cost to replace shower head and faucet

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 12, 2022

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How Much Does a Replacement Showerhead and Tub Faucet Cost?

	Low $50 – $150	Average Cost $355 – $390	High $395 – $430
DIY	No	No	No
Emergency	No	No	Yes or No
Valve Replacement	No	Yes or No	Typically Yes
Plumbing Access	N/A	Easy to Average	Average to Difficult
Plumbing Modification	No	No	No or Minor
Cost of Living	Low to Average	Average	Low to High

Sections: Overview | Product Costs | Installation Cost | DIY or Pro

Overview of Showerheads and Bathtub Faucets

With time and use, even an expensive showerhead and tub faucet combo loses its good looks, wears out and begins to leak, or both.

Replacing the set with an updated, attractive combination is an instant upgrade in appearance, especially if you’ve refinished your bathtub or decided to install a new shower/tub combo unit. It might stop an annoying leak, reduce water consumption and lower your water bill too.

Just like installing glass shower doors, replacing a threaded shower head or arm is a DIY job most beginners succeed with. Removing and replacing the tub faucet and handle(s) including the valve assembly is a moderate project, at least. We discuss it in more detail below with a recommendation to DIY or not.

First, this tub faucet and showerhead replacement cost estimate covers cost factors for the installation labor and retail costs for a faucet and showerhead set.

This page also includes prices from other estimating sites and a place where homeowners can share their project costs with other readers. That’s something we invite you to do once you’ve replaced your tub faucet and showerhead. There’s a form below that makes it easy to submit your tub faucet and showerhead replacement cost.

Project Cost Details

Replacement Parts Price Factors

They are divided into labor cost factors and material cost factors.

Labor Cost Factors:

• Who Does the Work – As shown in the table above, pros charge $300+ for this job, so there is money to be saved if you do the job and do it correctly. That money and more will be lost if the repair fails and you have a leak inside your wall or you damage the supply pipe.
• The Scope of the Work – Your parts and professional labor costs will be lower if you’re just replacing the visible parts – the showerhead and tub faucet. Most pros would recommend replacing the internal parts too, because valves eventually wear out and leak. However, that can double the cost of the project, mostly through extra labor.
• Exact Fit vs Plumbing Modification – If the supply pipe has to be modified, labor cost will be much higher, and material costs slightly higher, than if the new faucet is an exact fit for the existing plumbing. This isn’t a common issue as long as you purchase the same type of set – either separate faucet and handles or everything combined in an assembly.
• Emergency Work – It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes a valve fails to the point of causing a major leak in the wall. The best approach on a weekend or evening is to turn off the water to the tub. If that can’t be done without shutting off water to the entire home, then might decide to call a plumber for emergency service at a labor rate 50% to 100% more than the standard rate.
• Cost of Living – Where prices are generally high, such as large metropolitan areas on the coasts, plumbing rates are high too. In small towns and rural areas, they are more reasonable.

Material Cost Factors:

• The Cost of the New Tub Faucet and Showerhead – Cheap plastic showerhead and tub faucet sets cost as little as $40. The most popular sets range in cost from $125 to $500.
• The Cost of Tools and Supplies – There is a short list of tools and supplies such as a screwdriver, pipe wrench or vise-grip pliers and Teflon pipe tape. If you decide to change the valves, then cost for supplies will be higher.

Cost of Installation Supplies

You have a wide range of price, style and quality options. At a point as price rises, quality doesn’t improve. You’re paying for style and finish. A list of popular brands and cost ranges is below.

Here are popular brands and the cost ranges of the combination sets.

• American Standard: $80 – $1,400 (Best sellers $160-$325)
• Delta: $70 – $1,300 (Best sellers $225-$350)
• Grohe: $130 – $1,600 (Best sellers $240 – $400)
• Hansgrohe: $250 – $1,100 (Best sellers $450-$700)
• Kingston Brass: $240 – $1,600 (Best sellers $325-$550)
• Kohler: $100 – $1,700 (Best sellers $275-$600)
• Moen: $40 – $1,800 (Best sellers $90-$200)
• Pfister: $55 – $850 (Best sellers $80-$150)

Permits, Inspection, Related Costs Installation Time

Permits and Inspection Cost

• $0 | If the plumbing is not being modified, or if the modification is minor, then a permit isn’t required.

Related Costs and Installation Time

Handyman services and plumbers consider time and materials they supply when writing estimates.

• $60 – $100 per hour | Handyman Rates
• $85 – $150 per hour | Licensed Plumber Rates

Labor rates from licensed and insured handyman services are $60-$100 per hour. We recommend avoiding low-cost handymen advertising on Craigslist and similar sites. They likely are not licensed or insured, regardless of what they tell you.

An independent handyman who is licensed and insured will likely cost less than one that works for a large handyman service because their overhead costs are lower.

Licensed plumber rates range from $85-$150 based on their level of qualification and skill and in what part of the country you live.

Install Time Schedule

This is a job that shouldn’t be rushed. Pros take their time to ensure that the water supply pipe and fittings aren’t damaged and that the new showerhead and tub faucet don’t leak.

• 2-3 Hours | Tub faucet and showerhead replacement without valve replacement
• 3-5 Hours | The time it takes to complete the work with valve replacement

DIY or Hire a Pro?

This is what it boils down to. If the current tub faucet is less than 7 or 8 years old and you’re changing it because you don’t like the style, replacing it without replacing the plumbing valve might be fine for 5-10 years, possibly longer.

If the faucet is older, it makes sense to change the mixing valve when swapping out the faucet. Whether there is an access panel, access from unfinished space or the wall has to be cut into to reach the plumbing, it’s a challenging job.

In either scenario, this is a home project we recommend a professional for. And unless you are comfortable with a local, experienced handyman service, a licensed plumber is the best choice to replace your tub faucet and showerhead. There’s too much risk of a leak and water damage to give this work to anyone that doesn’t do it every day of the week.

What do you think? Cast your vote below – DIY or NO?