How Much Does Bathroom Leak Repair Cost? [2025 Data]

Bathroom Leak Repair Cost Factors

If you have a bathroom leak, you may notice some of the signs—obvious water seeping from a fixture, loose tiles, and slow drains. There are numerous potential causes, such as a worn washer on your sink’s P-trap, a broken toilet flange, or a corroded pipe. The cost to repair a leak depends on the cause, how difficult the area is to access, and any additional repairs you’ll need to make in the process, like patching up drywall or replacing tile.

Here are some factors that will impact your total bathroom leak repair costs.

Type of Repair 

Bathroom leaks occur around fixtures like your shower, tub, sink, or toilet—whether it’s the fixture itself, the drain lines that lead to your main plumbing stack, or your water supply. Each type of leak requires a different type of repair, which impacts the total cost.

Leaky Toilet

The price to fix a toilet leak depends on whether or not you’ll need to replace the toilet, the plumber’s labor cost, and the price of materials in your area. According to Expert Review Board member and licensed journeyman plumber Jeff Botelho, a leak often indicates a broken flange, which requires removing the toilet, driving up costs. Project costs range from $150 to $350.

Leaky Sink or Tub Faucet

The price to fix a leaky faucet depends on whether you’ll need to replace the faucet or keep the one you have. The repair can cost anywhere from $100 to $300, providing the faucet doesn’t need to be replaced.

Leaking Shower

Repairing the seal around your shower door will cost much less than repairing and replacing the shower walls or basin. You’ll pay around $150 to $500 to fix most leaks from a shower on average.

Missing Grout or Caulk

Before you panic and call a plumber, Botelho advises grabbing the caulk gun. “Many shower leaks are caused by cracked or missing grout or caulk in tile seams,” he says. “This is an easy and inexpensive first step to ruling out other more expensive repairs.” If you hire a pro, expect to spend $180 to $450 to fix grout or caulk, depending on the amount that needs to be replaced.

The Condition and Age of the Pipes

If a pipe bursts, a plumber will examine the condition of the pipes. If your pipes are very old or corroded, you will pay more to have them repaired. However, the price you pay upfront far outweighs the cost of more pipes bursting—if a pipe bursts, you can expect to pay between $1,000 to $4,000 in water damage cleanup and repair fees.

“It’s a good idea to perform periodic visual inspections of all the exposed plumbing in your home,” Botelho says. “Corroded metallic pipes and fittings should be addressed before they leak.”

Accessibility 

The source of the leak and how easy it is to access will impact your total leaky pipe repair cost. Some leaks require drywall, tile, or flooring removal. If there's an issue with your main line, you may even need to dig in the dirt outside of your home. This type of repair will always cost more than fixing a leaky tub faucet or showerhead, which is easy to access.

For example, it costs an average of $1,000 to repair a water main located outside your home, but you’ll only pay an average of $700 to replace a worn-out tub drain. 

Labor 

Most plumbers charge $45 to $200 per hour for labor. They may work the cost of labor into a flat fee for the repair, but the more labor your repair requires, the more it’s going to cost. For smaller bathroom leaks, plumbers charge a minimum fee of $50 to $200. Call a plumbing and faucet repair service near you for a more accurate quote.

Materials 

The cost of the repair also depends on the materials. Worn-out O-rings and washers only cost a couple of dollars, while a new toilet flange costs $7 to $20. Pipe replacement depends on the type of pipe. Here are some common costs per linear foot:

• PVC pipes: $0.50–$5 per linear foot

• PEX pipes: $1.50–$4 per linear foot

• Galvanized steel pipes: $3–8  per linear foot

• Copper pipes: $4–$12 per linear foot

Permits or Inspections

Plumbing permits cost $50 to $500. If your leak requires minimal repair, you likely won’t need a permit. However, you may need a permit for larger repairs that require fixtures or piping to be replaced or rerouted.

Most plumbers charge a flat service fee of around $150 to diagnose your leak. If you have more significant plumbing issues, you may need to spring for a full home plumbing inspection. This costs an average of $200 unless they need to inspect the sewer line to find a clog or crack. Sewer line inspection costs an average of $700.

