HOMEOWNERS · PLUMBING & INSURABILITY

Do You Have to Replace Your Pipes to Get Home Insurance in Florida?

By Nelson Avila, Licensed Florida Public Adjuster (License G332385) · Florida Certified Contractor
Homeland Public Adjusters · Last reviewed: November 2026

Plumber replacing a faucet on an old, rusty pipe

If the home has polybutylene pipes, plan on replacing them. Citizens Property Insurance, Florida’s insurer of last resort, does not write new policies on homes more than 20 years old with polybutylene piping, and private insurers can decline those homes too. Insurers can also look at the age of the rest of the plumbing when they decide whether to offer coverage.

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Why insurers ask about your pipes

Water from plumbing is one of the most common home insurance claims, so insurers check the plumbing before they agree to cover a home. Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation has said an insurer “may consider the age of the home, roof, plumbing, electrical wiring or the heat and air” when it offers coverage (NBC 6, 2023).

Many insurers ask for a four-point inspection on older homes: the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing and the air conditioning. In the NBC 6 report, a Miami homeowner’s house failed that inspection and she was told to replace her pipes to get a new policy.

Polybutylene pipes

What it is: a gray plastic supply pipe that was widely used in new construction from 1978 to 1995.
Citizens’ rule: new-business homeowners risks more than 20 years old with polybutylene piping are not insurable by Citizens (Citizens eligibility rules, effective February 1, 2022).
Private insurers: each insurer sets its own rules, and many treat polybutylene the same way. Replacing it with copper or PEX opens up more choices of insurer.

Does insurance pay to replace the pipes?

No. Replacing pipes so a home qualifies for coverage is an upgrade the owner pays for. What the policy pays for is the water damage when a pipe suddenly leaks or bursts: the floors, walls, cabinets and belongings the water ruined.

Call Homeland first. If a pipe has already leaked or burst, call Homeland before the plumber tears anything out. We document the damage and the cause, report the claim for you and claim everything the water damaged.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to replace polybutylene pipes to get insurance in Florida?

To get a new Citizens policy on a home more than 20 years old, yes: Citizens does not insure those homes with polybutylene piping. Private insurers set their own rules, and many decline polybutylene too.

What is a four-point inspection?

An inspection of the roof, the electrical system, the plumbing and the air conditioning that many insurers ask for on older homes before they offer coverage.

Will my insurance pay to repipe my house?

No. Repiping to qualify for coverage is an upgrade the owner pays for. The policy pays for sudden water damage a pipe causes.

A pipe burst in my home. What do I do first?

Shut off the water, then call Homeland first, before the plumber tears anything out. We document the damage and the cause and report the claim for you.

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