The two materials, and why they fail
Galvanized steel — standard through the 1950s and lingering into the 60s — corrodes from the inside out. Decades of mineral buildup narrow the pipe (falling pressure is the tell), and corrosion eventually finds a seam or thread. The failure isn't dramatic until it is: a pinhole becomes a ceiling collapse while you're at work.
Polybutylene — the gray plastic supply pipe of roughly the late 1970s through the mid-1990s — had a different problem: fittings and material degradation that produced sudden failures at scale, enough to make the material a named item on many carrier questionnaires. If your home was built or repiped in that window, it's worth knowing what's actually in the walls.
Copper and PEX, by contrast, are the answers underwriters want to hear — modern PEX repipes are the standard fix in most of California.
How carriers rate the plumbing answer
| Your answer | Market response |
|---|---|
| Full repipe (copper/PEX), documented | The clean bill — preferred markets, normal terms |
| Partial update, year known | Workable — carriers rate to what remains; documentation helps |
| Original galvanized / polybutylene, disclosed | Some carriers restrict water coverage or require updates; specialty markets price as-is |
| "No idea" | Treated as original on an older home — the costliest shrug on the form |
Our wizard asks the update year with full/partial options and assumes original when unknown — the same convention underwriters use. Permit records and your purchase inspection report usually pin the real answer down. The systems-update playbook →
Know your pipes
The wizard asks plumbing condition and update year — honest answers, better markets.
Four minutes to an indication from carriers whose plumbing rules fit your home today. No fee, no obligation.
Get a pricing indication →The repipe, and the device that buys time
The repipe is the definitive project: whole-house PEX or copper, permitted, typically days not weeks, walls patched behind it. At quote time it moves the home up a market tier, removes water-coverage restrictions, and retires the single most likely claim in the house. The shutoff device is the bridge: an automatic water shutoff valve with leak sensors notices abnormal flow and closes the main — carriers increasingly reward them, and on aging pipes the pairing of "old lines + monitored shutoff" is a materially better underwriting story than old lines alone. Device credits, ranked →
One more honest note: a slow leak you knew about and ignored is a maintenance exclusion on any policy — sudden discharge is what's covered. Fix drips, photograph the fix, and keep the water heater's age on your radar too; it's the other appliance adjusters meet constantly. What's covered vs maintenance →
Frequently asked
How do I find out what pipe I have?
Look where supply lines are visible — under sinks, at the water heater, in the garage or crawlspace. Gray plastic marked "PB" suggests polybutylene; threaded gray metal is galvanized. Your purchase inspection report likely says, and any plumber can confirm in minutes.
Will insurance pay for my repipe?
No — replacing aging pipe is maintenance. Insurance pays for the sudden damage old pipe causes, which is exactly why carriers prefer homes that retire the risk first. Claims strategy →
Does a water claim from old pipes raise my rates?
Water claims are the most common entry on CLUE reports (carriers look back 5–7 years), and a repipe after a claim is the strongest "cause remediated" story you can tell at remarketing. The levers →