Smithfield's median home was built in 1973, and roughly two-thirds predate 1980, so many houses here still have original galvanized or copper supply pipe. A repipe replaces it with PEX or copper when patching no longer keeps up. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Smithfield.
Is old pipe common in Smithfield?
Yes. About 65% of Smithfield's homes were built before 1980, according to Census survey data. Around the Downtown Smithfield Historic District and the older streets off Market Street and Brightleaf Boulevard, houses were usually plumbed with galvanized steel or copper. Galvanized pipe narrows as it rusts, and copper develops pinhole leaks after decades. Homes from the late 1970s into the 1990s may have polybutylene, which fails at its fittings.
The warning signs tend to arrive together: leaks in different rooms within a few years, tinted water at the first draw, pressure that sags whenever a second fixture runs, and clamps or patches on pipes under the house. If you're seeing several, it's time to price a repipe rather than wait for the next leak. The price mostly depends on fixture count, crawl space or slab access, and the material you choose.
What does Smithfield's water report show?
Smithfield treats its own Neuse River water and uses chloramine. The 2025 water quality report shows no lead at the 90th percentile and no homes over the action level. It also lists a violation because required lead service line notifications weren't sent by the 2025 deadline; the town sent them in March 2026. That's a notification issue, not a high reading. If you received one of those notices, it concerns the service line to your house, which a plumber can look at along with the interior pipe.
How do permits work here?
Johnston County Building Inspections manages building permit inspections for Smithfield under contract, and the town's Planning department issues a zoning permit first when one is needed. The county office is on East Market Street. The plumber can tell you which steps apply to a repipe and normally pulls the permit.
A note for older homes
A part of Smithfield is served as a separate water district supplied by Johnston County. Either way, the pipe inside the house is the owner's. In a house built before 1980, ask the plumber to check the main shutoff and fixture valves, which are often as old as the pipe and worth replacing at the same time.
Repiping questions in Smithfield
Could an older house here have lead somewhere in the plumbing?
Does chloramine in the water affect pipes or fittings?
Do I need a permit to repipe, and who issues it?
Can a plumber replace just part of the plumbing instead of the whole house?
More plumbing services in Smithfield
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