How Much Does It Cost To Replace Your Polybutylene Pipes?

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How Much Does It Cost To Replace Your Polybutylene Pipes?

Updated:  |  Published:

Replacing your poly pipes may cost less than you think
Replacing your poly pipes may cost less than you think

Are you researching how much it will cost to replace polybutylene (aka Quest, Qest, pb-1 pipe, poly-b, or just "poly pipe") plumbing in your home?

Not sure if you even have polybutylene or Quest pipe? We have a What Is Quest Piping section in another article.

If you still have polybutylene plumbing, investing in a full repipe now will almost certainly save you money.

In this article we will focus on how polybutylene pipes can:

  • Lower your home value, and make it difficult to sell.
  • Cause home insurance policies to get cancelled, or premiums to skyrocket.
  • Cause damage well in excess of the cost of a repipe, should you experience a water leak.

We will also give you typical cost ranges to fully replace your poly pipe with either new PEX tubing or copper pipe.

How Much Will It Cost To Replace My Poly Pipes?

The cost of replacing polybutylene pipes can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including the size of your home and the type of repiping material you select.

In general, our repipes fall between $4,500 for a two-bedroom, one-bath house, and up to $15,000 for a larger property with more bathrooms and longer pipe runs. Here at Repipe Specialists, all of our repipes can be completed in 1-2 days and include our lifetime warranty.

Replacing your polybutylene pipes will save you money and future headaches - even in the short term.

The damage caused by a single water leak can easily exceed the cost of a full repipe to PEX tubing. Slow leaks that go undetected for long periods within walls and behind cabinets, can cause mold build up that is extremely costly and intrusive to remediate. And of course a sudden catastrophic leak can wreak significant damage to your home and furnishings, if you can't quickly shut off the water supply.

Some homeowners are also learning that the presence of polybutylene is affecting their home insurance coverage, with many insurance companies now cancelling home insurance policies or charging exorbitant premiums when homes are known to have poly pipes.

A repipe can also help you maximize your sale value. We are frequently called in to situations where polybutylene pipes are delaying a home sale or causing buyers to significantly lower their offers.

Contact us to have one of our local estimators provide you with a free quote and consultation.

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Can I Sell a House With Polybutylene Plumbing?

Polybutylene plumbing can cause significant problems when it comes to selling a home.

Polybutylene is no longer an approved material for remodels or new construction in the USA. However, we don't know of any laws or restrictions that would prevent you from selling your house with polybutylene pipes, only that you'll be required to disclose its presence to potential buyers.

The presence of polybutylene pipes will depress the potential home value of a property, and make it more difficult to sell. Home buyers will factor the presence of polybutylene pipes into their offers, and some buyers may pass entirely. Even if there hasn't been a previous polybutylene leak, or you aren't sure that you have Quest pipe - so decide not to disclose - the issue will be discovered during a home inspection. It is very easy to identify polybutylene pipe.

We've performed many "last minute" repipes, where a seller is scrambling to resolve a poly problem late in a home sale cycle. We also perform many repipe quotes for buyers, looking to lower their home offers.

If you have polybutylene plumbing, maximize your buyer options and sale price by getting it replaced prior to listing. If you aren't sure if you have poly pipes, contact us, and one of our local estimators would be happy to provide you a free in-home consult.

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Will Polybutylene Plumbing Affect My Home Insurance Premiums?

In the last year, we have seen a very significant rise in homeowners reporting issues with Quest pipe and their home insurance. Particularly in the Sun Belt states like Arizona, Texas and Florida, where polybutylene was frequently installed in the 1970's and 1980's.

Some insurance companies will refuse to provide (or renew) coverage for homes with polybutylene plumbing, while others will require higher premiums or specific exclusions related to poly pipes. We've heard of policies being cancelled with very short notice, leaving homeowners scrambling to get new coverage (or quickly complete a repipe).

We even had situations where the annual insurance premium due to poly pipes, exceeded the cost of the repipe itself. Sometimes running as much as $5000 to $7000 extra in premiums per year, for a small 2 bath single-story home.

Homeowners with polybutylene plumbing should review their insurance policy carefully to determine if there are any exclusions or limitations related to the plumbing. They should also consider contacting their insurance company directly to discuss their polybutylene pipes and any potential impact on their premiums.

If you are choosing between high premiums vs the cost of a repipe: we have several financing options to ease the burden of any unplanned repipe expenses. Learn more about the terms of our nothing down and zero interest financing offers.

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I Haven't Had Leaks: Do I Really Need To Replace My Polybutylene Pipes?

Even if you haven't experienced leaks or other issues with your polybutylene pipes, it's still important to consider repiping.

Polybutylene pipes have a known history of failure and can be a significant liability for homeowners. Over time, exposure to chemicals in municipal water supplies can cause the pipes to weaken and become brittle. This increases the risk of leaks and water damage.

Mold from a quest pipe leak
Mold from a quest pipe leak

Some homeowners may not have experienced issues with their poly pipes. This doesn't mean their lucky streak won't end. Many of our polybutylene repipes are on homes that have gone for many years without problems; but they called us after making repairs on one or more leaks, and were frustrated to find out that our repipe cost was less than their previous damage repair.

We suspect that insurance companies' recent aggressive push for polybutylene replacement, is due to a spike in failure claims, as even previously leak-free Quest plumbing installations are now reaching the end of their useful lives, and starting to fail at higher rates.

It's important to get ahead of the known issues that come with having polybutylene pipes. Our repipes will maximize your home value and enable you to get the best rates for your home insurance.

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Get a Free Polybutylene Replacement Quote.

Here at Repipe Specialists, we've fully replaced the plumbing in over 75,000 homes since 1991 using both copper piping and PEX tubing. We continually get positive customer feedback from customers about their overall home repipe experiences. We often exceed their expectations on:

  • Speed: Our repipe crews typically complete a repipe in a day, returning on another day for wall patching.
  • Convenience: Through our One-Stop Repipe™ process, we handle everything from permits, to wall patching, to inspections.
  • Cleanliness: Our crews are trained to protect your home while working (we cover all surfaces with protective sheeting), and to clean up fully at the end of each day.
  • Peace of Mind: Repipe Specialists is a fully licensed plumber in every state we operate in, and we back all of our repipes with a lifetime warranty.
  • Financing programs: To help take the sting out of unplanned repipe expenses, we offer several financing programs.
  • Price: As a specialist that performs hundreds of repipes a week, we can deliver high-quality repipes at a lower cost vs generalist plumbers. We have an article that covers repipe cost factors in detail.

Schedule a free in-home consult, and one of our local repipe consultants will explain all your repipe options and provide you with a written, fixed-price quote.

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About Repipe Specialists

Expert Repiping at an Affordable Cost

Since our founding in 1991, we've been completing residential and multi-family building repipes to the highest standard.

With over 75,000 repipes completed, we've perfected our  One Stop Repipe™ process: providing you with a high quality and convenient repipe experience while offering significant savings compared to traditional plumbers - plus, our work is guaranteed for life.

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