Fix a Running Toilet
A toilet that won't stop running is usually a flapper or a fill valve. Most homeowners can fix it in under an hour if the shutoff valve works.
- Difficulty
- Time
- 30–60 minutes
- DIY estimate
- $8–$30
- Pro estimate
- $125–$250
Toilets, faucets, drains, disposals, and water heaters.
A toilet that won't stop running is usually a flapper or a fill valve. Most homeowners can fix it in under an hour if the shutoff valve works.
Setting a new toilet on a sound flange is a realistic DIY. A broken flange, a rotten subfloor, or a nonstandard rough-in is a plumber's job.
A drip from the spout or a leak at the handle is usually a cartridge, washer, or O-ring. The trick is matching the parts, not the plumbing.
Swapping a plug-in disposal on an existing sink is a realistic DIY. Hardwiring a new circuit, or a unit that leaks from the bottom, changes the call.
This is the project where the permit and the fuel type matter more than the tank. Gas, venting, and a new circuit are pro work for almost everyone.
One slow sink is a plunger and maybe a snake. Several fixtures backing up at once is a main-line problem, and that is a plumber.