Of course, there are many variables that can affect the price you’ll pay. The remainder of this article will walk you through several of those variables.
While plumbers don’t usually charge by the hour, you’ll usually pay somewhere between $45 and $200 USD for each hour of work they do in your home.
Leaking from the tank into the bowl due to a bad flapper. If your toilet tank refills frequently in brief spurts, this is the most likely culprit. To diagnose it, add some food coloring to the water in the tank. If you see the color in the bowl 15 minutes later, the flapper isn’t sealing properly. Leaking between the tank and bowl at the spud washer. The spud washer is a rubber gasket that seals the connection between the tank and bowl. If water is dripping onto the floor from the bottom center of the tank, count on it being the spud washer. Leaking from the water supply line. Most toilets have a water supply line made of braided metal that connects to the bottom of the tank at one side. The most common leak spot is where the supply line attaches to the tank. Leaking at the base of the toilet due to the toilet flange or wax seal. Your toilet sits on a flange that secures it to the floor. If the flange is broken or its wax seal has failed, you’ll see water seeping out from under the base and onto the floor.
A $150 USD toilet repair call on a weekday afternoon can easily become a $350 repair on a weekend night or during a holiday. But that’s a small price to pay if you have a major leak! If you have an internal leak (from the tank to the bowl), save water by shutting off the water supply valve (located at the flexible supply line) when you’re not using the toilet. If you have a small external leak, shut off the water supply and use towels or bowls to catch the drips temporarily.
It is possible to replace just the toilet tank and not the bowl if only the tank portion is damaged—but only if you can find an exact match. It’s usually easier to start fresh with a new toilet install.
For example, check out wikiHow articles like How to Fix a Running Toilet and How to Replace a Toilet Flapper. You may even be inspired to do the repair yourself instead of calling a plumber! Sometimes there are super easy fixes. [10] X Expert Source David BalkanProfessional Plumber & CEO of Balkan Sewer & Water Main Expert Interview. 23 February 2021. All you need to do is turn off the water supply. Then swap a washer or attach the disconnected chain to the float. [11] X Expert Source David BalkanProfessional Plumber & CEO of Balkan Sewer & Water Main Expert Interview. 23 February 2021.
For instance: “The leak seems to be coming from the supply line’s connection with the tank. Can you give me a little more detail on why you think we need to replace the entire tank assembly?”
For example, if you get 3 over-the-phone estimates for $125, $150, and $175 USD, there’s a really good chance that your final repair bill will fall within that range. If you get estimates of $150, $175, and $350, though, that’s a great reason to exclude the final plumber from consideration!
Don’t rely on “handshake agreements” for any type of work done in your home. Get everything in writing so you have something to fall back on if disputes arise.
