If your Marietta home was built between 1978 and the mid-1990s, polybutylene pipe is probably still hiding in your walls. The material was cheap, fast to install, and reacts badly to the chlorine and chloramine in Cobb County water. That reaction turns the pipe brittle and the fittings weep, then leak, then fail.
Plumbing Express has repiped thousands of Cobb County homes. We replace polybutylene with PEX-A or CPVC, patch the drywall, and match your paint, usually in 2 to 4 days. Call (678) 439-9540 for a free in-home quote.
How to spot polybutylene pipe in your Marietta home
Polybutylene is easy to identify once you know what to look for. Check the pipe entering your water heater, the line at your main shutoff, and any exposed runs under sinks or in the basement.
You are looking for:
- Gray plastic pipe, about a half inch in diameter, often with a slight sheen
- Blue or black versions sometimes used on outdoor or hot-water runs
- A stamp on the pipe that reads “PB2110”
- Copper or plastic crimp rings at every fitting
- Gray plastic acetal fittings at elbows and tees
If you see this in one spot, assume the whole house is plumbed with it. Builders rarely mixed materials in a single home.
Why polybutylene fails in Cobb County water
Polybutylene reacts with the disinfectants used in municipal water. Chlorine and chloramine attack the pipe wall from the inside. Over time the pipe flakes, the inner surface roughens, and the acetal fittings turn brittle. Failure usually starts at the fittings, then moves to the pipe itself.
Cobb County Water System treats the supply that serves Marietta, Smyrna, Austell, and Powder Springs. That chemistry is hard on any pipe that was not designed for it. Polybutylene was never designed for it.
The Cox v. Shell settlement is closed
In the 1990s a class-action lawsuit, Cox v. Shell, settled for over $1 billion. Homeowners with failing polybutylene could file a claim and get help paying for replacement. That claim window closed in 2009.
If you have polybutylene in 2026, replacement is on you. The work is faster and less invasive than most homeowners expect.
Signs your polybutylene is already failing
You do not always get a warning before a pipe bursts. You sometimes do. Watch for:
- A wet spot or stain on a ceiling or wall, especially below a bathroom
- A whistling or hissing sound from inside a wall
- A weeping fitting under a sink or behind the water heater
- Reduced flow at a single fixture for no clear reason
- A repair plumber who has already patched two or three leaks in the past year
Multiple repairs are the loudest signal. Once one fitting goes, the others are not far behind.
That said, do not wait for the warning. Manufacturers stopped making polybutylene in the mid-1990s. The youngest pipe still in service is at least 30 years old, and most is older. The material is past its useful life. Replace it on your schedule, before it picks the schedule for you.
Insurance and real estate impact in Cobb County
Most major insurance carriers in Georgia will not write a new homeowners policy on a house with polybutylene. Some will non-renew an existing policy after a claim. If you are selling, the buyer’s lender or inspector will flag it, and the appraisal can take a hit.
If you are buying a home in Marietta and the inspection report mentions gray plastic pipe, get a repipe quote before you close. We handle real estate repipes on short timelines for buyers and sellers.
How we repipe a Marietta home
We use W2 employees, not subcontractors. Most repipes follow the same flow:
- Free in-home walkthrough and written quote
- One day of rough plumbing for a typical 2-bath home
- Inspection by Cobb County or the City of Marietta
- Drywall patching and texture match
- Paint match in the affected areas
- Final walkthrough with you
Most homeowners stay in the house during the work. We cover furniture, wall off rooms that are not being plumbed, and contain dust. Read more on our repipe process page.
PEX-A or CPVC: which replacement pipe is right for you
Both are good choices. We help you pick based on your water chemistry, layout, and budget.
Uponor PEX-A is flexible, fast to install, and carries a 25-year manufacturer warranty. It handles freezing better than rigid pipe and works well in most Cobb County homes.
FlowGuard Gold CPVC is rigid and immune to chlorine, chloramine, and chlorine dioxide. It carries a 30-year manufacturer warranty. CPVC is the better choice if you have already lost copper or first-generation PEX to disinfectant attack, because the failure mode you fear cannot happen with CPVC.
Both come with our 10-year workmanship warranty on top of the manufacturer coverage. All warranties are transferable to the next homeowner.
What a polybutylene repipe costs in Marietta
Most Marietta repipes are priced based on:
- Square footage and number of bathrooms
- Slab, crawl space, or basement access
- Fixture count and any rerouting needed
- Drywall scope and paint match complexity
Every homeowner gets a written, fixed-price quote before any work starts. No hourly billing, no surprises. See our repipe cost page for examples, or call (678) 439-9540 for a free repipe quote.
Polybutylene is not the only failing pipe in Marietta anymore
Most Cobb County polybutylene was already replaced through the late 1990s and 2000s, after the Cox v. Shell settlement closed. What is left sits in specific 1980s and early 1990s neighborhoods. We still repipe several of these every month, so the problem is real, just smaller than it was.
The bigger volume of pipe failure we see in Cobb County homes today is copper and first-generation PEX.
Copper in Marietta, Smyrna, Austell, and Powder Springs is pitting from the inside out. Homeowners see pinhole leaks, green or white discoloration on the exterior of the pipe, and stains on walls and ceilings. The cause is the same water chemistry that hurts polybutylene. Read more on failing copper systems in Cobb County.
First-generation PEX installed before chlorine dioxide became common is now failing faster than it should. Chlorine dioxide degrades PEX much faster than chlorine alone, and Cobb County’s disinfectant use has shifted in that direction over the past several years. Read more on PEX pipe failure.
If you are not sure which pipe you have, we will tell you on the free assessment. Bring us the question, we will bring you the answer.
Polybutylene repipe FAQ
How do I know for sure if I have polybutylene?
Look for gray plastic pipe stamped “PB2110,” with copper or plastic crimp rings at every fitting. If you are not sure, send us a photo or schedule a free walkthrough.
Is polybutylene still legal to have in my home?
Yes. It is not banned, just no longer manufactured or installed. You can keep it until it fails. Most homeowners would rather replace it on their schedule than after a flood.
Will my insurance drop me if they find polybutylene?
Some carriers will non-renew, some will refuse to write a new policy, and a few do not ask. Replacing the pipe removes the risk and the underwriting concern.
How long does a Marietta polybutylene repipe take?
Typically 2 to 4 working days from rough plumbing through paint match. Most homeowners stay in the house.
Do you patch the drywall and match the paint?
Yes. We handle the drywall and paint, not a subcontractor. That is why we can guarantee the finish.
What is the warranty?
10-year workmanship from Plumbing Express, plus the manufacturer warranty on the pipe. 25 years on Uponor PEX-A and 30 years on FlowGuard Gold CPVC. All warranties are transferable.
