Poly-B Replacement in Vancouver, BC

Polybutylene plumbing was commonly installed in Vancouver homes built between 1978 and 1998. If your home was constructed during this period, there's a possibility it contains poly-B pipes. Many insurance companies in British Columbia now have specific policies regarding polybutylene plumbing, including potential surcharges or requirements for replacement. Learn more about poly-B →

The City of Vancouver is older than most places in this directory, with 20.4% of its occupied dwellings built before 1961, yet the 2021 Census still counts 83,160 homes (27.2%) from 1981–2000. Neighbourhood-level construction years are not published as open data here, so the chart below uses the city-wide figures and each community guide shares them.

Metro Vancouver treats the region’s water by filtration or ozone plus ultraviolet light and uses chlorine as its disinfectant; since the 1990s it has also adjusted pH and alkalinity to protect copper plumbing (Metro Vancouver). The City requires a plumbing permit to change any part of a plumbing system. In a strata building, pipes inside walls and floors between units are common property under the Strata Property Act, so the strata corporation is part of any repipe decision. The Vancouver guide has published prices, strata rules and BC insurance context.