In Reston, a repipe usually comes up when copper or plastic supply lines in a 1970s, 1980s or 1990s home have started leaking more than once. The planned community's median home dates to 1983, so a lot of houses are reaching that stage. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Reston.
Reston at a glance
Reston was laid out in the 1960s as a planned community, and most of its homes came in the decades after, clustered around village centers such as Lake Anne, Hunters Woods and South Lakes. Planned communities like this often mix single-family houses with townhouses and cluster homes in associations. Fairfax Water supplies the area, and it notes that inside meters are common in houses built between 1971 and 1980, which affects where a repipe starts.
What to do now
- Find the main shutoff. In many Reston homes it sits near an inside meter in the basement or utility room. Make sure it turns before you need it.
- Write down every leak. Note the location and date of each one so the plumber can see whether failures are spreading.
- Look at the pipe. Check the material at the water heater and under sinks: copper, gray or white plastic, or a patchwork.
- Read your association rules. Townhouse and cluster associations may set rules on work hours, exterior access and shared walls.
- Map the access. Note which basement ceilings are finished and which closets back onto bathrooms, since that shapes how new lines are routed.
- Ask about the buried line. The pipe from the meter or street valve to the house shutoff is yours, so decide whether to include it.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Pinhole leaks in several places over a year or two | Copper thinning from the inside |
| Leaks at crimp rings on gray plastic pipe | Aging polybutylene fittings |
| Weak flow throughout the house | Scale or corrosion narrowing old lines, or a failing pressure regulator |
| Ceiling stain below a bathroom | Leak at a supply joint or a drain connection |
| Hissing with every fixture off | A hidden leak on a supply line |
What drives the cost
- House or townhouse, and how many levels the lines climb
- Count of bathrooms, kitchen and laundry connections
- PEX, copper or a mix of both
- Finished basements and ceilings that must be opened and patched
- Including the owner's service line from the meter
Fairfax Water's Potomac plant results average around 7.5 grains per gallon of hardness, so fittings that stay serviceable as scale builds are worth discussing. Unincorporated Reston is permitted by Fairfax County Land Development Services through PLUS.
Repiping questions in Reston
What kind of supply pipe is a house of this age likely to have?
I own a condo or HOA townhouse. Is the pipe mine to replace?
Should the main shutoff and water heater connections be redone during the repipe?
How long does a whole-house repipe usually take?
More plumbing services in Reston
Repiping nearby
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