Polybutylene (PB) Piping
01 · What it is
What is polybutylene (pb) piping?
Polybutylene is a gray plastic supply piping installed between 1978 and 1995. Chemical reaction with chlorinated water causes the pipe to become brittle from the inside out and rupture without warning.
02 · Why it matters
Why inspectors flag this
Polybutylene is a major insurance and resale concern. Some insurance carriers will not write policies on homes with active PB. Identifying it during inspection often triggers re-piping budgeting before purchase. Recall and class-action history.
03 · Example report wording
How professional inspectors report it
Liability-safe sample comment
Polybutylene (PB) supply piping identified at the water heater connections and at visible runs in the basement. Pipe is gray in color with copper or plastic fittings. Polybutylene is subject to known failure modes and may be flagged by insurance carriers. Recommend evaluation by a licensed plumbing contractor for re-piping budgeting and disclosure to your insurer prior to closing.
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About the Author
Lisa Meine, Certified Master Inspector
12+ years of home inspection experience. Co-founded InspectorData to give working inspectors a modern reporting system that respects their existing templates and workflows. InterNACHI member.