Should you buy a house with lead pipes?

Buying a house with lead pipes

You can buy a house with lead pipes if the cost of replacing the lead line goes into your deal. Before your inspection deadline, get a licensed plumber's written bid for full replacement and ask the seller to cover it. Call the water utility the same day, because it may be required to replace its side of the line.

Key takeaways

• Price the whole line. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new rule bars water systems from partial replacement outside emergency repairs or planned infrastructure work.
• Check that a bid includes restoring the yard and street. At DC Water, that is 40% of the cost.
• Most water systems get 10 years to replace the lead lines they control. Ask where your street sits on the plan.

What does lead pipe on an inspection report mean?

The pipe that matters most is the service line, which runs from the water main under the street into the house. In homes that have one, EPA calls it "typically the most significant source of lead in the water." Lead pipes are more likely in older cities and in homes built before 1986.

To confirm what the pipe is made of, EPA says to ask your water utility first, and a licensed plumber if the utility has no record. Since October 2024, EPA has required water systems to have a service line inventory and to notify people served by a known or potential lead line. The utility's inventory may already list your address.

Are lead pipes bad?

EPA's fact sheet on its lead rule says: "There is no known safe level of lead in drinking water." It adds that exposure "can cause serious human health impacts including neurodevelopmental problems in children and heart disease in adults." EPA sets its health goal for lead in drinking water at zero.

You cannot see, taste or smell lead, so EPA says testing is the only sure way to know what is in the water. Ask the water utility to test it; EPA puts a certified lab test at $20 to $100.

Until the line is replaced, follow EPA's steps:

• Use only cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula. Boiling does not remove lead.
• Use a filter certified to remove lead, and replace the cartridge on time.
• Run the tap before drinking. Your water utility sets the flushing time for your area.

How much does lead service line replacement cost?

Prices differ mostly by scope: the whole line or only your side, and whether digging and restoring the yard and street are included.

DC Water's figures include restoration, which it puts at 40% of replacement cost: about $8,400 of the $21,000 full replacement. Some utilities leave restoration out, so ask your plumber whether the bid covers patching the lawn, driveway and sidewalk.

A spot repair is not the fix to price. EPA's planning guidance cites its Science Advisory Board, which warns that "other pipe materials, including galvanized pipe, can also become compromised if only partially replaced." Its new rule, the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), bars partial replacements "unless they are conducted as part of an emergency repair or in coordination with planned infrastructure work." Ask for a bid on the whole line, from the main to the house.

Will the water utility pay for it?

Sometimes, and only the utility can tell you. The LCRI requires water systems to replace the lead lines under their control within 10 years, along with galvanized lines that need replacing. States can set an earlier deadline, and some systems get more time in limited cases. Each system with lead or unknown lines must also file a replacement plan with its state, so ask to see it. EPA estimates about 26,000 water systems must replace lead or galvanized lines under that rule.

Who pays for the owner's side varies. EPA lists it as a known challenge: who owns the line, and who must maintain or repair it. Fixr says some city projects are covered fully or partly by the city, and the owner may pay part. Ask the utility three questions in writing:

• Is this address on the replacement schedule, and when?
• Which part of the line does the utility replace?
• What does the owner pay, including restoration?

What should you ask the seller for?

Ask for the full-replacement figure on your plumber's written bid, less anything the utility confirms in writing it will pay. Here is one for Washington DC, using DC Water's 2024 private-side figure until your own bid arrives. If the utility confirms it will do the public side, the line reads: replace the lead water service line, private side, licensed plumber, $7,200. If you cannot get a bid before your deadline, use the guide to getting repair estimates during the inspection period. 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.

A credit or price cut suits this finding if you would rather pick the plumber and schedule the work yourself. What to ask for after a home inspection shows where this line sits in your list. The buyer repair request letter template has the wording.

What if the seller says no?

If the seller says no, you have three choices:

• Counter with a smaller credit backed by the plumber's bid, if the utility will cover part of the line.
• Accept and budget for it, using the bid as your number.
• Cancel inside your inspection window, if the cost does not fit. Weigh it with when to walk away after a home inspection.

Your contract sets the exact deadline and terms, so confirm them with your agent.

How long does lead service line replacement take?

Fixr says the replacement itself usually takes about a day. The whole process, from water testing to the new line, can take up to a few weeks, so it may not finish before closing. Your plumber's bid should state the start date.

What else on my report should I price before the deadline?

Price every other line on your report before the deadline, since each line you ask for needs a number behind it.

With the plumber's bid in hand, upload your inspection report to Kept to price the rest of the list before you write the request.

Sources

• EPA, Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
• EPA, Revised Lead and Copper Rule
• EPA, Final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements fact sheet: benefits and costs
• EPA, Planning and Conducting Lead Service Line Replacement
• EPA, Strategies to Achieve Full Lead Service Line Replacement
• DC Water, Lead Free DC: Understanding the Cost
• Fixr, What to Expect from a Lead Service Line Replacement
• New York State Department of Health, Lead Service Line Replacement Program FAQ