How can I tell what type of plumbing pipe I have? 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. They buy houses for cash so that they dont depend on a lenders approval of their loan, unlike most buyers. Facts vs. Fiction 7. Compared to copper, it was inexpensive, easy to install, and had several other advantages like being resistant to damage from freezing. Interior pipes are white and can be confused for other types of piping. 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. A buyers mortgage lender will possibly require more extensive inspections that hold up your closing. Whether it's snakes, mice, or bats, in most . 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. Can I Sell My House with a Property, State or IRS Tax Lien? Do the current homeowners have insurance? Consumer protection laws are getting stricter across the US. 4. You will have to spend a lot of time, money, and energy trying to repair the pipes. They can handle most of the diligence themselves and are the only decision-maker involved on their side of the deal. You can sell your house fast and for cash to an investor. Then you will just need to choose the best one. Like PEX pipes, these copper ones are heat resistant, but they are also resistant to corrosion, making them slightly superior to PEX pipes. Ordinarily, only home defects that are material and that the buyer didn't know about, but which the seller did at the time of sale, will allow a buyer to recover from the seller. When it comes to selling a house with polybutylene pipes, it can be quite a challenge. For this, you will need to start interviewing contractors and checking their references. Because polybutylene pipes will fail, it's just a matter of when it will happen. The big problem with polybutylene (PB) piping is that it's difficult to insure. Their business model is to purchase properties that they can repair or upgrade. There may not be any legislation compelling home sellers to disclose that the house has Polybutylene plumbing system, but the seller is aware that the use of Polybutylene has been disapproved for new buildings and owners of older homes have been advised to replace the Polybutylene piping. Definitely negotiate to get them replaced if it's city water. Others follow long term investing strategies. Or perhaps your polybutylene plumbing sprung a leak, and you are trying to decide if you should repair or replace it? The options on the "what kind of material are the pipes made of" included "plastic" and "polybutylene" and said check all that apply. 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. 0 found this answer helpful | 0 lawyers agree Helpful Unhelpful The $8,000 to $20,000 it would cost for pipe removal and replacement depends on the interior finishes and the number of water fixtures in a home, said Phillip L. Feliciano, an attorney who has. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Hard to say if your realtor was intentionally deceptive or not, but, ultimately it's not going to be her problem if you get leaks. Asking if the seller plans to replace the current piping with copper or; Asking for a reduction in price that will cover a copper piping replacement once the home is purchased or: Looking at a home copper or up to code piping already in place. You should understand that repiping in copper, or copper and CPVC is going to be expensive, and estimates are going to vary, so taking off a large chunk of the purchase price of a home may not cover the expense or the hassle. Most of these forms require the seller to disclose information related to polybutylene pipes. Cookie Notice This type of plastic resin was commonly used in the manufacture of water piping, from about 1978 through the end of 1995, and is known to flake off and deteriorate after several years of use. Locating and working on existing pipes requires cutting holes in your walls. Owners of these homes are playing musical chairs, waiting for their turn to have to deal with problems caused by polybutylene plumbing. In new construction, it was replaced by copper or more dependable forms of plastic pipe, such as CPVC and PEX. Polybutylene pipe health risks and product failures led to a successful class-action lawsuit in 1995. No, you shouldn't buy a home with polybutylene pipes. Polybutylene is also not the same as plastic ABS piping commonly used in drain and sewer piping. IANAL but, I doubt you have a case to get your inspection $$$ back. As we mentioned earlier, banning polybutylene pipes causes them to become barriers to selling or buying a home. Why can't a sanitary tee be used for a horizontal-to-horizontal drain pipe connection? How can I find out what type of water pipe runs underground from the water meter to the house (service pipe)? What can you do if you buy a home and later discover something was omitted from seller disclosure? 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. 