How Much You Can Expect To Spend When Replacing A Toilet Flange

If sitting down to use the facilities means rocking back and forth, or there's a small but constant amount of water near the exterior base of your toilet, it could mean the flange needs to be replaced. Also known as the closet flange, its job is to hold the toilet in place and tight against the flooring, creating a seal to prevent water from going anywhere but where it's supposed to — that is, down the connected drain pipe. If you suspect this is the problem, you have two options: you can replace the flange yourself or hire a professional to do the work for you.

If you're handy enough and have the necessary muscles and tools to do the job, this project will take several hours to complete. It involves removing the toilet, accessing the toilet flange, which is a rubber gasket or, in some cases, a wax-based ring, and then repositioning the toilet in place. That's the least expensive route to take. However, if there are problems with the process, or you have a broken drain pipe (which you may not learn about until you remove the toilet), it may be best to hire a plumber to do the job for you. That means paying for parts and labor to have the work done.

Depending on the route you take, you can expect to spend as little as $5 and up to $380, and perhaps even a bit more, with some complications. This isn't a task to put off, either, since that could lead to added damage.

Doing it yourself may mean a bit of heavy lifting and some necessary supplies. Amazon sells flanges that range in price from $5 up to $22, and you can find them at most local plumbing and hardware stores. This is a project someone with some basic repair skills can manage with direction and some basic tools.

Before making the decision to take the least expensive route, consider what needs to be done in this process. You'll need to drain the water, remove the toilet tank, and then loosen the bolt caps that hold the toilet to the floor located on either side of the toilet. This could take a bit of prying. If you break the bolt in the process, you'll need to replace that component as well. Once removed, you'll pull off the existing ring or gasket, clean the area, and position the new component.

Now, there are certainly a few steps along the way that make this a bit more challenging, especially ensuring a proper, secure seal occurs. You won't know that it's taken until you reassemble the toilet and give it a flush or two. If, for any reason, the wax ring or gasket fails to create a strong seal, you'll notice water escaping onto the floor. If the toilet has a wax ring, getting it just right can be an additional challenge unto itself.

Alternatively, if you don't want to mess with the toilet drain or are worried about getting the proper seal in place, call a professional. Most often, a plumber will charge for parts and materials, along with the cost of labor. Expect this to range in price from $60 to $380, depending on your location and the work that's needed. That assumes the process doesn't involve additional components and repairs.

If this is the only bathroom in your home, expect to spend a bit more to cover the cost of an emergency plumbing call. Emergency plumbing service ranges from $65 to as much as $500 per hour.

The real cost comes in the form of repairing damage that's been allowed to build up over time. If your plumber needs to replace the toilet drain pipe, which connects from the base of the toilet to the sewer line in your home, that could cost $75 to as much as $1200 or more overall. In situations where the problem is much worse, you may need to remove and replace the toilet, water lines, and even the subfloor. That also means that you'll need to replace your bathroom's laminate flooring, tiles, or whatever floor material you have. To be clear, such a drastic problem is not likely to happen unless there's substantial damage from mold or rot, but if it does, you'll want to pay the higher cost of hiring a plumber to do the work properly.