# Lead Service Line Replacement in Philadelphia

> Lead service line replacement in Philadelphia: the owner owns the line from main to meter. PWD's cost estimate, L&I and PWD fees, and free or loan routes.

URL: https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/lead-service-line-replacement/

The water service line from the main in the street to the meter inside the house, replaced when it is lead or galvanized, with the L&I permit, PWD connection and sidewalk restoration planned in one scope.

Last Updated: October 26, 2026

**$3,000 to $12,000** The Philadelphia Water Department's estimate for replacing a service line with a private plumber; more when the street is opened

**$126** L&I permit fee for a curb stop to building water line

**14,272** Philadelphia service lines PWD's inventory lists as lead, with 436,341 more listed as incomplete records

**10 years** Time the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements give water systems to replace lead service lines

[Philadelphia Freedom Repipe](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/) replaces water service lines that are lead or galvanized steel, from the water main in the street to the meter inside Philadelphia houses, and arranges the same work on the customer side of the curb stop in nearby suburbs. This page is about the service line only: the single pipe that brings water from the public main into the house. The piping inside the house is a separate scope, explained further down.

The reason this work falls to the owner in Philadelphia is ownership. The Philadelphia Water Department states that [residential water service lines are owned entirely by the property owner](https://water.phila.gov/service-line/), curb stop included. Its Rates and Charges put it plainly: the owner, at their own expense, excavates for the connection, installs all piping after the ferrule at the main and maintains it from then on.

Key takeaways

- In Philadelphia the owner owns the whole service line, from the ferrule at the main to the house.
- PWD estimates a private plumber's replacement at $3,000 to $12,000, more when the street is opened.
- L&I's permit for a curb stop to building water line is $126.
- Free replacement exists in PWD's pilot ZIP codes and on blocks getting a new main; the HELP loan is 0% over 60 months.
- In Aqua and Pennsylvania American Water towns, the utility replaces the customer side at no direct cost.

## How common lead service lines are in Philadelphia

PWD’s service line inventory, published to meet new federal rules, listed 14,272 lead lines, 1,189 galvanized, 73,373 non-lead and 436,341 unknown. PWD now labels the unknowns as incomplete records and says they should be treated as a lead service line until checked. By its own estimate, about one in 20 Philadelphia properties, or five percent, may have a lead service line.

Age is the pattern. PWD notes that lead service line installation decreased after the 1950s, and 64.9% of the city’s housing units were built before 1960. The [Philadelphia lead service line map guide](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/check-if-you-have-a-lead-service-line/) shows how to read PWD’s map for an address and how to check the pipe where it comes through the front wall: lead is dull gray, scratches to a bright silver with a coin, and does not attract a magnet.

The federal rule is the reason the inventory exists. The EPA’s [Lead and Copper Rule Improvements](https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-and-copper-rule-improvements), issued October 8, 2024, require water systems to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. PWD summarizes its obligation as replacing all lead and galvanized service lines within 10 years, with 2027 as the first year. That is a duty on the water system, not a promise of when any one house will be reached.

## Why galvanized service lines get the same treatment

A galvanized steel service line is not lead, but PWD’s programs replace it with lead lines for two reasons. PWD explains that over decades, lead from a property’s plumbing can accumulate on the corroded walls of galvanized pipe, so a galvanized line that sat downstream of a lead connection can still carry it. And galvanized pipe rusts from the inside, narrowing the bore, so an old galvanized service is often the real limit on flow into the house. The guide to [lead in Philadelphia tap water](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/lead-in-philadelphia-tap-water/) covers PWD’s corrosion control and test results.

## What a Philadelphia service line replacement involves

Most Philadelphia service lines are small: of 2,555 L&I water service permits over 36 months, 2,022 specify a 3/4-inch line. The typical route runs from the main in the street, through the curb stop under the sidewalk, through the front foundation wall to the meter in the basement. L&I permits for this work are routinely written “curb stop to water meter inside home”.

The work starts with the permit. L&I lists “new or replacement water service, with service to a single building” as an EZ permit, and the fee for a curb stop to building water line is $126. A licensed master plumber oversees the work. A Streets Department footway permit for opening the sidewalk is issued automatically with the plumbing permit, and connections at the main involve PWD separately.

Then the sidewalk is opened at the curb box, and a trench or a bore runs to the foundation wall. Where the line is being replaced all the way to the main, the street is opened too, and the connection at the main involves PWD. PWD’s Rates and Charges list $245 for a new 3/4-inch ferrule connection at the main and $280 for 1-inch. Underground water pipe has to be rated for at least 160 psi, and each building needs its own connection to the main, so a rowhouse line cannot be teed off the neighbor’s. The new line comes through the wall to a new main shutoff, and the meter is reconnected.

The street and sidewalk opening is the part of the price that varies most, because it depends on how far the main sits from the curb, what the sidewalk is made of and whether a street cut is needed at all. The [lead service line replacement cost guide](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/lead-service-line-replacement-cost-philadelphia/) breaks the price down line by line.

