Which Vancouver-area neighbourhoods and home types are most likely to have Poly B pipes?

Poly B was standard in Metro Vancouver homes and strata units built between 1985 and 1998. High-risk areas include Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, Langley, and North Vancouver neighbourhoods developed during that construction boom. Townhomes, low-rise condos, and detached homes from this era are the most common properties requiring Poly B replacement in the Lower Mainland.

Can I replace Poly B pipes in my Vancouver condo or strata unit?

Yes, but strata approval is typically required before work begins, even if the pipes are entirely within your unit. Most strata bylaws treat plumbing changes affecting shared systems as common property work requiring board sign-off. The Poly B Plumbing Guys handle coordination with strata councils and manage all permit documentation on your behalf.

Are BC home insurers cancelling policies on homes with Poly B plumbing?

Yes. Major BC insurers including Intact, Wawanesa, and Economical are increasingly declining renewals or adding water damage exclusions on homes with Poly B piping. Vancouver homeowners are also seeing significant premium increases. Completing a documented Poly B replacement with a licensed contractor is typically required to restore standard coverage terms.

How much does Poly B pipe replacement cost in Vancouver?

Poly B replacement in Metro Vancouver typically ranges higher than inland Alberta markets due to local labour rates and permit requirements. Cost depends on home size, number of fixtures, pipe accessibility, and whether strata coordination is needed. The Poly B Plumbing Guys provide fixed-price quotes with no hidden fees — call 604-616-0847 for a free on-site estimate.

Do I need a permit to replace Poly B pipes in Vancouver?

Yes. In Metro Vancouver and surrounding municipalities, replacing your home's plumbing system requires a building permit. Your contractor must be licensed in BC and is responsible for submitting the permit application and scheduling municipal inspection. The Poly B Plumbing Guys handle all permit applications and inspections as part of every project.

What does the Poly B replacement process look like from start to finish in Vancouver?

After your free on-site assessment, we provide a fixed quote within 24–48 hours. Our Red Seal certified plumbers remove all Poly B piping and install PEX meeting the 2024 BC Plumbing Code. Access holes are patched, textured, and painted to match. You deal with one crew from removal through full restoration — no coordinating multiple contractors.

Does Poly B plumbing affect home sales in Vancouver?

Significantly. Vancouver's competitive real estate market means buyers and their agents are highly aware of Poly B. Disclosure is required, and once disclosed, it typically triggers price reductions or subjects-to-replacement conditions. Replacing Poly B before listing eliminates the negotiation liability, satisfies insurer requirements for the next owner, and supports a cleaner, faster sale.

How long does Poly B replacement take in a Vancouver home?

Most single-family homes in Metro Vancouver are completed in one to two days for plumbing work, with drywall repair and painting following immediately after. Strata units may require additional scheduling lead time for board approval and building access coordination. We minimise disruption throughout and restore your home before we leave.

Why hire a Poly B specialist instead of a general plumber in Vancouver?

Poly B replacement requires cutting precise drywall access points, removing aging crimp-ring fittings, and restoring walls and ceilings afterward. General plumbers subcontract drywall and painting, adding cost and delays. The Poly B Plumbing Guys handle the complete scope in-house — plumbing, drywall, and paint — with Red Seal certified tradespeople on every job.

What areas of Metro Vancouver do The Poly B Plumbing Guys serve?

We serve Metro Vancouver and the surrounding Lower Mainland, including Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, Port Moody, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack. Our BC operations are based out of Abbotsford. Call 604-616-0847 to confirm availability in your area.

Do I need a permit to replace Poly B pipes in the Fraser Valley?

A repipe is plumbing work that generally requires a permit from your local authority, whether that is the City of Abbotsford, City of Chilliwack, Township of Langley or your municipality. We handle the permit and the inspection as part of the job so the work is on record, which matters when you sell or deal with your insurer.

Fraser Valley Poly B specialists

Could Your Home Insurance Be at Risk of Termination?

Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley, Mission, Maple Ridge and Metro Vancouver.

