Should you buy a house with cast iron pipes?

Is it bad to buy a house with cast iron pipes?

You can buy a house with cast iron pipes if a camera shows the line is sound or the seller pays for what it finds. A pipe's age alone doesn't tell you its condition, so book a sewer camera inspection before your deadline. Then ask the seller for the repair a plumber prices, not a round-number guess.

Key takeaways

• The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) doesn't require a sewer scope in its standards, so your inspector may not have run one. Depending on the area, it runs $100 to $250.
• In Dallas, lining a 50-foot run costs $4,750 to $13,750 at one plumber's prices. That can beat digging it up, but not always.
• American Family Insurance says a typical homeowners policy won't cover a dated sewer line that corrodes and collapses.

What does cast iron on an inspection report mean?

The InterNACHI life expectancy chart puts cast iron waste pipe at 50 to 60 years below ground and 60 years above ground. InterNACHI says those figures assume regular maintenance and are guidelines only, not guarantees.

The buried line from the house to the city sewer or septic tank needs a camera. InterNACHI calls a sewer scope an extra service that its standards of practice do not require. Depending on the area, a scope runs $100 to $250. If your inspector didn't run one, a sewer scope before buying is your next step.

How do you know if cast iron pipes are bad?

Cast iron wears from both sides. Mother Modern Plumbing, a Dallas plumber, says wastewater corrodes the inside and soil corrodes the outside, which leads to scaling, cracks, root intrusion and, in the end, failure.

A licensed plumber runs a camera through the line and tells you what it shows. Pipe condition runs from moderate corrosion that is still structurally sound to heavy scale, root damage and partial collapse. If the video shows roots or a sag, see roots or belly in a sewer line.

Two signs make this urgent: sewage backing up into the house, or a damp low spot in the yard over the line. InterNACHI says a scope is critical to confirming "these problems, which must be addressed immediately." If sewage is backing up, tell your agent so nobody runs water or flushes, and get a licensed plumber out that day.

Ask the plumber for the video, the length of pipe affected, and a written scope. Getting repair estimates during the inspection period covers booking one fast.

How much does it cost to replace cast iron pipes?

The price depends on how much pipe is bad and how the plumber reaches it. A single isolated crack costs far less than widespread corrosion or a collapsed section. The Dallas prices below are one local plumber's; the lining contractor works nationwide.

Mother's dig-up prices cover backfilling the trench and restoring the surface. If a plumber quotes digging by the foot instead, ask what it leaves out. Pipe Restoration Solutions puts breaking through slabs or floors at $3,500 to $7,500, and restoring lawns, driveways and flooring at $2,000 to $8,000 or more.

Lining means curing a new pipe inside the old one, called cured-in-place pipe (CIPP). It can seal small cracks without extensive digging, if the line can sustain the process. For more extensive damage, Restore Pipe Systems says the pipe needs bursting instead. Plumbers disagree on how long a liner lasts: Mother, which replaces pipe, calls relining a short-term fix for cast iron, while Pipe Restoration Solutions says its epoxy liners are engineered to last 50 years or more. Ask your plumber whether this pipe can take a liner, and get the warranty in writing.

Here's the math on a 50-foot run in Dallas. Lining at $95 to $275 a foot costs $4,750 (50 × $95) to $13,750 (50 × $275), more if the pipe is deep. Digging up and replacing the same run starts at $10,000 and can pass $30,000. Lining can cost less, but the top of its range sits above the bottom of the dig range.

A plumber's written bid replaces all of these once you have it. For the rest of your report, Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional quote.

What should you ask the seller for?

Match the ask to what the camera found. Mother Modern Plumbing says a single crack or minor root intrusion might need only a spot repair or partial replacement. Widespread deterioration or multiple collapses call for full replacement.

Write the line with the method, the footage from the camera video, the trade and your plumber's bid. Until the bid arrives, use the table's range for the same job and method, not a lower number. If the seller agrees to do the work, ask for the plumber's invoice, any permit, and a new camera video after the repair.

What to ask for after a home inspection shows how this line sits with the rest of your list. The buyer repair request letter template has the wording around it.

What if the seller says no?

You have three choices:

• Take a credit or price cut instead of the repair, sized to the same bid.
• Accept the house as it is and budget for the work yourself.
• Cancel inside your inspection window, if your contract allows it. Your contract sets the dates and terms, so confirm with your agent or attorney.

The deciding question is whether you'd pay the plumber's number yourself. When to walk away after a home inspection walks through it.

Does homeowners insurance cover cast iron pipe replacement?

Not when the line simply wore out, according to American Family Insurance. Its list of problems "a typical homeowners policy will not cover" includes: "Your dated sewer line is corroded and collapses, which results in sewer backup." It says coverage depends on "what caused the problem" and suggests optional service line coverage. Ask your own insurance agent what your policy covers before your deadline.

What about the rest of my plumbing findings?

Price each one the same way: a method, a trade and a figure.

If the camera finds work and your report has other lines too, upload your inspection report to Kept to price the rest of your list before you write the request.

Sources

• InterNACHI, Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes
• InterNACHI, Sewer Scope Inspections for Home Inspectors
• Pipe Restoration Solutions, Cast Iron Pipe Lining Cost
• Mother Modern Plumbing, Dallas Cast Iron Pipe Replacement Cost Guide
• Restore Pipe Systems, Cast Iron Sewer Pipe Replacement Cost
• American Family Insurance, Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Sewer Lines?