## Cost, and the routes that lower it

The Philadelphia Water Department estimates that replacing a service line with a private plumber costs [$3,000 to $12,000](https://water.phila.gov/lead/service-line-replacement-pilot-program/), and more when a street opening is needed. Several City programs can lower or remove that cost. They are described here as programs; whether a given house qualifies is decided by PWD or PHDC, not by any contractor.

**PWD Service Line Replacement Pilot.** Federally funded free replacement of lead or galvanized service lines in named ZIP codes: Phase 1 in North Philadelphia (19133, 19134, 19140) and Phase 2 in West and Southwest Philadelphia (19104, 19131, 19139, 19142, 19143, 19151, 19153). Licensed plumbers hired by PWD do the work, usually in one day, and only the owner can give permission. Owners elsewhere can register interest.

**Replacement during water main projects.** When PWD replaces the main on a block, it replaces confirmed lead and galvanized service lines from main to meter free once the owner returns an authorization form. This reaches about 1% of City mains a year, and PWD does not offer it on request outside those projects.

**HELP loan.** PWD’s [Homeowner’s Emergency Loan Program](https://www.phila.gov/programs/homeowners-emergency-loan-program-help/) lends the cost at 0% interest over 60 months, with a lien on the property, for residential buildings of up to four units with an operable meter and a water account no more than two billing cycles behind. An operating lead line qualifies without a Notice of Defect. PWD inspects and gives the estimate. The [PWD HELP loan guide](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/pwd-help-loan/) covers the terms.

**PHDC Basic Systems Repair Program.** Free emergency repairs, including leaking or broken water service lines, for owner-occupied single-family houses under PHDC’s income limits. A PWD Notice of Defect or L&I violation helps with priority.

The [free lead line replacement guide](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/free-lead-line-replacement-philadelphia/) compares these routes in detail. A private replacement makes sense when none applies, when the timing matters, or when the line is being replaced alongside other work.

## The suburbs work differently

Outside the city, the utility usually owns part of the line. Aqua Pennsylvania, which supplies Upper Darby, Haverford, Abington, Bensalem and other suburbs, says the utility-owned section typically runs from the main to the curb stop. Once a customer-owned line is identified as lead or galvanized, Aqua replaces it [at no direct cost to the customer](https://aquawater.com/news/aqua-pennsylvania-performs-customer-service-line-inventory-get-lead-out-bucks-and-delaware) under its Customer Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

Pennsylvania American Water, which serves Norristown and surrounding Montgomery County municipalities, owns the line from the main to the curb stop and replaces customer-side lead or galvanized steel at no direct cost. It reimburses an owner who replaces the line privately only within its program rules: within one year of the company starting work in the area, capped at 125% of its own cost for a similar line, with a licensed contractor’s statement and a paid invoice. In either territory, check with the utility before hiring anyone, and each township or borough’s own permit and contractor rules apply. The [Upper Darby](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/service-areas/upper-darby/) and [Norristown](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/service-areas/norristown/) pages cover the local details.

## Why the repipe inside the house is a separate job

A new service line ends at the meter and main shutoff. Everything after that, the basement main, the risers and the branches to each fixture, is interior water distribution, and none of PWD’s programs, the HELP loan or the suburban utility programs pay for it. In an older house, that interior piping is often galvanized too.

The two jobs are still worth planning together. A new service line decides where the main shutoff sits and what the interior piping connects to, and replacing a lead line into a house still plumbed in corroded galvanized steel leaves the restriction and the deposits inside. The [main water shutoff replacement](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/main-water-shutoff-replacement/) page covers the valve at the wall, and [whole-house repiping](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/whole-house-repiping/) covers the interior piping when it is due as well.

## Related resources

- [Who owns the water line in Philadelphia](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/who-owns-the-water-line-philadelphia/), from the ferrule to the meter
- [Philadelphia water Notice of Defect](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/philadelphia-water-notice-of-defect/), when PWD flags a leak outside
- [Water line protection plans in Philadelphia](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/water-line-protection-plans-philadelphia/) and what they leave out
- [Galvanized pipe replacement](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/galvanized-pipe-replacement/) for steel inside the house

## What's included

- A check of the line's material where it enters the house, and PWD's service line map for the address
- The L&I permit for the curb stop to building line, pulled by a licensed master plumber
- Excavation at the curb and, where needed, at the main in the street
- A new service line from the main or curb stop to the meter, through the front foundation wall
- A new curb stop and a new main shutoff inside the house where the old ones are worn
- Coordination with PWD for the connection at the main and any PWD charges
- Sidewalk and street restoration, named on the quote with who does it

## Who owns and replaces the lead line, city and suburbs

|  | Philadelphia (PWD) | Aqua Pennsylvania towns | Pennsylvania American Water, Norristown area |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Who owns main to curb stop | The property owner | The utility | The utility |
| Who owns curb stop to house | The property owner | The property owner | The property owner |
| Customer side, lead or galvanized | Owner pays, unless a PWD program covers the address | Replaced at no direct cost to the customer once identified | Replaced at no direct cost to the customer |
| Ways to lower the cost | Pilot ZIPs, main replacement projects, HELP 0% loan, PHDC Basic Systems Repair | Aqua's customer program | Company program; reimbursement for self-replacement under its rules |
| Code | Philadelphia Plumbing Code | PA Uniform Construction Code | PA Uniform Construction Code |

