# Does repiping include drain pipes?

> Repiping replaces water supply pipe, not drains or the sewer line. How the two systems differ, how to tell a supply leak from a drain leak, and more.

URL: https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/does-repiping-include-drain-pipes/

No. Repiping replaces the water supply pipe: the pressurized hot and cold lines that run from the main shutoff to every faucet, shower, toilet and appliance. Drain, waste and vent pipes and the sewer line are a separate gravity system, and a repipe leaves them alone. [Grackle Repiping Austin](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/) works on supply pipe only, both inside the house and on the buried line from the meter, and drain and sewer work is not offered here.

Key takeaways

- Supply pipe is small and pressurized; drain pipe is larger and works by gravity
- A repipe replaces supply lines only; drains, vents and the sewer line stay as they are
- A supply leak keeps the water meter moving with every fixture off; a drain leak does not
- The line from the meter to the house is supply pipe, but a separate job from an interior repipe
- Austin Water reports no lead service lines in its system

## Two systems in every house

|  | Water supply | Drain, waste and vent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it carries | Clean water in, under pressure | Used water and waste out, by gravity |
| Typical size | Half-inch to one-inch lines | One-and-a-half inches and up |
| Common materials | Galvanized steel, copper, polybutylene, CPVC, PEX | Cast iron, PVC, ABS |
| How it fails | Pinholes, corrosion, scale, fitting failure, freezing | Cracks, sags, root intrusion, clogs, separated joints |
| How a leak behaves | Leaks constantly, whether or not a fixture runs | Leaks only when water goes down the drain |
| How it is tested | Pressure test, meter test | Camera inspection, drain or hydrostatic test |
| Who handles it | Repiping | Drain and sewer work |

Because the two systems fail differently, they are diagnosed and priced differently. A repipe estimate that does not mention drains is not leaving something out; drains are outside its scope. The [what is repiping guide](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/) covers the supply side in full.

## Telling a supply slab leak from a drain slab leak

Both can sit under an Austin slab, and both can show up as a damp floor, a musty smell or a high bill. The meter separates them.

1. **Shut off every fixture**, including the ice maker, irrigation and the water heater fill if you can.
2. **Read the water meter** at the meter box and note the dial or display.
3. **Wait without using water** for an hour or two, then read it again.

If the meter moved, water is escaping from the pressurized side: a supply line, a toilet valve or a fixture. If it did not, but the floor stays wet or the smell comes back after showers and laundry, a drain line is the more likely source. A warm spot on the floor points to a hot supply line, since drains do not carry hot water under pressure. The [slab leak signs guide](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/slab-leak-signs/) covers the other clues.

Austin’s permit records show how differently the two are fixed. Over five years, City plumbing permit descriptions mention tunneling, the method used to reach and replace drain pipe under a slab, 3,688 times, with the most in 78723, 78757, 78745 and 78731. Supply lines under a slab have another option: they can be abandoned and run overhead. City permits describe that in plain words, such as “Abandon the leaking 3/4 hot water line in the foundation & reroute it overhead in the attic.” That option only exists for supply pipe: a drain has to slope downhill to the sewer, so it cannot be moved into the attic. The [slab leak reroute page](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/slab-leak-reroute/) explains the supply-side fix.

## Insurance treats the two the same way

Homeowners report the same answer from insurers whether the failed pipe under the slab was a drain or a supply line: the policy may pay to tear out what was in the way and for the resulting damage, but not to repair the pipe itself. The Texas Department of Insurance explains that most policies cover sudden and accidental water damage and usually not gradual leaks. Separate leaks in separate areas can mean separate claims. The [slab leak insurance guide](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/slab-leak-insurance-texas/) covers coverage questions.

## Interior repipe versus the underground water line

The supply side has two parts, and they are separate jobs.

**Interior repiping** replaces the pipe inside the house, from the main shutoff to the fixtures. In a slab house the new lines usually run through the attic and down the walls. That is a [whole-house repipe](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/whole-house-repiping/) or a [partial repipe](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/partial-repiping/).