Poly B removed and replaced with code-approved PE-RT or PEX piping
Drywall repair and paint included
Flat written quote, no hourly billing
Red Seal certified plumbers

REMOVE-REPLACE-RESTORE

Hear from our clients

Robert and his wife Barbara

Poly b replacement

Joanne

Poly b removal

The Fraser Valley Poly B crew that finishes the walls too

If your Abbotsford, Chilliwack or Langley home went up in the late 80s or 90s, there is a good chance grey Poly B pipe runs through the walls. We are a Fraser Valley plumbing crew that does one thing well: take that pipe out, replace it with code-approved PE-RT or PEX piping, and leave your home looking like we were never there. We install modern, code-approved polyethylene-based potable water distribution piping, including PE-RT or PEX, depending on project requirements. You deal with one team from the free estimate to the final coat of paint.

Most repipe quotes stop at the plumbing and hand you a stack of holes to fix yourself. Ours does not. The price we put in writing covers removing the Poly B, running the new lines, repairing the drywall, and painting. No general contractor to hire after, no surprise invoices.

Why so many Fraser Valley homes have Poly B

Poly B was the go-to water supply pipe in Canada from roughly 1978 to 1997, and it was everywhere during the building boom that filled in the valley. It was finally pulled from the Canadian plumbing code in 2005 because it cracks and fails as it ages, especially in chlorinated municipal water.

If your home was built in that window, it is worth a look. The pipe is grey, flexible, and usually stamped PB2110. Check at the hot water tank, under sinks, and where lines enter the walls.

We see it constantly across the valley. Tap your city for local detail on neighbourhoods, water and permits:

Abbotsford Chilliwack Langley Mission Maple Ridge Aldergrove Surrey Metro Vancouver

How to tell if you have Poly B

Grey plastic pipe, about the thickness of a marker, joined with copper or plastic crimp rings. It is not the white PVC of your drains and not the rigid copper of older homes. If you find grey supply lines feeding your taps, that is the one.

Why it matters now

The failures rarely announce themselves. A pinhole behind drywall can run for days before you notice the stain, and by then the repair bill and the mould remediation dwarf the cost of a planned replacement.

Getting a Poly B letter from your BC insurer?

Brokers across BC now ask about Poly B at renewal. Depending on the company you may see a surcharge, a deadline to replace, water damage coverage dropped, or a full non-renewal. A single burst Poly B line can run past $15,000 in damage, which is why insurers stopped tolerating it. Replacing the pipe clears the flag and ends the annual stress. Bring us the letter and we will give you a quote and a timeline that fits the deadline.

Beat my deadline

Our Poly B Replacement Process

1. On-site free estimate

We believe in the old-fashioned way of doing things. Do a great job, and get paid when the job is done. It’s reassuring for our customers. You can count on our complete commitment to doing the job the right way.

When you reach out to our team, we schedule an on-site visit with you in your home. Our expert will walk through what to expect with our service. You can expect to receive a detailed quote within 24 to 48 hours of our attendance, at no charge to you.

2. Protection

Before we start the Poly B removal process, we want to protect your home from any potential construction damage. We ask that you remove as much furniture and personal belongings out of the work areas as possible. At that point, Poly B Plumbing Guys will take the necessary measures to protect your floors and remaining furniture to minimize potential damage while your home is under construction.

3. Dust Control

We know how important it is to keep your home clean and comfortable during your poly b replacement. That’s why we go the extra mile to reduce dust every step of the way. We protect your floors with durable coverings, seal off work areas with poly barriers, and use HEPA filter vacuums along with dust-reducing cutting tools. Our goal is to keep the dust contained, protect your home, and give you peace of mind while we work.

4. Removing Existing Poly B Plumbing and Drywall

Our Red Seal certified plumbing technicians take pride in providing a professional and worry-free experience when replacing your home’s Poly-B piping. We carefully remove the old piping and install industry-leading pipes and fittings that meet the highest standards of the National Plumbing Code of Canada. To make the process simple for you, we handle all necessary permit applications and inspection requests. When cutting access holes, we do so with the next steps in mind, ensuring the best possible opportunity for a seamless, blemish-free finish once the work is complete.

