Can I install a faucet myself and call a pro only if it leaks?

You can — most modern faucets are designed for DIY install, and the included instructions are usually clear. The two things that go wrong most often: under-sink mounting nuts strip or seize because the wrench angle is awkward, and supply-line connections leak because they're either over-tightened (cracking the plastic threads on a braided line) or under-tightened. If you've done it before and have a basin wrench, give it a try. If you've never done it, the $120–$160 for a pro is cheaper than a flooded kitchen.

Do I need new supply lines, or can the pro reuse the old ones?

New supply lines are standard practice. Braided stainless supply lines from Brasscraft, Fluidmaster, or similar are $8–$15 each at any hardware store, and the pro typically supplies them as part of the install. Reusing 10-year-old supply lines saves $20 and risks a leak six months later — every reputable LA pro replaces them as a matter of course.

What if I have a leak under the sink that's not from the faucet itself?

Tell the pro before the visit so they bring the right diagnostic tools. Drain leaks (P-trap, slip joints) are usually a simple gasket replacement and often handled at the same visit for $40–$80. Supply-line leaks are diagnosed by isolating which side is wet — usually a simple shut-off or supply-line replacement. If the leak is coming from inside the wall, that's a plumber call, not handyman scope.

Can the pro install a water filter or instant-hot system at the same time?

Most LA handymen can install a standard under-sink filter (Aquasana, Brita, APEC) for $80–$160 added to the faucet visit, including drilling the air-gap hole if you don't have one. Reverse-osmosis systems with their own faucet are $140–$240. Instant-hot dispensers (InSinkErator, Insinkerator HOT-100) require a 110V outlet under the sink — if you have one, $120–$200 added; if you don't, that's a separate electrician scope.

How long until I can use the faucet after install?

Immediately. Modern faucets don't require any cure or set time — the pro turns on water, runs hot and cold for a minute to clear any debris from the supply lines, checks all connections for drips with a paper towel, and you're back to normal use. The only exception is if the install required new plumber's putty or silicone around the deck — those need 2–4 hours to set fully before scrubbing the area, but the faucet itself works immediately.

Faucet Replacement Cost LA (2026 Guide)

Faucet replacement in Los Angeles typically runs $120–$220 for a kitchen faucet, $100–$180 for a bathroom lavatory, and $180–$320 for a tub-shower valve trim swap. The range tracks four real variables: faucet type, condition of the existing supply lines and shut-offs, whether you bring your own faucet or the pro supplies one, and home age. Below is what each tier looks like in LA, where pre-1980 Silver Lake and Hollywood homes still have galvanized supply lines that change the job substantially.

Kitchen faucet replacement: $120–$220

A standard kitchen-faucet swap on modern PEX or copper supply lines with functional quarter-turn shut-offs is a 60–90 minute job priced at $120–$160 in LA. Most jobs in this range are a swap from one single-handle pull-down (Moen, Delta, Kohler) to another — a popular upgrade in DTLA condos and post-2000 Valley homes is going from a basic chrome faucet to a brushed-nickel or matte-black pull-down with magnetic dock.

What's included at this price: shutting off both supply valves under the sink, disconnecting the existing supply lines, removing the mounting nut from underneath (the most awkward part of any kitchen faucet job — it's almost always done lying inside the cabinet), unsealing the deck, cleaning the deck surface, dropping in the new faucet, securing the mounting hardware, reconnecting supply lines (with new braided stainless lines from Brasscraft or Fluidmaster — pro typically supplies these unless you have new ones in the box), turning water back on, and testing for leaks.

What pushes the price toward $220: corroded or seized mounting nuts that have to be cut off with a basin wrench or oscillating tool, garbage-disposal disconnection and re-routing, a new deck plate to cover holes from a previous 3-hole faucet, or installation of an air-gap or soap-dispenser as part of the same visit.

Bathroom lavatory faucet: $100–$180

Bathroom faucets are usually simpler than kitchen faucets — smaller faucet body, less under-counter space to navigate, but tighter access in pedestal-sink and small-vanity setups. A standard 4-inch centerset or single-hole faucet swap on functional shut-offs runs $100–$140 in modern LA construction.

What pushes price toward $180: pedestal-sink installs (the pro is working on their back in a tight space and the supply line connections are awkward), wall-mount faucets where the rough-in valve location matters, or 8-inch widespread faucets with three separate components that all need leveling and securing. Widespread faucets in particular take 25–40 minutes longer than a centerset because the hot, cold, and spout assemblies are independent.

Most LA bathrooms have one bathroom faucet per visit, but if you're refreshing both sinks in a primary bath, the per-faucet price drops to about $80–$110 each because the tool setup and shut-off-testing happen once.

