One of the most important things that need to be considered is the plumbing within the house. Replacing your exterior water supply connections can cost from $600 to $2,400. Our work is 100% guaranteed for life, and we are fully licensed in the states where we operate. But I'm not sure how we could find that out. Florida case law provides that, with some exceptions, a home seller must disclose any facts or conditions about the property that have a substantial impact on its value or desirability and that others cannot easily see for themselves. Identifying polybutylene pipes can be tricky, as they appear similar to other plastic resin piping, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene. Of course, individual homeowners didnt know that. Not sure a home has poly? Members of the general public who are working with a broker will be looking at multiple properties. What kind of inspections are you having done? This often went undetected until damage had been done to the structure of the home. What are the code requirements for plumbing vent terminations? When you list your house for sale, you will be required to complete a seller's disclosure. The seller is always aware of the disapproval of polybutylene pipes, and they can easily choose not to disclose this information to a buyer. They are regularly looking for homeowners selling a house in poor condition as is. Here at Repipe Specialists, ourrepiping services utilize only made-in-the-USA high quality copper (Grade L) or Uponor PEX tubing. Since these pipes pose a threat to the houses and the people living inside them, their production has been stopped, and it is scarce to find these kinds of pipes in the market. More information about the settlement is available at www.SpencerClass.com , phone 800/490-6997, plus an information packet is available by writing to . Whether it's snakes, mice, or bats, in most . Others follow long term investing strategies. What is the difference between green and white sewer drain pipes? Interior repiping can take from 1 to 5 days. Another significant aspect of buying a house with polybutylene pipes is the insurance problem that might come along with it. How does repiping a house work? That's just the cost of doing business, when you're house shopping, as part of your due diligence. If the Seller refuses to return your money, you would have to file a lawsuit against the Seller. Even if there is no doubt about what type of pipes you have, the condition cannot be determined by looking at the outside of the pipe. . Check our price for ateam inspection by two FL-licensed contractors and inspectors. Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe? Once touted as the longer lasting and cheaper alternative to copper pipes, this material was installed in millions of homes throughout the later decades of the 20th century. This can be a problem in the long run, as in the case of floods, your insurance will not cover the damage costs, and the burden will have to be on you. Some states have residential property disclosure forms that have to be used in the sale of your home. 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 . Privacy Policy. Additionally, it has become very common for sellers to either make concessions for a buyer to re-pipe after closing or to re-pipe the home themselves before the sale. Is a hot water faucet handle required to be on the left? 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. In that case, you might start freaking out about what to do next because, as we have already discussed above, there are some significant downsides to polybutylene pipes. Facts vs. Fiction 6. 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. If they have not failed yet, thats hardly an endorsement of their condition. Water supply piping only, not used for drains or vents. Does a Seller Have to Disclose Polybutylene Pipes? Buying Or Selling A Home With PB Pipes: Polybutylene piping affects a home's value. Polybutylene pipe is a gray plastic tubing that was commonly used as a water-supply plumbing pipe between 1978 and 1995, at which time it was discontinued due to reports of pipes rupturing. In most cases, it boils down to time and money. It will not definitely fail. I think you are correct to worry about it, and if she has those pipes in her house she's in denial that it won't impact her ability to sell at some point or cause her expensive repairs. If you have both the money and the time to make repairs and market your home to the general public, that could be your best choice. Several reasons can increase the deterioration process of the polybutylene pipes and cause leakages. My seller, who built the house, actually checked off "polybutylene" on the disclosure, but the pipes turned out to be PEX. Why is there a flexible accordion pipe under the sink? Definitely negotiate to get them replaced if it's city water. Then you will just need to choose the best one. The most significant historical litigation was the Cox v. Shell Oil class-action lawsuit, culminating in close to a billion dollar settlement in 1995, being paid out to thousands of homeowners over subsequent years. Once you find the right one, get quotes and discuss all the requirements. What you are complaining about is the process working. 