Faucet Repair Cost: Drips & Leaks

A dripping faucet is annoying, wasteful, and surprisingly expensive over time: a single drip per second wastes more than 3,000 gallons of water a year. The good news is that the faucet repair cost in 2026 is usually modest, with most professional repairs running $100 to $300 including parts. Simple cartridge and washer fixes sit at the low end, while hard-to-find parts or corroded valves push the price higher. This guide explains what plumbers charge, what is usually wrong, and when a repair is smarter than a replacement.

Average Faucet Repair Cost

The national average faucet repair cost in 2026 is about $180. A plumber service call typically includes a trip fee of $50 to $100 plus one hour of labor at $75 to $150. Parts are usually inexpensive: washers cost under $5, O-rings a few dollars, and cartridges $15 to $60 for most major brands. That is why most repairs land between $100 and $300 total.

Prices climb when the faucet is old or unusual. Discontinued cartridges can cost $50 to $120 from specialty suppliers, and a faucet seized by corrosion may take an extra hour to disassemble. Touchless and sensor faucets add diagnostic time, and a leak inside the wall behind a shower valve can run $300 to $600 once access and drywall repair are included. Emergency or after-hours calls typically add 50 to 100 percent to labor.

Common Faucet Problems and Repair Prices

Dripping from the spout is the most common complaint, and it almost always traces to a worn cartridge, washer, or valve seat. Repair runs $100 to $250. A leak at the base of the faucet usually means failed O-rings or a loose mounting nut, costing $100 to $200 to fix. A stiff or squeaky handle points to a dry or worn cartridge and costs about the same.

Low water pressure at one faucet often means a clogged aerator, which a plumber cleans or replaces for $75 to $150 as part of a visit. A sprayer that will not retract or leaks at the hose connection needs a new hose or diverter, running $120 to $250. Noisy faucets that bang or squeal when turned usually have loose washers or high water pressure, and the fix ranges from $100 to $200, or more if a pressure regulator is involved.

Repair Cost Breakdown by Part

Most plumbers charge a flat diagnostic fee that is applied to the repair if you approve the work. Ask about this before the visit so the fee is not a surprise. For cartridge-specific pricing, see our faucet cartridge replacement cost guide, and browse the faucets and fixtures hub for related topics.

Dripping Faucet: What Is Actually Wrong

Inside most modern faucets is a cartridge, a small cylinder that controls water flow and temperature when you move the handle. Over years of use, its rubber seals wear down and mineral deposits score its surfaces, letting water seep past even when the handle is off. That seepage is the drip you hear at night.

Older two-handle faucets use rubber washers pressed against a valve seat instead of cartridges. The washer hardens and cracks with age, and the valve seat itself can pit from mineral buildup. A plumber replaces the washer and, if needed, resurfaces the seat with a seat wrench. Both fixes are quick, but if the seat is badly pitted, the faucet may keep dripping and replacement becomes the honest recommendation.

Repair vs. Replacement: How to Decide

Repair wins when the faucet is less than 10 to 15 years old, the finish is intact, and parts are available. A $150 cartridge swap on a quality faucet that would cost $300 to replace is an easy call. Repair also wins when the faucet matches a set, such as a matching widespread set in a remodeled bathroom.

Replacement wins when the body is corroded, the finish is flaking, parts are discontinued, or the faucet has needed repeated repairs in the last year. Compare the numbers: if a repair costs more than half the price of a comparable new faucet, replacement usually delivers better value. See typical replacement pricing in our kitchen faucet installation cost and bathroom faucet installation cost guides.

DIY Faucet Repair: What You Can Fix

Confident homeowners can handle washer and cartridge swaps with basic tools: an adjustable wrench, Allen keys, plumber grease, and the correct replacement part. The critical step is identifying your faucet brand and model before buying parts, since cartridges are not interchangeable. Take the old cartridge to the store or match it by photo online.

Always shut off the water at the fixture valves first, and plug the drain so small screws do not vanish. If the cartridge will not budge, stop: forcing it can crack the valve body and turn a $150 repair into a full replacement. Corroded, wall-mounted, or sensor faucets are best left to a pro.

How to Prevent Future Leaks

Turn handles gently instead of cranking them tight; overtightening is the fastest way to wear out washers and cartridges. Clean aerators every six months to prevent mineral buildup, especially in hard-water areas. A whole-home water softener extends faucet life significantly in regions with very hard water.

Fix small drips early. A drip that starts as one drop every few seconds will wear the seal further and waste thousands of gallons a year. Check under sinks twice a year for slow supply-line leaks, and replace braided supply lines every five to eight years before they fail.

The hidden cost of a drip deserves attention. At one drip per second, a faucet wastes over 3,000 gallons a year, which can add $50 to $200 to an annual water bill depending on local rates. In homes on septic systems, that constant trickle also adds unnecessary load. A hot-water drip costs even more, because you pay to heat water that goes straight down the drain. When you compare a $150 repair against a year of wasted water, the repair usually pays for itself in months.

Finding the right plumber matters as much as the price. Look for licensed and insured plumbers with recent reviews mentioning faucet work specifically. Ask whether they charge a flat rate or hourly, whether the trip fee applies to the repair, and whether they stock common cartridges on the truck. A plumber who stocks Moen, Delta, and Kohler cartridges can often finish the job in one visit, while one who must order parts leaves you with a dripping faucet for days. Get the estimate in writing before work starts, and confirm the warranty on both parts and labor.

Seasonal timing can also help. Faucet repairs are rarely emergencies, so you can usually book a weekday appointment at standard rates instead of paying weekend premiums. If you have multiple small plumbing annoyances, such as a running toilet or a slow drain, bundle them into one visit. Most plumbers discount the second and third tasks in a single call, since the trip fee is already covered, and you avoid paying three separate minimum charges.

One often-overlooked step is checking your home water pressure before any faucet repair. Pressure above 80 psi accelerates washer and cartridge wear and can cause new parts to fail within months. A plumber can test pressure in minutes during the visit, and a pressure-reducing valve costs $250 to $500 installed if yours is missing or failed. Homes with a history of repeated faucet leaks, running toilets, or burst hoses should have pressure checked first, since fixing the pressure solves the root cause rather than just the symptom.

Finally, keep a simple maintenance log for your faucets: the date of each repair, the part replaced, and the plumber who did the work. Over a few years this record reveals patterns, such as one bathroom that eats cartridges twice as fast as the rest of the house, which can point to a localized pressure or water-quality problem worth fixing once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions homeowners ask most about faucet repairs.