Polybutylene Piping in South Florida: What Homeowners Need to Know

Polybutylene piping is a form of plastic resin that was used heavily in new construction from 1978 to 1995. If your South Florida home was built during this time, chances are it includes this material somewhere in your interior piping system.

Polybutylene has drawn heavy scrutiny for its extremely high failure rate and was involved in a massive $950 million lawsuit settlement in 1995. Industry experts believe as many as 10 million homes have this material installed — particularly in Florida, including homes built during the South Florida construction boom after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The Insurance Problem

In some instances, homeowners are finding that their insurance companies will either cancel coverage after extensive damage caused by polybutylene piping, or simply refuse coverage to homes that have it installed at all. In today’s Florida insurance market, documented polybutylene is increasingly a hard stop at renewal time.

Why It Fails

The exact cause of the material’s failure has been contested — some blame contractors for exposing pipes to direct sunlight before installation, while others point to the chlorination of municipal water. Whatever the cause, most problems begin anywhere from 10–15 years after installation, which means every remaining polybutylene system in South Florida is now living on borrowed time.

How to Know If You Have It

Polybutylene supply lines are usually gray (sometimes blue or black outdoors), flexible plastic, and often stamped “PB2110.” Check where lines enter your water heater, under sinks, and at the main shutoff. It’s often difficult for the average homeowner to identify with certainty — which is exactly what a professional inspection is for.

What To Do About It

If you’d like to schedule an inspection with one of our licensed plumbing technicians, call us at (754) 256-3630 and we’ll be happy to assist. In addition to assessing your home’s piping system, we can run leak detection tests to determine whether problems have already begun without your knowledge. If your home does have polybutylene, we’ll offer a fair, written proposal to repipe your home — giving you security, insurability, and peace of mind for decades to come.