Therefore, it is essential to keep this in mind before buying a house with polybutylene pipes. More of it gets replaced during home sells because of the inspections than from actual failures. Copyright. Now You Know. 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. They can also be flexible in setting a closing date that fits your needs. Another option you can consider if you are interested in buying a house with polybutylene pipes is talking to the seller of the home or the real estate agency that is marketing the house and ask them whether or not it is possible to get the re-piping done and if they can split the cost with you to reduce the burden on you. Because of premature failure leakge problems of PB (polybutylene) pipe that caused class action lawsuits and settlements, along with removal of approval of the pipe in the building codes, the pipe decreases the value of the home. What you are complaining about is the process working. financing loans Buyers, when faced with a home with polybutylene piping have the choice of the following: Polybutylene pipes are no longer recognized by building codes not only in South Florida, but throughout the United States and Canada. However, Re-piping is a long process that can go on for a few weeks and will also cause a lot of mess around the house, and no one wants to deal with the mess after just having moved into their new home. Even though the information on this web page is provided by a qualified industry expert, it should not be considered as legal, tax, financial or investment advice. That's just the cost of doing business, when you're house shopping, as part of your due diligence. 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. Furthermore, even if your poly pipes never leak, its presence will unfortunatelyimpact your home value and may affect yourhomeowners' insurance policy. It also said check all that apply. This is true for a private source like a well, or a municipal water line. Even home inspectors cant tell you how far along the damage has progressed. Still, one thing is for sure: insurance companies will not provide coverage for a house with polybutylene pipes. Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe? 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. Compared to copper, it was inexpensive, easy to install, and had several other advantages like being resistant to damage from freezing. In the US, it has become generally accepted that the failures are most likely due to chemicals in municipal water supplies reacting with polybutylene - and this is one of the primary reasons why homeowners won a largeclass-action lawsuit against Shell Oil (who manufactured and marketed the polybutylene resin). In a hurry? In conclusion, polybutylene pipes are substandard and present realtors with an issue for their clients - both sellers and buyers. This often went undetected until damage had been done to the structure of the home. Including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah & Washington, Published:2022-06-01|Updated:2022-06-27. house No, I'm not looking to sell my house fast. What does polybutylene pipe look like? We're also wondering if they made a past claim to the small claims settlement--that would prove they knew. If they don't agree, though, we are going to have to walk away. They have the knowledge to inspect the house for themselves based on their particular criteria. I started HomeInspectionInsider.com to help people better understand the home inspection process and answer questions about homeownership and home maintenance. What are the pipes sticking out near my water valves? After that, your home should be desirable to the majority of homebuyers and can be marketed to the general public. 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. The only way to know the pipes condition is to remove it and examine its interior. When temperatures rise and fall, poly pipes will expand and contract. Polybutylene is a form of plastic pipe used in residential plumbing until the late-1990s. 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. They can handle most of the diligence themselves and are the only decision-maker involved on their side of the deal. There are no showings or open houses. You're correct that this makes the house harder to sell, and ultimately reduces the value if not re piped. Along with durability, these pipes are also heat resistant which makes PEX pipes a great choice. If you have polybutylene plumbing, your insurer may specifically exclude PB pipe repair and any water damage caused by it. Seriously. People looking to buy a new house and who work with brokers will be looking at several properties that preferably dont have these kinds of pipes. Look for reviews online on sites like Facebook, Google, and Yelp. Suppose youve just bought a house or rented one, and after some inspection, you find out that the housing has polybutylene pipes. This could potentially make you liable for lawsuits from your buyer. This can be a good idea if you have made up your mind about purchasing the house because it is better to get the re-piping done before moving into the home. Your average homeowner would not know polybutylene pipes from any other type of plastic plumbing. I just bought a house in N.C. and I spent $425 on the home and pest inspection and another $275 on the septic inspection, which included draining the tank and doing a camera inspection. In this case, some buyers might demand you to replace the existing polybutylene pipes, and some might ask for a reduction in price so they can re-pipe the home after theyve bought it. What about polybutylene ("poly") pipes - are sellers/agents required to disclose? Would we have a case since they lied on the disclosure? And try and get the price reduced. 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. What is the difference between green and white sewer drain pipes? Our expertise shows in every repipe we do and is with you every step of the way. Sec 5.008 (c) A seller or seller's agent shall have no duty . 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. What are the code requirements for layout of drain piping under sinks? If we compare these two options, the first one is very clearly the better and more feasible option for you as a seller because, in this case, you would turn the entire problem over to the buyer and walk away. Compared to copper, it was inexpensive, easy to install, and had several other advantages like being resistant to damage from freezing. If If you have the funds to make repairs but need to sell quickly, you will also want to look at an investor sale. Since every individuals situation is unique, a qualified professional should be consulted before making financial decisions. Here's what the law requires on a seller's disclosure in Wyoming. They are regularly looking for homeowners selling a house in poor condition as is. Code requirements cited may have been changed in a newer code edition, or may not yet be adopted in your area. No, you shouldn't buy a home with polybutylene pipes. 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. I don't know how anyone can buy a house unaware of PB piping. Since our founding in 1991, we've been completing residential and multi-family building repipes to the highest standard. That would confirm your plumbing is polybutylene. Even though most potential buyers would hesitate to go for a house with polybutylene pipes, there are always specific buyers interested in it these type of properties, as we have discussed earlier. Buying a home in North/Central Florida? Owners of these homes are playing musical chairs, waiting for their turn to have to deal with problems caused by polybutylene plumbing. How can I find out what type of water pipe runs underground from the water meter to the house (service pipe)? Our unique online platform was created to put them together with property sellers just like you. Research suggests that polybutylene pipes are prone to becoming brittle and cracking inside out, eventually leading to leakage. What is Polybutylene Pipe? The form's name, length, and required information vary by state . What are the code requirements for plumbing vent terminations? What are the code requirements for plumbing vent terminations? In your case asking for $50k discount plus $20k probably wouldn't work. If the seller or the home inspector fail to mention that your home has polybutylene plastic water supply lines and crimped fittings you may be able to collect money as part of a class action lawsuit. We are in Florida and provide plenty of information about hurricanes and sinkholes, for example, but nothing on basements and ice dams. A little about the house its a 3200 Sq ft house with 3 bathrooms which I offered 600k for and they listed for 550k. In some states, the seller must disclose polybutylene pipes as a material defect in the residential property disclosure form. 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. First, the buyer would need to be comfortable purchasing a home that requires extensive work to repair the damaged pipes. 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. Over 8,500 inspections completed in 20+ years. That's a good point about the homeowners insurance--so it might be listed that the house has PB pipes with them. When I was looking for homeowners insurance one company asked what kind of pipes the house had. What is the difference between water service pipe and water supply pipe? Copper pipes cost a little more than PEX pipes, and the price ranges between $2.50 and $3.50 per linear foot. How can I tell what type of plumbing pipe I have? Manufacturers stopped producing PB-pipe . National costs for these repairs are from $1,000 to $4,000 for water damage, and from $500 to $3,500 for mold removal or remediation. 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