How Much Does Bathtub Faucet Replacement Cost?

Common Range: $100 – $1,100

National Average: $470

Updated: November 17, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen

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Bathtub Faucet Replacement Cost Range

Most homeowners can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $780 to replace a bathtub faucet, depending on several factors which include the type of faucet you choose, the complexity of the installation, and whether you hire a professional plumber or do the work yourself.

Average Cost

The average cost to install a bathtub faucet and showerhead is $470, which includes a basic faucet and installation. Affordable faucet and showerhead sets start below $50. The most expensive exceed $1,500.

Average Do It Yourself Cost
$100 (replacement Parts Only)
Average Contractor Installed Cost
$470
Typical Cost Range
$355 – $790

old 3-knob bathtub faucet and tub spout

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Overview of Bathtub Faucets and Showerheads

With time and use, even an expensive showerhead and tub faucet combo loses its good looks, wears out and begins to leak, or both. If your tub faucet is leaking, dripping, you’re having problems with the showerhead, seeing rusty or discolored water, etc, It’s likely time to replace your bathtub faucet.

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, as well as average costs from homeowners like yourself that we track from job quotes. That’s something we invite you to do once you’ve replaced your tub faucet and showerhead.

Bathtub Replacement Cost Factors

The cost you pay to have the bathtub faucet changed out are based primarily on the type of new faucet you purchase and how hard the installation is going to be.

  • 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 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.
  • Who Does the Work – Plumbers charge $300 or more for this job, so there is money to be saved if you do the job yourself 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.
  • 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.
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Project Cost Details

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.

  • 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)
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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
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Are You a Licensed Plumber?

If so, head over to our Costimates Pro’s page, and help us make this page better and more accurate for both our visitors and your future customers.

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.

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Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."