Faucet Repair Cost: Drips, Leaks, and More

Faucet repair cost varies by the type of repair, the faucet's valve design, and whether the fixture is a standard residential model with readily available parts or a less-common design requiring special-order components.

Dripping faucet — cartridge replacement

$150–$350. Most modern faucets use a cartridge valve — a self-contained unit that controls water flow and mixing. A dripping faucet is almost always a worn cartridge. Replacement requires shutting off the supply valves, disassembling the handle, removing the old cartridge, and installing a new one. Cartridges vary by manufacturer and model — a plumber arriving with the correct part for your faucet brand saves a trip. The repair takes 45–90 minutes. This range covers most ball-type, cartridge, and ceramic disc faucets.

Dripping faucet — compression valve (older faucets)

$100–$200. Older two-handle faucets use compression valves — a rubber washer and seat that seal by compression when the handle is tightened. A dripping compression faucet requires replacing the washer and, if the seat is pitted, re-facing or replacing the seat. This is a faster repair than cartridge replacement on fixtures where all parts are intact; it takes 30–60 minutes. Per EPA WaterSense — household leak statistics, a dripping faucet at one drip per second wastes over 3,000 gallons per year — prompt repair is economically straightforward.

O-ring or supply connection leak (under-sink)

$100–$200. A leak at the faucet body (not the spout) often indicates a worn O-ring at the faucet base or spout swivel. A leak at the supply line connection or the angle stop valve requires replacing the supply line or valve — not the faucet itself. A plumber locates the source before quoting scope: supply line replacement alone runs $75–$150; angle stop (shut-off valve) replacement adds $75–$175.

Low pressure or flow at one faucet — aerator cleaning

$75–$150. An aerator is the small screen at the faucet spout tip. Mineral scale accumulates on aerator screens in hard-water markets and reduces flow. Aerator cleaning or replacement is the least expensive faucet service call. Per USGS water hardness data, aerator clogging is a chronic maintenance issue in markets above 10 GPG — Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas — where aerators may need cleaning every 6–12 months rather than the standard 18–24 month interval.

Outdoor hose bib (spigot) repair or replacement

$150–$350. A dripping or seized outdoor hose bib typically requires the packing nut to be tightened or the entire bib to be replaced. Frost-free hose bibs (required by code in freeze climates) have a longer stem that extends the shutoff inside the heated wall — these take slightly more time to replace. Hose bib replacement includes shutting off the supply, removing the old bib, soldering or push-fitting the new connection, and testing.

Faucet installation cost depends on whether the homeowner supplies the fixture or the plumber does, the number of mounting holes in the sink, and the fixture complexity.

Owner-supplied installation

$100–$250 labor. The homeowner purchases the faucet from a retailer; the plumber installs it. This works well when the homeowner has already selected a fixture compatible with the existing sink mounting holes (1-hole, 3-hole, or widespread) and the supply line configuration. Most standard under-mount or drop-in sink faucet installations take 45–90 minutes. Confirm that the plumber reviews the fixture before booking — some residential-grade faucets have low-quality supply connections that plumbers recommend upgrading.

Plumber-supplied installation

$200–$700 total installed. The plumber supplies and installs the faucet — typically from a trade supplier with commercial-grade fixtures at higher markup than retail. Per BuildZoom — residential faucet installation permit data, most residential faucet installations are not separately permitted (the faucet connects to existing supply and drain, with no new rough-in), but the total installed cost from a plumber-supplied fixture reflects both labor and the plumber's parts margin.

Kitchen faucet pull-down or pull-out models

$250–$600 installed. Pull-down and pull-out kitchen faucets are taller fixtures with integrated hose spray systems. Installation is similar to standard single-handle models but takes slightly longer due to the hose routing. High-arc models may also require confirming that the existing cabinet allows the hose to retract fully before the faucet is seated.

Bathroom vanity faucet

$150–$400 installed. Single-handle or two-handle bathroom faucets installed in existing sink mounting holes. Widespread bathroom faucets (three separate pieces — spout + two handles) require more installation time than center-set models; add $50–$100 for widespread installation vs. center-set on the same fixture tier.

A dripping faucet wastes water continuously regardless of whether anyone is using it. The economics of prompt repair are clear:

• 1 drip per second: approximately 3,000 gallons per year, or $18–$36 per year at typical US water rates ($0.006–$0.012/gallon). A $150 repair recoups its cost over 4–8 years against water savings.
• 1 steady trickle per second: approximately 30,000 gallons per year, or $180–$360 per year. A repair recoups cost in under 12 months.
• 1 stream (pencil-width): approximately 180,000 gallons per year, or $1,080–$2,160 per year. Any repair is economically immediate.

Per EPA WaterSense — fixing household leaks guide, US households waste approximately 1 trillion gallons annually from leaks — a significant share from dripping faucets and running toilets that are individually small but collectively enormous. The repair cost is almost always far less than continued water loss over a typical faucet lifespan.

Most faucets are worth repairing rather than replacing when the cartridge or internal components have worn out — provided the faucet body is intact and replacement parts are available. Replacement makes sense in specific circumstances:

Repair is cost-effective when

• The faucet body is intact with no corrosion or physical damage
• The failure is a cartridge, O-ring, washer, or aerator — all normal-wear items
• Replacement parts for the brand and model are readily available (most major brands: Moen, Delta, Kohler, American Standard)

Replacement is warranted when

• The faucet body is pitted, corroded, or physically cracked — these conditions are not repairable and will continue to worsen
• The fixture is a discontinued model with no available cartridges or parts
• The homeowner is remodeling and the existing faucet doesn't match the new sink or mounting configuration
• The repair cost approaches the cost of a new fixture at the same quality level — particularly true for lower-cost faucets where the cartridge cost approaches 50–70% of a new comparable unit

Brand and quality tier affect long-term cost

A $40 big-box store faucet with a plastic cartridge will need repair more frequently and has a shorter service life than a $150–$300 commercial-grade Moen or Delta with a ceramic disc valve. For kitchen faucets (high-use, high-cycle fixtures), quality tier is a meaningful cost driver over a 10-year ownership horizon. A plumber recommending a higher-tier replacement on a kitchen fixture is not overselling — they're accounting for service life and parts availability over the fixture's full life.