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You stop wondering when the next leak will hit. Homes built in Shingle Springs between 1995 and 2007 often have Kitec plumbing that’s already past its useful life—most systems start failing around the 10-year mark, and we’re well beyond that now.
After we replace your Kitec plumbing, you get modern copper or PEX piping that won’t corrode from the inside out. No more dezincification eating away at your brass fittings. No more surprise floods that insurance won’t cover because the damage came from defective materials.
Your home becomes insurable again. Your property value stabilizes. You can sell without disclosing a ticking time bomb in the walls. Most importantly, you sleep without worrying about waking up to water pouring through your ceiling.
The work takes one to two days depending on your home’s size and layout. We protect your floors, contain the mess, and leave you with a plumbing system that’s built to last decades instead of limping toward catastrophic failure.
Murray Plumbing has served Shingle Springs and El Dorado County for over 24 years. We’ve handled kitec pipe replacement in homes just like yours—same age, same builders, same plumbing problems.
Our 4.7-star Google rating across 93 reviews tells the real story. We show up when we say we will. We quote a price and stick to it. Customers regularly mention that final costs came in lower than our estimates, not higher.
When other plumbers in the area tell homeowners to wait a week, we’re often there the next morning. That matters when you’re dealing with active leaks or trying to close on a home sale. Shingle Springs is a small community—we’re your neighbors, and we treat your home the way we’d want ours treated.
We start with a full assessment of your existing Kitec system. That means checking every line, every fitting, and mapping out the most efficient replacement route. You’ll know upfront what we’re replacing and what it costs—no diagnostic fees, no upselling once we’re in your walls.
Next comes the actual kitec replacement work. We shut off your main water supply, remove the old Kitec piping, and install new copper or PEX lines throughout your home. Most jobs take one to two days. We work section by section so you’re not without water for extended periods.
We protect your floors and furniture, cut access points where needed, and patch drywall when we’re done. You’ll need to arrange for paint touch-ups, but we leave the structure solid and ready. Every connection gets pressure-tested before we close up walls.
Once the system passes inspection, we walk you through what we did and answer any questions. You get a lifetime warranty on the work. Your home is back to normal—just with plumbing that won’t fail in five years.
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A full kitec replacement in Shingle Springs means removing every inch of Kitec from your home and replacing it with modern materials. We’re talking supply lines, fittings, connectors—anything that’s part of that failing system.
You choose between copper and PEX for your new plumbing. Copper costs more but some homeowners prefer it for resale value. PEX is flexible, faster to install, and performs just as well for decades. Both options eliminate the dezincification problem that’s destroying your current brass fittings.
Pricing for complete repipes in Shingle Springs typically ranges from $4,500 for a small two-bedroom, one-bath home with easy access, up to $15,000 for larger properties with complex layouts. Most homes in this area fall between $8,000 and $12,000. That’s less than what you’ll pay in water damage, insurance headaches, and emergency repairs if you wait for catastrophic failure.
The work includes all labor, materials, permits, and pressure testing. We handle the wall access and structural patching. You’re responsible for final paint and any cosmetic finish work, but the plumbing itself is warrantied for life.
Check your water heater connections, under sinks, and in your crawl space or attic where pipes are visible. Kitec pipes are usually orange or blue, though some are gray. The fittings are brass-colored and often stamped with “Kitec” or “KTC.”
Homes built or remodeled in Shingle Springs between 1995 and 2007 are the most likely candidates. Kitec was marketed as a cheaper alternative to copper during that period, so builders in El Dorado County used it frequently in developments going up at the time.
If you’re not sure, we can come out and identify it for you. There’s no charge for that assessment, and you’ll know exactly what you’re dealing with. Better to confirm now than discover it during a home inspection when you’re trying to sell.
Kitec fails because the brass fittings have too much zinc. When water flows through, a process called dezincification breaks down the zinc content. The fittings become brittle and weak, then crack or burst without warning.
This isn’t a localized problem you can patch. The entire system is degrading at roughly the same rate. Fixing one leak doesn’t stop the next five from developing. Homeowners who try the repair-as-you-go approach end up spending more on emergency plumber visits than a full replacement would have cost.
Insurance companies know this, which is why many won’t cover Kitec-related water damage. They consider it a known defect, not a sudden accident. The class-action settlement deadline passed years ago, so you’re covering replacement costs out of pocket either way. Doing it proactively costs less than doing it reactively after your home floods.
Most kitec plumbing replacement jobs in Shingle Springs take one to two days depending on your home’s size and how accessible your plumbing is. You don’t need to move out, but you will be without running water during active work hours.
We work efficiently to minimize disruption. Many homeowners arrange to be out of the house during the day—head to work, run errands, visit family. We can usually restore partial water service overnight so you can use bathrooms and kitchen between work days on larger jobs.
The process involves cutting into walls where pipes run, so there’s dust and noise. We protect your floors and furniture, but it’s not a quiet background project. Most people find it manageable for a day or two, especially compared to the alternative of dealing with water damage and emergency repairs later.
Both work well, and both eliminate the problems Kitec created. Copper is the traditional choice—it’s been used for decades, it’s durable, and some buyers prefer it when you eventually sell. It costs more and takes longer to install because every joint needs to be soldered.
PEX is flexible plastic tubing that’s faster to install and costs less. It performs just as well as copper for residential water supply, doesn’t corrode, and handles freezing temperatures better. Some homeowners worry it looks less “premium,” but it’s hidden in your walls anyway.
For Shingle Springs homes, we install both regularly. If you’re planning to sell soon and want maximum appeal, copper might edge ahead. If you’re staying long-term and want the best value, PEX makes sense. Either way, you’re getting a 30-year-plus solution instead of a system that’s failing right now.
Complete kitec replacement in Shingle Springs typically runs between $4,500 and $15,000 depending on your home’s size, layout, and how accessible your plumbing is. A standard three-bedroom, two-bath home with average access usually falls in the $8,000 to $12,000 range.
That price includes all labor, materials, permits, pressure testing, and our lifetime warranty on the plumbing work. We handle wall access and structural patching. You’re responsible for final paint touch-ups and any cosmetic repairs, but the functional work is complete.
The price we quote is the price you pay. We don’t charge diagnostic fees, and we don’t add surprise costs once we’re into the job. Most customers tell us the final bill came in at or below our original estimate. We’ve been doing this in El Dorado County for over two decades—we know what these jobs actually cost.
You can wait, but the risk increases every year. Kitec systems installed in the late 1990s are now 25-plus years old. The ones installed in the mid-2000s are approaching 20 years. Industry data shows most failures happen after 8 to 10 years, and failure rates only get worse over time.
Waiting means gambling that your system won’t fail catastrophically before you’re ready to deal with it. When Kitec fails, it often floods rooms before you can shut off the water. Drywall, flooring, furniture, personal belongings—all at risk. Insurance typically won’t cover it because the damage stems from a known defective material.
The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to sell your home without major price concessions. Buyers either walk away or demand that you replace the Kitec before closing. You end up doing the work anyway, just under time pressure with less negotiating room. Handling it now, on your timeline, costs less and eliminates the stress of wondering when the next leak will hit.
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