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. I've got it! What is the difference between green and white sewer drain pipes? Although, today, one of the most popular water pipes is PEX pipes. However, in mid-1966, manufacturers ceased production due to allegations claiming that polybutylene pipe failures caused property damage. You could easily run afoul of these laws if you arent forthcoming about polybutylene pipes in your home. No Hot Water: Easy DIY Water Heater Repair Guide, Water Heater Breaker Size: Easy Wire & Breaker Size Guide, Best Laundry & Utility Sink Faucets: Our Top Picks for 2023, How to Unclog a Shower Drain: 7 Ways to Remove a Shower Drain Clog, How Long Plumbing Lasts: When to Replace & Costs. However, copper pipes are exceptionally durable and, thus, will last a long time if you use these to replace fragile polybutylene pipes. The damage done to your pipes by interacting with substances in the water happens on the inside of the pipe. Just my opinion. Can You Get Home Insurance With Polybutylene Pipes? Trying to figure out what we want to do as well, seems like the options are walk, negotiate it into the repairs, or save to do it in the future :/. PB-1 combines typical characteristics of conventional polyolefins with certain properties of technical polymers. Call our residential repipe division to schedule a free estimate for your home: Or visit our regular residential repipe site to learn more: Repipe Specialists - USA245 E Olive Ave #500Burbank, CA91502. We've even seen sales fall through, when homeowners didn't know they had poly plumbing, but it was found during inspection. They've had the house for 4 year so I doubt they did not know about them. By the 1990s, however, problems had begun to surface. The entire process is simplified for you. However, with time, these pipes faults became more evident, and different types of pipes were developed and produced that were much stronger and durable than polybutylene pipes. Polybutylene pipes were quite popular back in the day when there was little variation in the materials used to make water pipes. 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. What is Polybutylene Pipe? Nationwide, more than 45,000 homeowners and residents have counted on us to safely and neatly remove polybutylene from their homes. The most common questions are about disclosure requirements and your responsibilities to your client regarding Kitec and polybutylene. You should discuss with them the different kinds of pipes available and the cost of each. Your agent is not liable at this point since home inspection did what it was supposed to do: discover defects and needed repairs. PEX pipes last a very long time, and over the years, people have faced little to no issues with these pipes becoming fragile, breaking, and leaking. to learn more. How would your realtor know that if it was mistakenly checked on the disclosure. 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. 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. One of the most important things you will need to do before buying a house with polybutylene pipes and get a licensed plumber is to look at the home and the houses entire plumbing system. a professional plumber will charge between $150 and $500. 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. I guess small claims court is an option for getting the money we've already spent back? This would either be done by a broker working for you, or by yourself as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). There is no marketing time at all. However, many insurance companies do not cover the damages caused to homes due to natural disasters or fires with polybutylene pipes. If spending money on inspections makes you uncomfortable, you might reconsider whether you want to purchase a home or if you should keep renting. Poly-pipes are well known in the industry for their propensity to fail. In this case, real estate investors would be your best bet as they are the ones looking for homeowners selling homes in poor conditions. There are no showings or open houses. Depending on your market and the condition of your property, they may not offer you full market value for your home. even obtaining homeowners insurance even if the pipes don't cause any problems because there is such a stigma against these particular pipes. Copyright. This enables you to turn the entire issue over to a buyer and walk away. How does repiping a house work? However, polybutylene pipes have since proven too fragile to withstand chemicals found in the public water supply. Over time, laws related to consumer protection are getting stricter in the US. We will get it done for you. Polybutylene piping isn't inherently bad. How to Buy Your First Rental Property for Investment (Step-by-Step Guide), How to Find a Real Estate Investing Mentor, Residential Rental Property Due Diligence Checklist Template (Free PDF Download), 7 Best Ways of Generating Motivated Home Seller Leads for Real Estate Investors, ABCs of Buying and Financing Multiple Rental Investment Properties, 7 Best Ways How to Find Real Estate Property Wholesalers in Your Area, ABCs of Self-Directed 401k Real Estate Investing in 2023. Buying a home in North/Central Florida? If the seller chooses not to replace the polybutylene pipes, give them a release agreement to sign that protects you from all potential liability. By that time millions of homes had already been built using these pipes. With over 20+ years of experience in real estate investment and renovation, Brian Robbins brings extensive knowledge and innovative solutions to the HouseCashin team. This option is much better than repairing the old pipes because the polybutylene pipes