Tub-shower trim swap: $180–$320

Tub-shower faucet swaps are a different scope from sink faucets. The valve body inside the wall is rarely replaced — that's a tile-cutting, plumbing-licensed job — but the visible trim (handle, escutcheon, tub spout, shower head) is straightforward handyman scope as long as the underlying valve is the same brand and series.

Like-for-like trim swaps (Moen Posi-Temp to a newer Moen Posi-Temp, Delta Monitor to a newer Delta Monitor) are $180–$240 in LA. The pro turns off the building water supply (or a localized shut-off if there's a wall access panel), removes the existing handle and escutcheon, cleans the valve face, applies fresh plumber's putty or a gasket, installs the new trim and tub spout, and tests pressure and temperature balancing.

What pushes the price toward $320: cross-brand swaps where a Moen-to-Delta or Delta-to-Kohler conversion requires either an adapter plate (some manufacturers make these) or a full valve replacement (which exits handyman scope), older 1970s-and-earlier tub valves where the cartridge is a discontinued model and the new trim doesn't fit the existing body, or shower-head arms that are corroded into the wall fitting and have to be carefully extracted without breaking the in-wall pipe.

Galvanized supply lines: the LA-specific complication

Pre-1980 LA homes — large parts of Silver Lake, Echo Park, Hollywood, Hancock Park, West Adams, Highland Park, and most of the original Pasadena and Eagle Rock housing stock — were originally plumbed with galvanized steel supply lines. Galvanized pipe corrodes from the inside out over decades; by 2026, most original galvanized in these neighborhoods is partially or fully restricted by interior buildup, and the threaded fittings under the sink are often seized solid.

What this means for faucet replacement: a job that would be 60 minutes on PEX can be 2.5 hours on degraded galvanized. The pro may have to cut the existing galvanized stub, install a transition fitting to copper or PEX, and then connect the new faucet's braided lines to the modern fitting. This is still handyman scope (it's a shut-off-side connection, not a deeper pipe reroute), but it adds $80–$180 to the standard quote.

How to know what you have: look under the sink. Modern PEX is flexible plastic (usually red and blue). Modern copper is shiny or has a brown patina. Galvanized is dull silver-gray and looks like steel pipe — and the threaded fittings near the wall typically show rust streaks. If you see galvanized, mention it when you book; the right pro will bring transition fittings and won't be surprised.

Sweat-soldered shut-offs: another older-home issue

Modern homes have quarter-turn ball-valve shut-offs under every sink — quick, reliable, almost never seized. Older LA homes (and even some 1980s–90s tract homes) have multi-turn compression or sweat-soldered shut-offs that haven't been turned in 20+ years. About 30% of pre-1990 LA shut-offs are seized when a pro tries to close them for a faucet job.

The honest path when this happens: the pro stops, explains that the shut-off won't close, and gives you the option to either shut off the building's main water (then proceed with the faucet swap, which is fine), or pause and have the shut-offs replaced first. Replacing a single seized shut-off with a modern quarter-turn is $40–$80 added to the visit. Replacing both hot and cold under one sink is $70–$130.

Why it's worth doing: a working shut-off is what protects your home from a flood the next time a faucet hose bursts at 2 AM. Most LA pros will mention it as a recommendation, not a requirement — if you say no, they'll proceed with the building shut-off — but it's a small upgrade with real long-term value.

Bringing your own faucet vs pro-supplied

Bringing your own faucet (BYOF) is the most common path in LA — you order the model you want from Build.com, Ferguson, Faucet Direct, or a showroom, and the pro installs whatever you bring. This is fine: most pros are familiar with the major brands (Moen, Delta, Kohler, Brizo, Pfister) and the install procedure is similar across them.

What you should check before booking: that all parts are in the box (most boxes have a parts checklist on the inside flap), that the faucet matches your sink's hole configuration (single-hole vs 3-hole vs 4-inch centerset vs 8-inch widespread), that the supply-line length is sufficient for your under-sink setup (most braided lines come 20-inch standard; 30-inch is sometimes needed in deep cabinets), and that you have any required deck plate or escutcheon if your sink has unused holes from a previous faucet.

Pro-supplied faucets cost $40–$120 more than retail because the pro is sourcing, transporting, and warrantying the unit, but it eliminates the 'wrong faucet for the sink' surprise on install day. If you're not sure what fits, send the pro a photo of your sink and they'll spec the right faucet.

Faucet Replacement Cost LA (2026 Guide)

Kitchen faucet replacement: $120–$220

Bathroom lavatory faucet: $100–$180

Tub-shower trim swap: $180–$320

Galvanized supply lines: the LA-specific complication

Sweat-soldered shut-offs: another older-home issue

Bringing your own faucet vs pro-supplied

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