Polybutylene pipe is a plastic pipe that was used in residential water supply systems. It was very common in the Tucson
area from about 1982 until 1997. This pipe became the subject of a billion dollar class action lawsuit. The pipe had an unusually
high failure rate and would leak without warning. Some insurance companies will no longer insure homes with this pipe. Commonly
this pipe is not visible since copper pipe is used at the end of the “run” as it exits the wall. Make sure you
use an inspector who makes every effort to identify your pipe material, not someone who simply says “pipes not visible,
could not determine material”. Visit
www.pbpipe.com for further information. Arizona and Florida had the highest use of this pipe. The typical cost to re-plumb a home is $5,000
to $7,000.