## Guides for this work

- Cost Guide [How Much Does Lead Service Line Replacement Cost in Philadelphia?](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/lead-service-line-replacement-cost-philadelphia/)PWD's own estimate for a private replacement, the City fees and PWD charges inside it, the parts with no public price, and the programs that lower or remove the cost.
- Learn [Who Owns the Water Service Line in Philadelphia?](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/who-owns-the-water-line-philadelphia/)Where the Water Department's pipe ends and yours begins, from the ferrule at the main to the last fixture upstairs, and why the line is drawn differently across the city limit.
- Decision Guide [How Does the PWD HELP Loan Work for a Water Service Line?](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/pwd-help-loan/)The Water Department's zero-interest loan for service line and other exterior plumbing work: the terms, who qualifies, the lien on the property, who does the work, and the interior piping it does not cover.
- Decision Guide [Can I Get My Lead Service Line Replaced for Free in Philadelphia?](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/free-lead-line-replacement-philadelphia/)The City routes that can replace a lead or galvanized service line at no charge, who each one reaches, what it leaves to the owner, and what to do if none of them reaches your block.
- Learn [How Do I Check If I Have a Lead Service Line in Philadelphia?](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/check-if-you-have-a-lead-service-line/)Reading the Water Department's Service Line Material Map, what an 'unknown' or incomplete record means for your address, how to test the pipe where it enters by the meter, and why the street line and the pipes inside are separate questions.
- Learn [Is There Lead in Philadelphia Tap Water?](https://philadelphiafreedomrepipe.com/guide/lead-in-philadelphia-tap-water/)Where lead in drinking water comes from in Philadelphia, what the Water Department does about it, what its testing shows, the steps PWD and the EPA describe for your own tap, and how the pipes in and under your house fit in.

## 

1. First call You describe the house: rowhouse, twin or detached, how many floors and bathrooms, what the pipe looks like where you can see it, and what made you call. That sets up the walk-through.
2. Assessment The walk-through starts at the meter and main shutoff, traces the pipe up every floor, checks pressure and flow, and maps the routes and the openings. You get a written scope that says what is replaced and what stays.
3. The work A licensed master plumber pulls the L&I permit. New lines go in while the old ones keep the house running, then each section is cut over during a planned water-off window.
4. Completion The new piping is pressure tested and inspected, then flushed. Shutoffs are labeled, openings are closed to the finish the quote names, and you get a list of anything old that stayed in service.

## What this work looks like

An old dull gray service pipe entering through a stone basement wall to an old water meter

A new copper service pipe through a sealed stone wall opening to a ball valve, a meter and a second valve

A sidewalk opened at the curb in front of brick rowhouses with marble steps, with safety barricades and a new copper pipe in the trench

A removed length of old lead pipe lying on a drop cloth

## Lead service line replacement questions

### Who pays to replace a lead service line in Philadelphia?

The property owner, unless a PWD program covers the address. In Philadelphia the owner owns the whole service line, from the ferrule at the main to the house, including the curb stop. PWD replaces lead and galvanized lines free in its pilot ZIP codes and on blocks getting a new water main, and its HELP loan spreads the cost at 0% interest.

### How long does a lead service line replacement take in Philadelphia?

PWD says replacements in its pilot program usually take one day, between 4 and 8 hours of work at the house. A private replacement adds time before the dig for the L&I permit and any coordination with PWD at the main, and after it for sidewalk or street restoration. The water is off only while the new line is connected.

### Who maintains the service line after PWD replaces it for free?

The owner. PWD's pilot program states that the line remains the property owner's responsibility after replacement, the same as before. A free replacement changes the material, not the ownership, so a later leak or Notice of Defect on that line is still the owner's to fix, and the new main shutoff inside the house is the owner's too.

### Do Aqua or Pennsylvania American Water customers pay for a lead service line?

Generally not directly. Both utilities own the line from the main to the curb stop, and both replace a customer-owned lead or galvanized line at no direct cost to the customer once it is identified, recovering the cost through rates. Pennsylvania American Water also reimburses some self-replacements under its program rules.

### Is the curb stop replaced along with a lead service line?

Usually, when it is worn. In Philadelphia the curb stop is part of the owner's service line, and a buried or seized one is easiest to replace from the same trench as the new line. PWD's own charge for installing a new curb stop in place of an inoperable one is $865, which shows the cost of doing it separately later.

## Related services

### Main shutoff replacement

A seized or leaking main shutoff at the meter replaced with a valve that closes, plus the meter-area valves and the short main line from the foundation wall where they need it.

### Whole-house repiping

Every hot and cold supply line from the main shutoff to the fixtures, replaced in the material the Philadelphia code allows for the building and pressure tested before the walls close.

### Galvanized pipe replacement

Corroded steel water lines taken out of service, replaced in PEX or copper, joined to anything that stays with a listed transition, then flushed so loosened scale does not end up in the faucets.