**The water service line**, which Austin Water calls the yard line on the private side, is the buried pipe from the meter to the house. Austin Water owns the main, the service line to the meter and the meter; the property owner owns everything on the house side of it. Replacing that line is trench or boring work in the yard, priced and permitted on its own. A typical Austin-area range for a meter-to-house run is about $1,500 to $5,000, and long runs, boring under drives and restoration push it higher. The [water line replacement page](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/water-line-replacement/) covers it.

The two can be done together when both are failing, and a permit can bundle them. In houses where Austin Water has flagged the yard line as galvanized requiring replacement, the utility is replacing those lines from the meter to near the house, so the interior repipe should be timed with that work rather than priced to include it.

## Lead service lines

Austin Water reports that its field investigations found no lead service lines in its system. It does flag older galvanized service lines for replacement on the customer side of the meter, concentrated in 78704, 78757, 78702 and 78751. Lead in private plumbing was banned in Austin in the mid-1960s, and homes built before 1986 were long considered most at risk from lead solder and fittings. Austin Water’s [lead page](https://www.austintexas.gov/water/lead) has the inventory and the sign-up for the galvanized line program. Lead service line replacement is not a service offered here.

## What to ask before signing

- Which system the estimate covers: supply, drain or both
- Whether the main shutoff, the water heater connections and the hose bibs are included
- Whether the yard line from the meter is part of the job or a separate one
- What happens to old supply lines in the slab: capped and abandoned, or removed

The [Austin repipe cost guide](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/repipe-cost-austin/) shows how each of those lines changes the price.

## Questions about this guide

### Will a repipe fix a slow or backed-up drain?

No. Slow and backed-up drains come from clogs, sags, roots or broken pipe in the drain and sewer system, which works by gravity and is untouched by a repipe. Drain and sewer work is a different service, not offered here; a repipe changes only the water supply lines.

### How do I know if a slab leak is on a drain line or a water line?

Turn off every fixture and watch the water meter. If it keeps moving, water is escaping from a pressurized supply line. A drain line only leaks while water is being sent down it, so the meter stays still, and drain leaks are usually found with a camera or a drain test instead.

### Is the water line from the meter part of a repipe?

Not usually. A repipe covers the supply pipe inside the house from the main shutoff. The buried yard line from the meter to the house is a separate job, water line replacement, which can be done alongside a repipe when both are failing.

## Related service

### Whole-house repiping

Every hot and cold supply line from the main shutoff to the fixtures replaced, permitted under Austin's plumbing code, pressure tested and patched.

Details →

## More guides

- Learn [What is repiping, and does an Austin house need it?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/)Repiping means replacing a house's water supply pipe. This guide covers the pipe Austin homes were built with, why it fails, what Austin's code requires, and how to decide between a repair, a reroute and a whole-house repipe.
- Learn [What are the signs of a slab leak?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/slab-leak-signs/)How a leaking water line under a slab shows itself, the meter check that confirms water is going somewhere, and what the signs can and cannot tell you about the cause.
- Decision Guide [Should a slab leak be repaired or rerouted?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/slab-leak-repair-or-reroute/)Three ways to fix a leaking water line under a slab, and the conditions that make each one the sensible choice: how many leaks, what the pipe is, what is on the floor and what the attic allows.
- Decision Guide [Is a slab leak covered by homeowners insurance in Texas?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/slab-leak-insurance-texas/)Coverage depends on your policy. This guide explains how a slab leak claim splits into the pipe, the tear-out and the damage, what the Texas Department of Insurance says, and what to have ready before you call your insurer.
- Cost Guide [How much does a repipe cost in Austin?](https://gracklerepipingaustin.com/guide/repipe-cost-austin/)What a whole-house repipe typically costs in the Austin area, what sits inside that price, and the handful of things that move one house from the low end to the high end.