5. New Drywall and Paint Installation

After your old Poly B pipes are replaced, we’ll make sure your walls and ceilings are put back together beautifully. Our team handles new drywall patches, smooths everything out, and blends ceiling texture where needed. To complete the job, we colour-match your existing paint and apply primer along with two coats of premium latex paint. Many of our clients also choose to repaint entire walls for a crisp, seamless look, and we’re happy to provide that service too. The result? A clean, polished space that looks as though the pipes were never touched. In fact, many of our reviewers say they can’t even tell we were there.

What our customers say about us

The Poly B Plumbing Guys

4.9

Based on 168 reviews

Harikrishna C.

18:43 09 Aug 25

I want to share my sincere appreciation for the fantastic job you have done in my home.
To each and every one of you — thank you so much!

Todd N.

15:53 30 Jul 25

We recently hired Poly B Plumbing Guys to replace all of the remaining Poly B piping in our home, a project we weren’t exactly excited about, but became necessary when our insurance provider threatened to cancel our coverage if we didn’t address it.

From start to finish, the team at Poly B was absolutely outstanding. They handled the full scope of the work, including cutting into our walls and ceilings to access the old pipes. Most impressively, they repaired and repainted everything so well that you can’t even tell they were here.

Their professionalism, communication, attention to detail, and quality of work gave us peace of mind during a stressful situation, and we were very impressed by how quickly they got the job done. I would highly recommend Poly B Plumbing Guys to anyone needing a Poly B replacement or any major plumbing work!

John B.

16:35 18 Jul 25

After doing extensive research and receiving multiple quotes, I chose POLY B Plumbing to replace the outdated plumbing in my home. While this type of project is never fun and certainly not inexpensive, I took the opportunity to make a few worthwhile improvements.

They replaced the manifold board and installed new manifolds with individual shut-offs, which proved incredibly helpful during my bathroom renovations. I also had them rework some piping to eliminate unsightly sagging tubes in the basement storage area.

I’m extremely pleased with the final result — not only the plumbing, but also the drywall and painting. Stephen was great to work with; professional, responsive, and committed to making sure everything was done right. I’m glad I chose POLY B and would recommend them without hesitation.

After showing the final results to my neighbours two have since signed up and completed their plumbing and two others are pending quotes
Thanks Poly B Guys

Stephen L.

18:29 14 Jul 25

Fantastic work. The job was completed ahead of schedule and I was very pleased at the correspondence throughout the entire process. Well done, would recommend to anyone!

Debbie “Debster63” S.

17:29 11 Jul 25

Just had our Poly B replaced by the Poly B Plumbing Guys. We can’t say enough about this first-class team. We experienced exceptional communication with our sales person, Dea and our contact from the office, Katarina. We were provided access to an online portal that provided the schedule, updates, messages and reports, and contact info for the tradesmen. The tradesmen were polite, skilled, professional and reliable. We were dreading this project as our basement is finished. The plumbing team did an amazing job of cutting access holes carefully and neatly which enabled the drywall team to patch and texture the areas so that it looks like it did prior to the project. We were very happy with the work and highly recommend The Poly B Plumbing Guys.

Emmanuel Hillock B.

16:58 10 Jul 25

The greatest company I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. They were communicative, pleasurable and overall very hard working. 10/10. Keep Ryan on board as he's a good guy and was genuinely just a great worker. Thanks!

Brenda D.

23:05 03 Jul 25

We would highly recommend the Poly-B guys if you are looking to have your Poly-b pipes replaced. They were quick to come out and give us a quote. We were thinking we would have to wait months but instead they said they could fit us in the following week. They showed up the day before work began and covered all the floors up, then the next day the plumbers showed up and did the pipe replacement. We had 44 holes in our ceiling which was hard to see but Tony the drywaller and Richard the painter did such a great job you would have no idea. It looks amazing. Great service, great price and great job!! Highly recommend.

Don S.

19:35 28 Jun 25

The entire experience was fantastic, the whole crew from office to the tradesmen. Everyone from the Owner down helped us with our stress of a blown poly b pipe, to our questions and anxieties. I can't say enough how good af an experience it was. I will recommend them over and over!

