A new faucet is a small update that changes how a kitchen or bathroom sink looks and works every day. With the water off and the right fit, replacing one can be straightforward. This guide covers gathering parts, the swap and choosing a faucet for your basin. It also explains what moves an installer’s bill and when to fold the faucet into a wider update.
Key Takeaways
- Have every tool and part at the sink before closing the shutoffs, so the sink is never left unusable with the old faucet already off.
- Run the water at full pressure on the new faucet and check every connection below before you put the cabinet back in order.
- Buy for the holes your sink or counter already has; a finish you like is no help if the mount does not fit.
- Stop and reassess if a shutoff will not close or the cabinet floor shows old leak damage, because the job is no longer a simple swap.
Tools and parts to have ready before you swap a faucet
Gather everything before you shut the water off. A trip to the hardware store halfway through leaves the sink out of use with the old faucet already off.
- Basin wrench. Its long shaft and swiveling jaw reach the mounting nuts tucked up behind the bowl, where a standard wrench will not fit.
- Adjustable wrenches. One holds the shutoff valve steady while the other turns the supply nut, so the valve does not twist on its pipe.
- New braided supply lines. Measure from each shutoff to the faucet’s connections and match the fitting size at both ends.
- Plumber’s putty or silicone. The new faucet’s instructions say which one seals its base.
- Bucket and towels. Water left in the lines drains out when they come loose. A flashlight helps in a dark cabinet.
Replacing a faucet, step by step
A faucet swap works from the shutoffs up. You take the old faucet out from below, clean the deck, then mount the new one and test it under water pressure.
- Close both shutoff valves, then open the faucet to drain the pressure left in the lines.
- Disconnect the supply lines, loosen the mounting nuts from below, and lift the old faucet out.
- Scrape old putty or caulk off the deck so the new base sits flat.
- Seat the new faucet on its seal and tighten its mounting hardware.
- Connect the supply lines and open the valves slowly. Check each joint under the sink for drips.
How do you choose a faucet that fits your sink and countertop?
Count the holes already drilled in your sink or countertop first, then match the faucet’s mount and spout to the basin under it.
| Check | What fits |
|---|---|
| Hole count | A faucet made for that count, or one with a deck plate (a cover that hides unused holes) |
| Mount | Deck-mounted on the sink or counter, or wall-mounted above it |
| Spout reach | Water lands near the drain, not on the basin’s edge |
| Spout height | Clears your tallest pot and the mirror or cabinet above |
Settle the fit before you weigh bathroom faucet finishes against each other.
Can you replace a faucet yourself, and when does it turn into a bigger job?
Yes, while it stays a swap: the shutoffs close fully, the old faucet comes off cleanly, and the new one fits the existing holes. It grows into a bigger job when you find:
- A shutoff that will not close, or weeps at its stem once turned.
- Mounting nuts rusted solid to the faucet’s shanks.
- A soft or stained cabinet floor from an earlier leak.
Our handyman services take on that repair work. Colorado Springs handyman rates help you decide whether to hire it out.
What affects the cost of having a faucet installed?
You pay for two things: the labor to make the swap and the faucet you pick. Both move with how easy the old one is to reach. HomeGuide’s faucet installation cost guide puts national installation labor at $120 to $300, and an average total of $200 to $600 once a new faucet is included.
From there, a quote rises or falls with:
- Access. Supply lines that sit open under the sink take less labor than plumbing tucked behind a wall.
- The faucet’s build. Its size, neck and handle style, material, finish and the drillings it needs all change the install.
- Features. LED lighting, a touchless handle or a connected filtration system cost more to put in.
- Scope. Replacing the sink along with the faucet turns it into a larger job with its own price.
Here, skilled trade labor in Colorado averages around $52 per hour by our records, and demand for qualified contractors stays high along the Front Range.
Should you repair, refinish or replace an old faucet?
Repair a faucet whose body and finish are still sound and whose only fault is a drip or a stiff handle. Replace it when the body itself is failing or you want a different style. Refinishing sits between the two and changes only the surface.
- Repair. A drip at the spout or a leak around the handle usually traces to a worn cartridge or washer inside. A replacement part matched to the faucet’s make and model stops the leak, and the faucet stays on the sink.
- Refinish. Stripping and recoating, or replating, gives the metal a new finish. It does nothing for worn parts inside, so it suits a faucet that works well and only looks dated.
- Replace. Corrosion on the body, cracks, or a part that is no longer made all point to a new faucet. Contractor+’s national cost data puts replacing a faucet at $139.23 to $278.46, with both materials and professional labor included.
When should a new faucet be part of a larger kitchen or bath update?
A new faucet belongs in a larger project when the countertop or vanity under it is due for replacement too, because the new top sets the hole count the faucet has to match. An aging bathroom is the other case. The EPA’s WaterSense guide to bathroom remodeling says that replacing older, inefficient fixtures with a WaterSense labeled toilet, faucet, and showerhead can help your household save in more ways than one.
The budget changes with that scope. In Colorado Springs, our records put a typical bathroom remodel at $10,000 to $38,000 in 2026, with most mid-range projects landing around $15,000 to $25,000. A small bath runs $10,000 to $20,000, and a master bath can run higher. If the faucet has you rethinking the whole room, our bathroom remodeling service covers that larger update. Either way, once the faucet is in, the next step is caring for new kitchen fixtures.
To talk over a faucet or a full bath update, get in touch with Wickham’s Workbench or call us at (719) 632-5117.
Sources
- Dreaming of a Better Bathroom | WaterSense | US EPA, 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov, retrieved 2026-10-19.
- How Much Does It Cost to Install or Replace a Faucet? (2026), HomeGuide, retrieved 2026-10-19.
- Cost to Replace a Faucet in USA | Contractor+, contractorplus.app, retrieved 2026-10-19.
