

1970s–1990s: Copper Systems (Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos)

Foster City was largely developed in the late 1960s and 1970s on reclaimed bay fill. Most Foster City homes have copper plumbing that is now 45 to 55 years old. While copper is more durable than galvanized steel, Foster City's unique bayside location and the Peninsula's moderately hard water contribute to copper pipe degradation over time. Belmont and San Carlos also have significant copper-era housing from the 1970s through 1990s. Homes in these communities with original copper systems may begin experiencing slab leaks or pinhole leaks at pipe joints and elbows as the copper approaches 50 years of age.

Repipe Permit Requirements by City

Every whole-house repipe in San Mateo County requires a plumbing permit from the local building department. Repipe Champions handles all permit filings on your behalf as part of our quoted price -- you never need to visit a building department.