What do plumbers charge per hour?

National average labour rates run roughly $90–$160 per hour for a licensed plumber, with $125 a reasonable planning figure. Many plumbers charge a first-hour or callout rate that is higher than subsequent hours. Emergency and after-hours work commonly carries a 1.5×–2× premium on labour.

Why is a new installation more expensive than a replacement?

A replacement uses the supply, waste and vent lines that are already there. A new installation has to run all three to a location that has none, which typically adds about 60 % to the labour and often means opening walls or floors. That opening — and making it good afterwards — is frequently the largest single difference between the two.

Do I need a permit for plumbing work?

Generally yes for water heaters, new fixtures at new locations, sewer and water service lines, repipes and any new bathroom. Generally no for like-for-like swaps of a faucet, toilet or disposal. Rules vary by jurisdiction. Unpermitted plumbing work commonly causes problems at resale, so it is rarely worth skipping.

How much does it cost to repipe a house?

A PEX repipe typically runs $600–$800 per fixture, so a house with 12 fixtures usually lands between $7,000 and $10,000. Copper costs roughly 40–60 % more. The figure varies most with how much wall has to be opened and whether patching, texturing and painting are included in the quote — always ask.

How much does sewer line replacement cost?

Open-cut replacement is typically $80–$250 per linear foot including excavation and backfill, so a 50 ft run commonly runs $6,000–$12,000. Depth, surface type and whether the run crosses a driveway or public right-of-way drive the range. Ask whether trenchless pipe lining is viable — under hard surfaces it is often cheaper than digging.

When should I call an emergency plumber?

When water cannot be shut off, when sewage is backing up into the house, or when a leak is actively damaging the structure. If you can isolate the water at the main and the leak has stopped, a scheduled visit the next working day typically costs 40–50 % less for the same work.

How do I compare plumbing quotes fairly?

Ask each plumber to break the quote into fixtures and materials, labour hours, permit fees, and wall or floor repair. Quotes that differ by more than about 30 % almost always differ in scope — one includes patching and painting, or a permit, or a higher fixture grade — rather than in hourly rate.

Plumbing Installation Cost Calculator

Q: How much does plumbing installation cost?

It depends entirely on the job. A faucet replacement is typically $300–$500 installed. A toilet is $450–$800. A tank water heater is $1,400–$2,600. A whole-house repipe runs $6,000–$18,000 depending on fixture count, and a sewer line replacement $80–$250 per linear foot. There is no single plumbing rate — which is why this calculator asks different questions for each project type.

A faucet swap and a sewer line have nothing in common except the trade, so this calculator does not price them the same way. Pick your project below and it asks the questions that job actually needs — length for a pipe run, fixture count for a repipe, grade for a fixture.

How much does plumbing installation cost?

Faucet $300–$500. Toilet $450–$800. Water heater $1,400–$2,600. New bathroom rough-in $5,000–$12,000. Whole-house repipe $6,000–$18,000. Sewer line $80–$250 per linear foot. Licensed plumber labour averages about $125 per hour, with emergency callouts carrying a 1.5×–2× premium.

Plumbing project details

Every field updates the estimate immediately. Nothing is saved unless you ask us to.

The job

Plumbing project

New installation or replacement?

Site conditions

Access to the work area

Wall or floor opening needed

Joining to a different pipe material?

Specification

Fixture grade

Emergency callout?

ZIP code

Your estimate

Typical cost

$1,920

Most projects fall between $1,600 and $2,400.

Estimated labor: $4.00 / hours

Compare local quotes

Ask each plumber to break their quote into fixtures, labour hours and permit fees. Quotes that vary by more than 30 % usually differ in scope, not in price.

What this estimate covers

Included

Like-for-like tank swap with existing venting and connections
Work performed by a licensed, insured plumber
Existing rough-in reused where serviceable
Standard weekday scheduling unless emergency service is selected

Not included

Repairing water damage found during the work
Mold remediation
Upgrading the main service or meter
Painting and finish work beyond patching
Appliance purchase where not listed as a fixture

This is an estimate, not a contractor quote. Figures come from national average material and labor costs adjusted for your inputs.

Plumbing cost by project type

Installed cost for a midrange fixture in an accessible location, replacing something already there. New installations and difficult access cost more; the calculator above applies both.

Project	Typical installed cost	Labor hours	Permit usually required
Faucet replacement	$300 – $500	1.5	No
Sink installation	$550 – $900	3	No
Toilet installation	$450 – $800	2	No
Garbage disposal	$380 – $650	2	No
Dishwasher connection	$300 – $520	2	No
Bathtub installation	$2,300 – $4,000	10	Yes
Shower installation	$2,800 – $4,800	12	Yes
Tank water heater replacement	$1,400 – $2,600	4	Yes
Tankless water heater	$3,200 – $5,500	9	Yes
Sump pump installation	$1,100 – $2,200	5	Yes
New kitchen plumbing rough-in	$3,600 – $6,500	18	Yes
New bathroom rough-in and fit-out	$6,500 – $12,000	34	Yes
Whole-house repipe	$600 – $800 per fixture	7 per fixture	Yes
Water service line	$45 – $150 per ft	0.8 per ft	Yes
Sewer line replacement	$80 – $250 per ft	1.1 per ft	Yes

The costs that catch people out

Wall and floor repair. Opening a wall is a small job. Patching, taping, texturing and painting it back to matching is not. Extensive access work commonly adds $1,400 or more, and many quotes leave the wall open at the end. Ask explicitly.

Pipe material transitions. Joining copper to PEX, or cast iron to PVC, needs specific fittings and takes time. Budget a few hundred dollars wherever old and new pipe meet.

Bringing work up to code. Once a permitted job is inspected, anything non-compliant it touches usually has to be corrected — missing shutoffs, incorrect venting, no expansion tank on a water heater. This is legitimate, but it is rarely in the original quote.

Emergency premiums. A 1.5×–2× labour multiplier applies out of hours. If you can shut the water off and the leak has stopped, waiting until the morning is usually worth several hundred dollars.

How this calculator works

Each of the 16 project types carries its own profile: base material cost, base labour hours, whether a permit is typical, and whether it scales by fixtures, linear feet or bathrooms. That profile is the starting point — there is no single per-square-foot or per-fixture rate applied across every job.

Labour hours are then multiplied for job type (new installations take about 60 % longer than replacements), for access difficulty, and for emergency callout. Fixture grade multiplies materials only, not labour — a premium faucet does not take longer to fit. Wall access, pipe transitions and permits are added as separate line items.

A single regional labour adjustment is applied from your ZIP code. All figures are national-average based estimates, not quotes.

Frequently asked questions

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Cost data last reviewed August 2026

How we calculate estimates

Estimates are indicative ranges, not quotes. Always get written bids before committing.

How much does plumbing installation cost?