May 28, 2026
Contractor and Homebuilder Appreciate Uponor ServicePEX™ for Veteran Village Project
By Kim Bliss
Veteran Village is a first-of-its-kind housing community in Eagan, MN, for Minnesota veterans. Developed in partnership with Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV), Housing First Minnesota Foundation, and Lennar®, the 22-unit community provides long-term housing stability for military veterans and promotes the mission to end veteran homelessness across the state.
When it came time to start choosing building materials for the development, the team required reliable and affordable solutions that provided installation efficiencies for the contractors as well as long-lasting performance for the community.
While the city of Eagan had a requirement for copper water service lines, Friedges Contracting of Lakeville, MN, worked directly with local officials to secure code approval for Uponor ServicePEX™—a lightweight, durable, polymer pipe that promotes fast installs, jobsite safety, and a long service life.
The flexible PEX-a pipe promotes greater jobsite productivity with fewer connections while the lighter weight and joining methods that eliminate open flame and chemicals provide a safer work environment for the contractors. Additionally, Uponor ServicePEX withstands impact from backfilling, promotes exceptional resilience in freeze/thaw conditions, and is immune to corrosion, pitting, and scale buildup for reliable performance.
“It’s nice and flexible; we can bend it where we need it, that way we don’t have to focus too much on the fine grading,” says Pat Lang, Topman Laborer with Friedges.
Beyond the installer benefits of installation ease and jobsite safety, the builder also appreciated the durable qualities of the pipe.
“The benefit of Uponor PEX versus copper is that it can take a beating, specifically when we’re at the backfill or installing it in the trenches to and from the house,” says Alex Westfield, Senior Construction Manager at Lennar. “This gives us the confidence that it’s one and done.”
Watch this video to learn more about the project and hear further details from Friedges and Lennar about the positive experience.