Additional Repairs 

Once your local plumber fixes the leak, they may have to make additional repairs. This could include re-installing flooring, repairing drywall, or replacing or repairing fixtures.

Flooring

In some cases, a leak can spill over to the floor of your bathroom, ruining tile or grout. The national average price to regrout an area of ceramic tile is $400. The cost to replace the floor in a single room could range from $1,000 to $3,000.

Drywall 

Drywall repair costs between $300 and $930, depending on the size and location of the hole. Paint and other materials will add to your cost. The cost to hire a painter to repaint the room will average $40 to $50 an hour, plus the cost of materials.

Fixtures

Your plumber may need to replace a fixture to repair the leak. This is common with toilets, faucets, showerheads, and bathtub or shower drains. Most of these fixtures last at least 15 years, but they could last even longer with careful maintenance.

Location 

Because of the range of repairs, plumbing rates can vary quite a lot. On average, the cost of a plumber ranges from $125 to $350 for small jobs like fixing a sink, toilet, faucet, or bathtub, to $500 to $800 for major repairs, like fixing a water line. Most plumbers also charge a minimum call-out fee of $50 to $200.

Below are examples of what most homeowners pay to repair a bathroom leak in specific areas:

Repairing vs. Replacing Plumbing

When done properly, repairs cost much less than replacing plumbing. However, a poorly repaired plumbing job can lead to future leaks, damage, and mold, which create significant costs.

There are also instances when replacement is necessary to get your plumbing back in working order. Your plumber can advise you on your unique situation, but some signs to look out for include areas that need repeated repairs and pipes or fixtures that are past their lifespan.

Here are cost comparisons for repairing or replacing plumbing in your bathroom:

Some replacement costs, like those for a faucet, are only slightly more expensive than a repair. On the other hand, repairing a leak in a shower is a fraction of the cost of replacing it. 

Cost to Repair a Bathroom Leak Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro 

Because the consequences of plumbing problems can be so high, major leaks are best left to the pros. However, there are some minor projects ambitious DIYers can tackle, like fixing a leaky tub faucet, sink, toilet, or shower. But first, consult your local plumbing inspector to find out what your area’s codes require regarding licenses to perform plumbing work, advises Botelho. “Some areas allow homeowners to do more work without a permit or license than others,” he says.

The average prices of some tools and materials you need to fix a leaking bathroom sink faucet include:

• Plumber’s wrench: $11–$13

• Hex key set: $5–$20

• Phillips head screwdriver: $4–$10 each

• Slotted screwdriver: $5–$15

• Faucet stem and cartridges: $9–$24

• New fixtures: $24 and up

• Old rags: $0

• Repair kits: $3–$22

• Caulking: around $3 per tube

• Plumbing putty: $8

To determine how much it will cost to repair three common types of bathroom leaks, you’ll need to factor in labor, materials, and whether damage has occurred to other areas of your bathroom, such as walls, ceilings, and floors.

How to Save Money on Bathroom Leak Repairs 

There are times when bathroom leaks are unavoidable. Eventually, pipes and fixtures can give out. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to save money on repairs. Prevention is the best method, but it’s not the only method. Here are some tips:

• Keep up with prevention methods: Do what you can to avoid clogs that can cause leaks. Install strainers over your drains to catch hair, debris, and other objects that could cause buildup. Avoid flushing anything other than waste or toilet paper down your toilet, and keep up with maintenance for all your fixtures.

• DIY small fixes: Some leaks require simple repairs, like tightening a nut on your P-trap or reinstalling some caulk. Do the small stuff yourself to save on the cost of labor.

• Use a water softener: If you have hard water, limescale can build up in the pipes and cause issues with your plumbing. Consider using a water softener to prevent the buildup.

• Fix problems before they snowball: A leak can get worse over time and cause more significant water damage, which leads to higher-cost repairs. To save money, address small leaks before they become big problems.

• See if homeowners insurance covers it: Homeowners insurance may cover damage from accidental plumbing mishaps like burst pipes.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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