The short answer
Poly-B is a negotiating point, not a dealbreaker, for most buyers. You get a plumber's quote to repipe, then use it to lower the price or have the seller handle it. It only becomes a real problem if you can't get affordable insurance on the home as-is, and even then, a planned repipe usually solves it. Read the full guide to poly-B plumbing.
Why buyers worry about it
Two reasons: poly-B can fail without warning and cause sudden water damage, and a growing number of Canadian insurers won't cover an active poly-B home or add water-damage surcharges, exclusions, or higher deductibles. Because insurability affects your mortgage, that second one is the reason to sort it out before closing, see homes insurers won't cover.
When it's closer to a real problem
Poly-B is more serious when the home is on a well or high-chlorine municipal supply (which ages it faster), when the pipe already shows leaks or repairs, or when your insurer flatly declines coverage and a repipe isn't in your budget. In a rushed multiple-offer situation with no time to confirm insurance, the missing information is itself the risk.
What it costs to fix
A full-house repipe typically runs $6,000 to $18,000, depending on size, access, and the drywall and finishes that must be opened and patched afterward. That's your negotiating number. Get it in writing from a licensed plumber.
How to handle it in your offer
- Have a licensed plumber confirm the material and quote a repipe.
- Ask your insurance broker for a quote on that specific home before you remove conditions. The insurance pre-check lists what an insurer will ask about.
- Use the repipe quote to negotiate a price cut or a seller-completed repipe.
- Make satisfactory insurance a condition of the offer where you can.