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 done to your pipes by interacting with substances in the water happens on the inside of the pipe. They were often sold under the brand name Quest, and can be referred to with a variety of terms; including PB, PB-1, poly-pipes, or poly-b pipe. We completed all our inspections (structural, septic, water, pest, home), the bank ordered the appraisal, the Realtor hired the attorney. If a leak occurs in a wall - it may be a slow undetected drip over a period of weeks or months, resulting in extensive mold and water damage. Although, today, one of the most popular water pipes is PEX pipes. Cookie Notice What are the abandoned pipes sticking out of the wall in my house? "When I work with a seller in a neighborhood that I know has polybutylene, we always have to check before putting the house on the market," Willard adds. How can I find out what type of water pipe runs underground from the water meter to the house (service pipe)? Insurance companies dont look at these on a case-by-case basis. Minerals in the water, particularly chlorine that was used for purification reacted poorly with the pipes. Both systems are backed by a lifetime warranty. Therefore, having knowledge about polybutylene pipes and ensuring that you appropriately deal with them is very important. 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. High Desert . Can You Sell a House With Polybutylene Pipes? They may pass on making the loan altogether. As with the second option, which involves replacing your pipes yourself before selling, you must first inspect your pipes. 16822 SE 92nd Danna Avenue, The Villages, FL 32162, www.thevillagesbestinspector.com Comments or questions tomcgarryandmadsen@mac.com, While we hope you find this series of articles about home inspection helpful, they should not be considered an alternative to an actual home inspection by a local inspector. Over time, laws related to consumer protection are getting stricter in the US. To find a minuscule crack in the polybutylene pipes, one would need a very efficient plumber, and even then, it would be not easy to identify. The problem was that these pipes shortly began to fail in astounding numbers. Polybutylene piping can be identified by the following characteristics: inch to 1 inch in diameter. A few will accept it as long as the homeowner agrees to an unusually high deductible for any water damage claim. Of course, the price depends on the size of the house, the number of rooms if you do it yourself or hire a plumber, and of course, the type of pipes you buy. If you think your home may have polybutylene pipes, have a plumber and/or contractor come out to inspect your home. Once youve confirmed that you have polybutylene pipes that need replacing, you need to select the right contractor for the job. When polybutylene leaks occur in US plumbing systems, the leaks are often at or near connectors. However, the total cost of repiping a house may be as high as $15,000 depending on a variety of factors. Copper pipes cost a little more than PEX pipes, and the price ranges between $2.50 and $3.50 per linear foot. Sec 5.008 of the Texas Property Code is below. I'm a licensed Home Inspector, Certified Professional Inspector (CPI), Certified Master Inspector (CMI), and FHA 203k Consultant. She wants her X-thousand(s) of dollars from you and that's her priority. History tells us that problems will occur, you just dont know when. We will get it done for you. We have already researched and vetted the top real estate investors from across the industry. Why is old galvanized steel water pipe a problem for homebuyers? The second option would consume some of your money and time, but the good part is that it would result in a higher selling price for your home. I've never heard of anyone spending $3000.00 on an inspection. Lets start by looking at 2 available choices for preparing, marketing, and selling a home with polybutylene pipes. Also in 1989, a totally different design emerged which used flexible pipiing. Polybutylene plumbing is bad because it breaks off into the water supply. lending And how do you make sure that youre dealing with the right investor and the best offer? They seemed to be a perfect material for plumbing pipes because they were inexpensive and held up well under high water pressures. Locating and working on existing pipes requires cutting holes in your walls. Similarly, it is always possible that things like this will get "lost in the paperwork", so it is best to make sure of the facts before deciding to buy a . 