🔧 FL Whole-House Repipe
Cost Estimator

Galvanized steel pipe corrodes from the inside, progressively reducing water flow and releasing iron rust into water. In FL's humid environment, exterior corrosion is also severe. Tell-tale signs: rust-colored water, dramatically low flow at fixtures (especially upper floors), orange/brown staining in toilets and showers, metallic taste. FL galvanized pipe average life: 40–70 years — any pipe older than 50 years should be replaced proactively. Galvanized in active service is a red flag for FL homeowners insurance — many carriers won't write policies on homes with galvanized supply.

Polybutylene pipe (brand names: QuestPEX, PB-200) was widely used in FL homes built 1978–1995. FL's chloraminated municipal water causes PB to oxidize and become brittle — pipe and fittings fail suddenly without warning. Identifiable by gray color and plastic acetal fittings (crimp rings or metal fittings with plastic inserts). No insurance coverage for PB failures. FL insurers routinely non-renew or refuse to write policies on PB homes. A class-action settlement existed (Cox v. Shell Oil) — expired 2009. PB replacement is not optional: it's a matter of when it fails, not if.

When copper supply pipe under or in a FL slab fails multiple times, the whole system is aging and will continue failing — spot repairs are fighting the same underlying corrosion. Most FL homeowners insurance carriers consider 2+ slab leak claims within 3–5 years a trigger to non-renew coverage. A full repipe eliminates the root cause. PEX-A repipe through walls (not through slab) means no future slab penetration risk. Cost of repipe is typically less than 3 slab repair incidents combined, with drastically lower insurance risk.

Pitting corrosion from FL water chemistry causes pinhole failures in Type L copper. Once pinholes appear, they propagate through the system — if you've had one, others are forming. FL homes built 1960–1990 with original copper supply showing pinhole leaks in walls should be fully evaluated for system-wide failure risk. Partial repairs (replacing one section) address the symptom — repipe addresses the systemic copper degradation throughout the home.

FL home inspectors consistently call out galvanized, PB, or aging copper as material defects. A repipe before listing eliminates a major negotiation leverage point for buyers. Buyers' lenders (FHA, VA, conventional) can require plumbing replacement as a condition of loan approval. Completing a repipe before listing: removes contingency risk, expands buyer pool, and often returns more than cost in sale price protection and reduced buyer credits.