Most pipes will continue to provide water or whisk waste away from a household for decades after their installation. They’ll stay exactly where they were installed, doing exactly what they were intended to do. But other times, a pipe may need to be rerouted for one reason or another. What is a pipe reroute, and why might it be necessary? Keep reading to find out.
What is a Reroute?
As the name implies, rerouting a pipe involves laying new pipes to direct the plumbing around its original location. Typically, rerouting usually involves the following:
- Disconnecting a portion of the pipe.
- Connecting a new one.
- Laying as much pipe as necessary until the newly routed pipe can reconnect to another portion of the original plumbing.
When Is It Needed?
A pipe reroute might be needed for any number of reasons. Typically, a reroute is recommended when a leak or burst pipe occurs in a location that’s difficult to access. For example, let’s say a pipe breaks underneath your concrete slab. In some cases, slab leak repair is a possibility. But if breaking through the concrete would be too difficult or too expensive, it might be better to disconnect that portion of the pipe. It is often more cost-effective to lay new pipes than to dig up or excavate the current piping in cases like these.
Your plumber would access the pipes on either side of your slab foundation, disconnect them, and lay new pipes to reconnect your home to the water main. Whether or not rerouting will be the best option for you depends on a number of elements, from the type of repairs you need to the exact location of your pipes and other factors. The only way to be certain is to have a plumber come out and examine your pipes. They’ll be able to assess the situation better, determine precisely where the leak is, and what the most cost-effective solution would be to repair it.
How Much Does It Cost?
The cost of rerouting your plumbing will vary widely depending on, primarily, the amount of pipe you have to lay to repair the damage. It can cost as little as $200 for short reroutes and $5,000 or more for lengthy or complex jobs.
If you have a pipe leak in a location that’s difficult to access, contact a plumbing contractor in Sacramento and have them examine your property. They’ll be able to tell you if rerouting is the best option and what the approximate cost will be.
