Repiping in Stone Mountain, GA

What happens when you call

Once connected, tell the plumber what you've noticed and roughly when the house was built. Photos of the pipe at the water heater or under a sink save time. An independent plumber serving Stone Mountain will usually inspect first, then lay out options from a partial repipe to a full one. The permit, where one is needed, comes from the City of Stone Mountain Building Permits Department (DeKalb County outside city limits).

What affects the cost

• Distance from the meter: houses set far back from the street need a longer service run.
• Number of stories: a second floor or a bonus room over the garage lengthens runs and adds access points.
• Wall and ceiling finishes: tile, plaster and finished ceilings slow the work and raise the patching bill.
• The yard line: replacing the buried line from the meter at the same time adds digging but saves a second job later.
• Pipe material: copper costs more in labor because each joint is soldered, while PEX bends around corners with fewer fittings.
• Foundation type: a crawl space gives open access underneath, while a slab pushes new lines up into walls and the attic.
• Extras done at the same visit: it often makes sense to add fresh shutoffs, hose bibs or a pressure regulator while walls are open.
• Phased or all at once: splitting the job into stages can spread the expense but repeats setup work.

Stone Mountain housing, water and permits

About 52% of housing in the city predates 1980, roughly two-thirds was built between 1960 and 1989, and the median build year is 1979, under Census survey data. The village around Main Street dates from about 1900, and houses there and in the surrounding mid-century streets are the likeliest to need new supply pipe.

City Public Works does not handle water or sewer; DeKalb County Watershed Management does, and takes those calls at (770) 270-6243. DeKalb owns the line through the meter and you own the line into the house. The city requires a separate plumbing permit, processed by Permit Service Group, with inspections by SAFEbuilt. Stone Mountain-mailing addresses outside city limits go to DeKalb County for permits.

Getting the house ready

• Snap photos of any printed markings on the pipe you can see
• Clear closet floors that back up to bathrooms or the kitchen
• Find the meter box and the main shutoff and confirm both are reachable
• Write down where leaks or stains have appeared and roughly when
• Pull out any home inspection report or past repair invoices
• Empty the cabinets under kitchen and bathroom sinks