Selling a House With Polybutylene Pipes in Florida
3 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Joseph Mena, CFO of Cash Flow Deals. · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
Polybutylene pipe doesn't have to sink your sale, but it can sink a buyer's mortgage approval and your homeowners insurance quote. With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. A gray plastic pipe from the 1980s is worth discussing early so you understand your options before a plumbing concern surfaces two weeks before closing.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | A buyer's lender can pause or deny financing once an inspector flags polybutylene, adding weeks or killing the deal outright | You compare the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy as-is and close, with the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you |
| Repairs | A full repipe often runs several thousand dollars, and buyers or their lender may demand it before closing | You make no repairs on the Fast Cash Offer; on the Premium Cash Offer, only lender-required work, including a repipe if required, gets done, with costs covered and settled from the sale proceeds out of our share |
| Fees / Costs | Some insurers charge more or decline to write a policy with polybutylene present, which can scare off buyers before an offer arrives | On your Premium Cash Offer sale, Cash Flow Deals is paid as a separate line item on the closing statement, from what remains after amounts owed and your agreed number are paid |
What Polybutylene Pipe Is and Why So Many Florida Homes Have It
Polybutylene is a gray plastic pipe that builders installed widely in U.S. homes from 1978 to 1995 because it was cheap and fast to run compared to copper. Florida has a particularly large share of it, partly because of the construction boom that followed Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which fell squarely inside that installation window. The pipe became infamous because chlorine and other oxidants common in municipal water supplies react with it over time, making the pipe brittle from the inside out until it cracks or bursts, often with no warning. That defect led to a major class-action settlement in the mid-1990s, commonly known by the case name Cox v. Shell Oil Co., that gave affected homeowners a window to claim compensation toward replacement.
Why Insurance Gets Harder With Polybutylene in the Walls
Some Florida insurers decline to write a new policy once polybutylene is identified during an inspection, and others will renew an existing policy but exclude or cap water-damage claims tied to the plumbing. This is not a uniform rule across every carrier. It's a practice that varies company to company and policy to policy, so a seller who suspects polybutylene in the house should ask their current insurer directly what happens at renewal, and should expect a buyer's insurance shopping to take longer or turn up fewer available carriers.
Why a Buyer's Lender Can Complicate a Traditional Sale
FHA does not have a blanket requirement to repair or replace polybutylene piping just because it's present. But individual lenders, including some working FHA, VA, and conventional loans, can and do require a licensed plumber to replace it before they'll fund, based on their own overlay guidelines rather than a fixed government rule. That means a seller listing traditionally does not know whether polybutylene will become a closing condition until a specific buyer's specific lender weighs in, sometimes deep into the underwriting process.
Cash Flow Deals' Process for a House With Polybutylene Plumbing
Cash Flow Deals' Process: 1. Request a walkthrough so you can discuss the pipe material and compare your Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer. 2. Cash Flow Deals checks what plumbing can be identified, since not every gray pipe from that era is polybutylene. 3. With Cash Flow Deals, you choose whether we buy your house as-is and close or a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. On Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with repair costs settled from the sale proceeds and nothing paid by you up front. 4. You help pick the closing date. On Premium, your buyer signs a new contract directly with you, title transfers once from you to that buyer, and their lender funds the purchase.
Your Agreed Number and the One Exception
With Cash Flow Deals, you choose between the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, and the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. On either offer, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. On Premium, we cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. Only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with costs settled from the sale proceeds out of our share, not your number. On Fast Cash, you make no repairs. Your Premium sale may be listed through Silver Door Realty, a licensed Florida brokerage, with a licensed agent and scheduled showings. Your buyer signs a new contract directly with you, and their lender funds the purchase. Cash Flow Deals is paid as a separate line item on the closing statement. If the buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number.
Common questions
How do I know if my house has polybutylene pipes?
It's typically a dull gray or off-white plastic pipe, often visible under sinks, at the water heater, or where the main line enters the house, and it's most common in homes built or replumbed between 1978 and 1995. A licensed plumber can confirm it in a short visit if you're not sure.
Will my insurance company drop me if they find polybutylene?
It depends on the carrier. Some decline new policies or add exclusions once it's identified, others don't treat it differently. Ask your specific insurer directly, since this varies company to company and isn't governed by a single statewide rule.
Does polybutylene affect FHA loans?
FHA itself doesn't have a blanket rule requiring replacement. But individual lenders processing FHA, VA, or conventional loans can require a licensed plumber to replace it before funding, based on their own guidelines, so the answer can differ buyer to buyer.
Do I have to replace the pipes before Cash Flow Deals buys the house?
No. You can choose the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close without repairs, or the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. On Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, including plumbing if required. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket; those costs are settled from the sale proceeds out of our share.