If the seller chooses not to replace the polybutylene pipes, give them a release agreement to sign that protects you from all potential liability. The damage caused by a polybutylene leak can easily exceed the costs of a whole-home repipe; without even counting the costs of successive plumbing repairs. Since our founding in 1991, we've been completing residential and multi-family building repipes to the highest standard. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It was particularly widely used in the sunbelt states. Why is it a problem? VA inspectors are also required to report even the smallest amount of evidence of dry rot, termite or . Can you connect CPVC pipe directly to a gas water heater? Can you connect CPVC pipe directly to a gas water heater? The majority of polybutylene plumbing installed is still installed and working fine. All Rights Reserved. The breaking or cracking of pipes means that the water running through these pipes will now have a way to leak into the houses structure and cause long-term damage. I went back over our original contract and in the Disclosure Statement the seller checked "plastic" instead of "polybutylene." Seriously. As mentioned before, many insurance companies do not bear the cost of damages to homes with polybutylene pipes. To have a lawsuit for non-disclosure you must show seller knew and did not disclose. The pipes would have to be removed and examined. Also the pipes were not disclosed by the seller. I even suspect she might have known about the pipes early on (can't prove this). Can galvanized steel pipe still be used for new water lines in a house? Which water pipes are an insurance problem and possibly uninsurable? What's that powdery crust on the pipe connections at the water heater? Most of our repipes fall somewhere between $4,500 and $15,000. Woe is me. Simply use the form on HouseCashin.com to request a no-obligation cash offer on your property. Polybutylene is a type of plastic potable water plumbing commonly found in many US homes built from the late 1970's through to the mid-1990's. In most cases, it boils down to time and money. The seller is always aware of the disapproval of polybutylene pipes, and they can easily choose not to disclose this information to a buyer. When temperatures rise and fall, poly pipes will expand and contract. As weve mentioned, the uncertainty of buying a home that has polybutylene pipes creates a scary situation for most homebuyers. If you are a seller, you should disclose all known conditions that the buyers need to know about the property including the likelihood of leaky pipes. The problem is difficult to diagnose, since even if the pipes look all right from the outside, they are deteriorating from the inside youd never know there was a problem until all of a sudden theres a major one. Historically, there has been quite a lot of litigation around polybutylene plumbing. How do you accurately find a broken water pipe leak under the floor slab? The tubing is typically 1/2" to 1" in diameter and is flexible. The replacement can be estimated to cost somewhere starting from $2,500 and go up to $15,000. There are significant differences between selling property to professional real estate investors versus selling it to traditional buyers: When calculating their offer, an investor will look at the costs of repairs and upgrades, the time it will take to put your house right, and their desired profit margin. The entire process is simplified for you. Whole-home repipe costs are influenced by a variety of factors, including: Whole home repiping is our specialty (it's all we do)- and we can usually perform a whole home repipe for a much lower cost than a generalist plumber. My seller, who built the house, actually checked off "polybutylene" on the disclosure, but the pipes turned out to be PEX. Over 8,500 inspections completed in 20+ years. Messages sent using the form on this site, go directly to our email, which we check regularly. Contact us by phone or email with any questions, or to schedule a no-obligation in-home (or remote) consultation with one of our Estimators. Within a day, youll be connected with reputable investors in your area who are looking for homes like yours. Why is old galvanized steel water pipe a problem for homebuyers? Polybutylene pipes were first produced in the mid-1970s. Note: If a home is listed on the MLS (the local Multiple. Our unique online platform was created to put them together with property sellers just like you. and When was polybutylene pipe banned? loans Would we have a case since they lied on the disclosure? In conclusion, polybutylene pipes are substandard and present realtors with an issue for their clients - both sellers and buyers. Once you find the right one, get quotes and discuss all the requirements. We completed all our inspections (structural, septic, water, pest, home), the bank ordered the appraisal, the Realtor hired the attorney. Also the appraisal, bank fees, attorney fees, due diligence and earnest money. The first option would be to find someone who would be willing to buy your house the way it is. The price of PEX pipes ranges between $0.40 to $2.0 per linear foot, depending on the diameter of the pipe. Now You Know. The major factors in the cost of replacing polybutylene pipes are: Starting with the inspection, depending on its scope (interior only, exterior included, etc.) However, things change when it comes to the house having polybutylene pipes. So- if you are considering a sale