When is the last time you thought about drywall repair and replacement costs for your multi-story high-rise building? If you’re a property owner or property manager, you might say, not in a while. The truth of the matter is that repairing and replacing drywall after a large pipe replacement project can add considerably to the cost of your pipe replacement project. The good news is that pipelining can save you money on your project because there’s no need to repair or replace drywall. Not to mention, our pipe lining technicians can tell you whether you need a traditional pipe replacement or pipelining in order to rehabilitate your plumbing system.
Understanding the Costs Associated with a Traditional Repipe
When most Chicago property managers think about replacing their plumbing pipes, they think about the cost of the pipes, fittings, and the labor used to remove the old pipes and install the new pipes. For commercial piping, building owners can expect to pay between $14 and $15 per square foot of pipe, according to HomeAdvisor. Unfortunately, a plumbing repipe is a much larger and more expensive job than simply installing the new pipes.
Before the pipes can be replaced, the drywall in front of the pipes must be removed in order to expose the existing pipes. If some of the pipes are located behind concrete, brick, or under the building, the material in front of the pipes must be removed before the pipes can be replaced. Once all the material covering the pipes has been removed, the old plumbing pipes can be removed and discarded, and the new plumbing pipes can be installed.
Once the plumbing job is completed, the water to your building is turned back on, but the drywall and other finishes are not repaired or replaced. This is because plumbing companies do not typically do drywall and finishing work. They only repair or replace your pipes and clean up the mess associated with the service, including disposing of your old pipes and sweeping up any debris. This means that you may have holes in your drywall that still need to be repaired. Unfortunately, the job of finding a drywall contractor falls on the property manager, and in most instances, the costs to replace the drywall can double the cost of the pipe replacement.
Limiting the Damage to Your Building with Pipe Relining
Pipe relining can limit the amount of damage to your building’s drywall and other finishes. This is because entire sections of drywall do not need to be removed. Instead, only access holes are cut in order to connect the pipe lining equipment and install the pipeliners.
According to HomeAdvisor, it can cost between $60 and $90 for drywall repairs or between $50 and $75 per square foot of drywall that needs to be repaired or replaced. From that estimate, property managers and building owners can expect to pay between $1.60 and $2.35 per square foot for installation and drywall finishing costs, according to HomeGuide.
Costs of New Piping Materials
The cost of new plumbing materials is quoted with the job estimate, but new pipes range in price from .50 cents to $4.
- Copper – $2 to $4 per linear foot
- PEX – $0.50 to $2 per linear foot
- CPVC – $0.50 to $1 per linear foot
Costs of New Drywall
The costs to install new drywall depend on the contractor and how they bill as well as how much per hour they charge for labor. In general, you can expect:
- Wall Hole Repair – $50 to $70 per square foot
- Ceiling Hole Repair – $54 to $180 per square foot
- Crack Repair – $1.60 to $2.35 per square foot
- Water Damage – $2 per square foot
Costs Associated with Pipe Lining
Pipelining, which includes epoxy liners and coatings, can also cost as much as $250 per square foot. While this may sound high when you look at the above costs to repipe a building, it’s important to understand that traditional pipe replacements come with additional costs, including repairing damaged drywall, flooring, and custom finishes, like wallpaper and moldings. This means you could save tens of thousands of dollars by choosing trenchless pipe relining over traditional pipe replacement when it comes to rehabilitating your plumbing system because you do not need to hire additional contractors once the plumbing work is complete.
Pipe Lining with Nu Flow of Chicago
Nu Flow of Chicago can help you decide if pipelining would be the best choice for refurbishing your old plumbing pipes. One of the ways we can help you decide is with a building pipe assessment. This plumbing pipe assessment involves the use of a camera inspection that determines the ages and condition of your plumbing pipes.
After the camera inspection, our pipe lining professionals will explain the findings, tell you whether or not pipe relining would benefit your building, and give you a written estimate. Our pipe lining technicians can also answer all of your questions about pipelining and its benefits so that you can make an informed decision on what is best for your large multi-family residential building.
To schedule your building pipe assessment, call us at 815-790-9000. We would love to talk to you about your Chicago residential building’s plumbing pipes and how pipelining can extend your plumbing system’s useful life.