Natalie

15:31 27 Jun 25

We purchased a 'new to us' home that had poly b plumbing & needed to have it removed. We did a little research of companies within Calgary, Alberta and The Poly B Plumbing Guys had the best ratings so we contacted them for a quote.
From the very first interaction with Stephen the owner, we felt we were in good hands! He gave us a quote & booked us a start date.
Adam arrived on the Monday morning & placed floor protection over our carpets & floors anywhere the crews would be working. Tuesday morning the plumbers, Sebastian & his partner Alex arrived. After bringing in their equipment, they shut the main water off around 7:30 a.m. & got to work! Boy do those 2 guys work hard WOW 😮. By 3:00 p.m. they had the water back on! Wednesday morning Terry the drywaller arrived and got to work putting back the drywall that the plumbers had to cut out in order to put in the new pipes. He is an amazing tradesman! 😊 You cannot tell where any repairs were done! He also did all the texturing of the ceilings where they needed access. His wife even came on the last day to help him & she also does most of the cleanup! They left my home very clean, I hardly had any dust! He has to put 3 coats of mud so it takes a few days but it was well worth the wait! Then the painters, Richard & his partner ( I am so sorry but I forgot your name) arrived the following Wednesday morning. They were done by noon & we now have our home back and worry free in regards to any potential breakage or leaks! In total, it only took 9 days, start to finish.
When we received our invoice, it was exactly the amount that Stephen quoted us, no hidden fees!

If you are looking to have your poly b piping replaced, do not hesitate to hire The Poly B Plumbing Guys! They treat your home like it was theirs!

Thanks again to the whole crew, you are ALL AMAZING and we couldn't be happier 😁
Trevor & Natalie

Derrick M.

14:54 22 Jun 25

Poly-B was very well organized, punctual and efficient. We didn't expect the entire plumbing replacement to be done in less than six hours, but it was. They even fixed all the old plumbing issues along the way. Making every thing neat and tidy. Drywall tape, mud, sand and paint was all completed in a couple days after. House looks like they were never here. Was an overall awesome experience. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing to replace your Poly-B piping. They did things perfect. Thank you to everyone at Poly-B Guys!!

Poly B replacement in the Fraser Valley: common questions

Which Fraser Valley homes are most likely to have Poly B pipes?

Houses, townhomes and condos built roughly between 1985 and 1997 are the prime candidates, which covers a lot of Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Langley, Maple Ridge and Aldergrove. Poly B left the Canadian plumbing code in 2005, so newer builds are usually clear. Look for grey flexible plastic supply lines stamped PB2110.

Are BC insurers really cancelling policies over Poly B?

Yes. Brokers now ask about it at renewal. You may face a surcharge, a deadline to replace, denial of water damage coverage, or a full non-renewal. A single burst line can run past $15,000 in damage. Full replacement removes the risk and clears the flag.

How much does Poly B replacement cost in the Fraser Valley?

It depends on the size of the home, the number of bathrooms, the finishes, and how easy the pipes are to reach. We give you a flat written number after an on-site look, and it includes removal, the repipe, drywall repair and paint. No hourly surprises.

Do I need a permit to replace Poly B pipes?

A repipe generally needs a permit from your local authority, whether that is Abbotsford, Chilliwack, the Township of Langley or your municipality. We pull the permit and handle the inspection so the work is on record, which matters at sale and with your insurer.

Can you replace Poly B in a condo or strata unit?

Often yes. The lines inside your unit are usually yours while shared lines belong to the strata. We coordinate with your strata, work to their schedule, and keep the unit clean. Send us your strata details and we will scope it before we start.

How long does the work take?

Most homes are done in a few days. The repipe is usually one to two days, then drywall and paint follow. You keep water service overnight in most cases. We give you a day-by-day plan up front.

Why hire a Poly B specialist instead of a general plumber?

A whole-home repipe is its own skill. We do it every week, so we know how the lines run in valley housing, how to open and close walls cleanly, and how to finish drywall and paint properly. One Red Seal crew owns the job start to finish.

What areas of the Fraser Valley do you serve?

We are based in Abbotsford and cover Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Langley, Maple Ridge, Aldergrove and Surrey, plus Metro Vancouver. Not sure if you are in our area? Call (604) 616-0847.