in the future, and your home was built at a time when poly pipes were commonly used (late 1970's through mid 1990's), we'd highly recommend being proactive and getting your plumbing checked out. Polybutylene is a form of plastic pipe used in residential plumbing until the late-1990s. Are you looking for information about polybutylene piping (aka Quest pipe, poly-b, pb-1 pipe, or just plain "poly pipe")? There is a place for the seller to disclose the presence of polybutylene. home buying This was dismissed in 2018 "with prejudice", meaning it can't be refiled. This option is much better than repairing the old pipes because the polybutylene pipes would not last a long time anyway. Well, you can. You're correct that this makes the house harder to sell, and ultimately reduces the value if not re piped. Eventually, this could make them liable for lawsuits from their buyer. However, the total cost of repiping a house may be as high as $15,000 depending on a variety of factors. Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe? Replacing your exterior water supply connections can cost from $600 to $2,400. Polybutylene is practically guaranteed to break down at some point, and it's impossible to tell how soon that will be just by observing a pipe's exterior. Make sure that any reviews that you rely on are authentic. Generally speaking however, we know insurance coverage for homes with poly piping has been a headache for many homeowners. Although there are good solutions for re-piping now, it's definitely worth getting a quote. However, you cant repair polybutylene pipes because these pipes production ceased quite a long time ago. Sec 5.008 of the Texas Property Code is below. Lets start by looking at 2 available choices for preparing, marketing, and selling a home with polybutylene pipes. When it comes to selling a house with polybutylene pipes, it can be quite a challenge. You are currently on our multi-family site. Polybutylene pipes cause uncertainty for the buyers as these pipes problems are not immediately visible. Although most of the public will be hesitant to buy a home where polybutylene plumbing has been disclosed, there are buyers for this type of property. Is that truthful since polybutylene pipes would of been disclosed to them in 2018 when they bought the house. Some Real Estate Agents (representing buyers) won't show homes with PB pipes. However, polybutylene pipes have since proven too fragile to withstand chemicals found in the public water supply. I'm willing to keep going if they will cover the cost of repairs to replace them since the pipes are a ticking time bomb and most insurance won't cover you if you knew they were poly pipes. If you are the listing broker and you or your seller knows the property has polybutylene or Kitec plumbing systems, it's pretty obvious - you must disclose the fact to the buyer just as you are required to . What to Know When Buying a Home With Polybutylene? The choice to replace or disclose polybutylene pipes when marketing a home involves two sets of differing concerns: the defect issues with the pipes themselves, and the unique needs and concerns . B. What are the abandoned pipes sticking out of the wall in my house? Can You Sell a House With Polybutylene Pipes? Check for a gray plastic pipe under sinks or in exposed areas in the basement or attic. We repipe both residential homes and multi-family complexes. Like PEX pipes, these copper ones are heat resistant, but they are also resistant to corrosion, making them slightly superior to PEX pipes. What are the pipes sticking out near my water valves? The main issue lies in the fact that the inside of the polybutylene pipes reacts with the different kinds of oxidants found in water. . We've done the research and found that not only would damages be costly if the pipes burst, but we would also have a hard time selling the house in the future or even obtaining homeowners insurance even if the pipes don't cause any problems because there is such a stigma against these particular pipes. The seller may not want to take the home off the market to have the work done, which includes ripping out a lot of drywall, and there are a lot of properties with this kind of problem. PEX pipes are so popular and better than polybutylene pipes and even other competitive pipes such as PVC and Copper pipes because they are incredibly durable. This article discussed the issues with polybutylene pipes and how you can replace them yourself. They've lived in the home since 1990 and the husband has done a lot of DIY work in the home so it's unlikely he didn't know about the PB piping. The damage done to your pipes by interacting with substances in the water happens on the inside of the pipe. Also, construction methods and materials vary in different parts of the country and it is possible that important issues related to your area may not be covered here. Poly pipe failures can also be catastrophic, as opposed to a slow leak. What can you do if you buy a home and later discover something was omitted from seller disclosure? What you are complaining about is the process working. We've even seen sales fall through, when homeowners didn't know they had poly plumbing, but it was found during inspection. Having polybutylene pipes out near my water valves with an issue for their clients - both sellers and buyers them. Water pipes are substandard and present realtors with an issue for their clients - both and... 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