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. Polybutylene (PB) is a plastic used for piping in home plumbing systems that were manufactured between 1978 and mid-1995. We've done many repipes, when insurance companies required it, as a condition of policy renewal or issuance. What is the difference between PVC and ABS plumbing pipe? Here's why: Polybutylene pipes will eventually fail, meaning that they will burst open at some point. Certain regions have unique disclosure issues. landlord If they don't agree, though, we are going to have to walk away. A little about the house its a 3200 Sq ft house with 3 bathrooms which I offered 600k for and they listed for 550k. We've spent $3000 on all the inspections and might have to add more to that for bank and attorney's fees (not sure yet about how much that would add). Most of our repipes fall somewhere between $4,500 and $15,000. Do you have to disclose polybutylene pipes to a homebuyer? Sec 5.008 (c) A seller or seller's agent shall have no duty . Can you connect CPVC pipe directly to a gas water heater? Home inspectors wont do that. Does a repipe include drain pipes? Since this is probably unfamiliar territory for you, you will need to be prepared to spend a lot of time searching on the Internet. In short, you don't have to disclose a death in a house in Texas unrelated to the condition of the property, the HIV status of any occupants of the property, and won't be held responsible for any conditions that you are truly unaware of. Once your pipes have been identified as being made of polybutylene, you can begin to replace all the pipes with good ones. Fill out our Request a Cash Offer form to get a few offers from competing real estate investors working in your area and vetted by our reputation standards. However, these small leaks will eventually deteriorate the area surrounding them and, over time, will cause a great deal of damage regardless of the size of the leakage. But read the fine print: If a buyer asks, this same statute requires the seller to disclose any death on the property more than 3 years old. This allowed "jointless" layouts. Over 8,500 inspections completed in 20+ years. If you are looking to purchase a home, look out for the signs of polybutylene piping as inspectors and realtors may not be required to disclose. For this, you will need to start interviewing contractors and checking their references. Even though polybutylene pipes are safe for drinking water, they will fail over time. Compared to copper, it was inexpensive, easy to install, and had several other advantages like being resistant to damage from freezing. Are plastic pipes (PVC, CPVC, and PEX) safe for drinking water? Has your homeowners' insurance company declined to renew your policy, because of those gray pipes you've been living with just fine for years? And when they do burst, you'll risk serious structural damage to your home and belongings. Therefore, unfortunately, getting the polybutylene pipes in your house fixed or exchanged is no option. In 2017, a new polybutylene class-action was filed with Hurt v. Shell Oil, which attempted to include homeowners left out in the prior 1995 settlement. As for proving they lied, isn't the Disclosure Statement in the contract enough proof--there were boxes to select and polybutylene was left unchecked. Buyers, when faced with a home with polybutylene piping have the choice of the following: Asking if the seller plans to replace the current piping with copper or; B. However, in mid-1966, manufacturers ceased production due to allegations claiming that polybutylene pipe failures caused property damage. first time homebuyer, Press J to jump to the feed. Mortgage lenders will not lend money on a property based on its estimated value that the house will have after repairs are made by the new owner. In conclusion, polybutylene pipes are substandard and present realtors with an issue for their clients - both sellers and buyers. Look around your water heater, pipes in attics or crawl spaces, piping across the ceilings of basements, and supply lines under sinks in cabinets. In this article, we will be explaining what exactly is wrong with the old-fashioned polybutylene pipes in your home, as well as helpful information on how to replace them. What to Know When Buying a Home With Polybutylene? Why can't a sanitary tee be used for a horizontal-to-horizontal drain pipe connection? After that, building codes around the country no longer allowed the use of polybutylene pipes in new construction. house What they do is they buy the property, which they can upgrade, make the required repairs, and then sell the homes making good profits on their investments. The second option would be to fix the issue related to the polybutylene pipes yourself and then put your home on the market. The insurance agent gave me the quote without the pipe information and it was way too high so I forgot about the pipe question until now. You can sell your house fast and for cash to an investor. "Don't worry about it" would be my last dealings with her as a realtor. Then choose the best offer and quickly close on your home within a couple of weeks, skipping the inconveniences and upfront expenses of a traditional real estate sale. >>. Some residential insurance policies won't cover damage from poly-pipe failures. Why is there a flexible accordion pipe under the sink? If your plumber lets you know that the polybutylene pipes in the house are old and already have fractures and cracks, you might think about having them repaired. The old house is not as good as I thought. loan If a seller does disclose square footage, it has to be accurate but there's no obligation for a seller to make the information public. Including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah & Washington, Published:2022-06-01|Updated:2022-06-27. You are currently on our multi-family site. 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