House Repair 101: Replacing the Bathroom Faucet

A faucet may be a small part of the bathroom but its importance shouldn’t be underestimated. Aside from the aesthetic value a faucet adds to the overall look of a bathroom, it has an essential and practical application to the room.

Some of the warning signals that suggest it’s time to replace your old bathroom faucet include the following:

• The bathroom faucet has been damaged
• The water that comes out from the faucet is sprayed all around the sink or the countertop
• The pressure of the water that comes out from the faucet is low

But before getting started with the project of replacing a faucet, one must first know the cost of replacing the bathroom faucet and weigh up the pros and cons of seeking the professional help of a plumber or doing the work and making it a do-it-yourself project to save labor costs.

Since the bathroom faucet is used many times in a day, it needs to be regularly maintained to make sure it is still in its tip-top shape. Faucets also sometimes need to be replaced once every few years due to wear and tear.

Redecorating the bathroom sometimes necessitates the replacement of the bathroom faucet to complement the renovation. Whichever the reason for the replacement, it is important to do some research first before taking the plunge.

The Cost of Replacing Bathroom Faucets

The 2 main costs of replacing a bathroom faucet are the price of the faucet and the cost of installation.

Whether you hire a plumber or it is a DIY project, the first cost to consider is the cost of the bathroom faucet to be installed. You also want to make sure a replacement faucet is compatible with the countertop or sink that goes with it as there are 3 main faucet types. To help you decide, have a look at our handy Best Bathroom Faucet shortlist.

The starting costs vary depending on the type of bathroom faucet used. To know the cost of replacing bathroom faucets with the help of a plumber, add the cost of the bathroom faucet to the expense of at least two hours of labor. Or you can get a quote for an approved installation pro from Amazon.

The usual hourly rate of a professional plumber is $150 or more. Therefore, with labor added to the equation, the average total of the cost would typically range from $200 to $500. American households, on average, spend about $300 for a faucet replacement together with the labor and other bathroom faucet components.

If, on the other hand, the replacement is a DIY project, then the house owner can cut the labor cost from the calculation and arrive at the minimum average cost comprising of just the faucet set and any tools needed. You can get a good quality faucet for $200 with prices starting from as low as around $20 for a cheap unit.

DIY Replacement of Bathroom Faucets

When one has first-hand experience or technical know-how when it comes to basic plumbing tasks, the cost for replacing a bathroom faucet can be significantly reduced.

The difference between the professional plumber’s installation and DIY replacement is around $150 to $300, depending on the hours needed for labor. So when one is on a tight budget and simply cannot afford professional help, doing things yourself is a real money saver.

Replacing a bathroom faucet is not really a difficult job and it can be done if one has the patience and the knack for fixing things and following instructions. In replacing the bathroom faucet, one would need a pair of pliers, adjustable wrench, plumber’s putty and tape, two flexible water line extensions, work gloves and the new faucet.

To start with the DIY replacement, identify the kind of bathroom faucet to use. After making your choice, assemble the parts of the bathroom faucet according to the instructions given by the particular manufacturer.

Next remove the old bathroom faucet as well as the old hardware found below the sink such as the washers and nuts secured to the faucet. The next step is to install the new bathroom faucet. When the bathroom faucet is not the single-hole type, you still need to assemble the mixing valve, thread the trim and install the drain rod to the flexible water extension.

When all of those are done, check the bathroom faucet for leaks. If none are found, flush the new bathroom faucet for at least two minutes to get rid of accumulated dirt inside the bathroom faucet.