would not last a long time anyway. B. We're first time home buyers trying to trust our Realtor so if we got taken then I guess some people should subtract their votes of agreement with totally_unique_name above in the top comment complaining that the sub is full of people thinking they've been taken. The damage starts on the inside of the pipes. May be used as supply lines to plumbing fixtures or . Why is old galvanized steel water pipe a problem for homebuyers? Polybutylene pipes fall under the category of a material defect, and almost all states make you disclose any information related to a property defect. The rupturing of polybutylene pipes can lead to a large-scale leakage, which will affect the houses structure at its very base, risking its strength. Learn about them in the next section of this article. Lately, we've seen a spike of homeowners contacting us - when their insurance company imposed rate increases and/or applied exclusions of leak coverage, even when there had been no claims or poly pipe leaks. An inspection report, and possibly the appraisers comments, will note the historical problems with polybutylene pipes. 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. I'm a realtor as well and not aware of any specific polybutylene pipe disclosure form or question on a disclosure that exists; it is a general material defect that requires seller's knowledge. . The average cost to replumb a house will vary between $5,000 to $7,000. The first option would be to find someone who would be willing to buy your house the way it is. 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. Historically, there has been debate about why poly-pipes have failed. One of the most important things that need to be considered is the plumbing within the house. Polybutylene pipes (settlement, seller, disclosure, house) User Name: Remember Me: Password Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! What about polybutylene ("poly") pipes - are sellers/agents required to disclose? How can I tell what type of plumbing pipe I have? If you reach our answering service, please leave a message: we return calls in the order they are received. loans Is a hot water faucet handle required to be on the left? I'm a licensed Home Inspector, Certified Professional Inspector (CPI), Certified Master Inspector (CMI), and FHA 203k Consultant. What are the abandoned pipes sticking out of the wall in my house? However, polybutylene pipes have since proven too fragile to withstand chemicals found in the public water supply. PB-1, when applied as a pure or reinforced resin, can replace materials like metal, rubber and engineering polymers. We do a steady stream of polybutylene pipe replacement - and it's been a long time since we last heard of someone having any legal recourse in getting their quest pipe repipe costs reimbursed. After all, they are so tiny. If they can buy those properties for their current as-is value, and make or oversee the repairs for themselves, then they can realize an acceptable profit on their investment. Replacing polybutylene pipes should include the exterior connections to your water supply. They are regularly looking for homeowners selling a house in poor condition as is. An investor can close more quickly. This allowed "jointless" layouts. It is now mainly an academic exercise determining why a specific system failed and/or if an existing poly-b system may fail in the future. As weve mentioned, the uncertainty of buying a home that has polybutylene pipes creates a scary situation for most homebuyers. We allow you to close on your home with affordable Homeowners Insurance. What do you mean I cant get home insurance? We know that many houses built between 1978 and 1995 have polybutylene pipes. McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of, site-built, mobile/manfuactured and modular homes. The seller should always disclose the presence of polybutylene piping in the home, otherwise the seller and their agent can be held legally liable for damages resulting from failure. Lets start by looking at 2 available choices for preparing, marketing, and selling a home with polybutylene pipes. Research suggests that polybutylene pipes are prone to becoming brittle and cracking inside out, eventually leading to leakage. 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. Many homeowners prefer this method because it can save them money. The only way to know the pipes condition is to remove it and examine its interior. These variables . Polybutylene pipes are often used with copper fittings which can also confuse a homebuyer. We would have requested they replace them and if they didn't we would have walked away early in the process. Should You Buy a House With Polybutylene Pipes? Interview several and check their references. Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe? We're also wondering if they made a past claim to the small claims settlement--that would prove they knew. The seller's disclosure statement matters to potential buyers, so you should be honest about lead, pests, repairs, and more. 16822 SE 92nd Danna Avenue, The Villages, FL 32162, www.thevillagesbestinspector.com Comments or questions [email protected], 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.
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