At a glance
- Who
- Owners and buyers of homes built from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.
- What
- An insurer bulletin says polybutylene was used from 1979 until about 1995. Other accounts say 1978.
- When
- Before a remodel that opens walls or changes plumbing, and when buying.
- Where
- The insurer bulletin says it was most commonly found in the Sun Belt, which generally includes Florida.
- Why
- Plumbing decisions during a remodel are cheaper to make before walls are closed.
The short answer
Polybutylene (PB) is a plastic water supply pipe. This page relies on one source we could read in full, a Philadelphia Insurance Company Loss Control Technical Bulletin (number 1800, dated May 2000). It is an insurer's bulletin, not a government agency's, and it is old. We found no official guidance on polybutylene, so treat everything here as secondary.
The bulletin says polybutylene was used "from 1979 until about 1995."
The start year is in conflict
The insurer bulletin says 1979. Other accounts we saw in search results give 1978, including a class period starting in 1978. We could not open those pages, so we cannot settle it. A home built in either year is worth a look. We do not give a firm start date.
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How common was it?
The same bulletin says polybutylene went into "over 6,000,000 homes" and was "most commonly found in the 'Sun Belt'." It estimates it was installed in "about one of every four homes" built in those years. That last number is the bulletin's own estimate, not a count.
We do not know how many Manatee or Sarasota County homes have it, and we could not find Census year-built numbers to estimate from, so we do not give one.
Why it fails: a belief, not a settled fact
The bulletin says it is believed that oxidants in public water supplies, such as chlorine, react with the polybutylene piping. It adds that scientific evidence is "for the most part unavailable." So even the cause is stated as a belief by the source itself.
What we could not confirm
- Insurance. Search summaries say some insurers may cancel, refuse or surcharge homes with polybutylene. We did not read a source that confirms it. Ask your insurer.
- The class action settlement. Amounts in search summaries conflict, so we do not give one.
- Official guidance. We did not find any from the CPSC or other agencies in our research.
What to do before a remodel
If your home was built in the years above, have a licensed plumber look at the supply piping before walls are opened for a kitchen or bathroom remodel. Manatee County lists Plumbing as a standard permit type, so plumbing changes are permitted work.
Older homes often raise several questions at once. Our guide on remodeling an older Florida home covers them together, including aluminum wiring.
How to read this page
We are strict about sources on this page because the facts are thin. A fact from the insurer bulletin is labeled that way. A fact from a search summary we could not open is labeled that way. A fact we could not find is called out as not found. Nothing here is an official finding, and none of it is a diagnosis of your home. A licensed plumber has to look at the actual pipes.
If a seller, inspector or insurer tells you something specific about polybutylene, ask which source it comes from. The year range, the failure cause and the insurance rules are the three places where the sources we found disagree or go quiet.
Questions to ask
- Of the seller or your inspector: is any of the supply piping polybutylene, and how do you know?
- Of your insurer: how does a home with polybutylene piping affect coverage or price? We could not confirm it from a source.
- Of a licensed plumber: what would it take to replace the supply piping, and can it be done as part of a kitchen or bathroom remodel?
Hildebrand quotes every job individually after an on-site visit, so we give no replacement price here.
How Hildebrand handles it
Hildebrand does not do plumbing itself. Plumbing is done by licensed trade partners that we manage and coordinate, under one licensed contractor. If you suspect polybutylene, mention it at the free in-home visit so we can plan the plumbing scope into the estimate.
See our bathroom remodels and kitchen remodels. The estimate is written, we pull every required permit, and the price does not change without your written approval. Read our process.
Questions homeowners ask
When was polybutylene pipe used in homes?
A Philadelphia Insurance Company bulletin says from 1979 until about 1995. Other accounts give 1978 as the start, so the start year is in conflict.
Is polybutylene common in Florida?
The same bulletin says it was most commonly found in the Sun Belt and estimates it was in about one of every four homes built in those years. That is its own estimate.
Why do polybutylene pipes fail?
The bulletin says it is believed that oxidants like chlorine in public water react with the pipe, and that scientific evidence is for the most part unavailable.
Does Hildebrand replace plumbing?
Hildebrand manages and coordinates licensed plumbing trade partners. We do not do the plumbing ourselves.
Planning a remodel in an older home?
Get a free in-home consultation and written estimate from a Florida licensed general contractor serving Manatee and Sarasota Counties.