Faucet Swap (like-for-like)
Handis bathroom faucet swap replaces a lavatory faucet on the existing supply and drain rough-in — single-handle, two-handle, or widespread three-hole configurations in any modern finish — from $250 for a basic single-handle on a clean rough-in to $650 for a widespread three-hole on a difficult drain or a seized angle stop. The chrome faucet from 1998 next to the brushed-nickel everything-else. The pop-up drain that has not actually held water in six years. The two-handle widespread that drips at the hot side every couple of minutes. Same-day install in 60 to 90 minutes. New braided stainless steel supply lines on every job. New P-trap when the existing one is corroded or out of clearance. Leak check at every connection before the visit closes. Anything inside the wall — a leaking supply nipple behind the angle stop, a corroded drain stub-out, a wall-mount faucet rough-in — routes to a licensed Washington L&I plumber and is named on the quote before the work begins.
Service
What Does a Like-for-Like Faucet Swap Include?
A like-for-like faucet swap is the same-day lavatory faucet replacement scope on an existing supply and drain rough-in — covering water shut-off at the angle stops or the building main, removal of the existing faucet, install of the new faucet (single-handle, two-handle, or widespread three-hole) with new braided stainless steel supply lines, new P-trap when the existing one is corroded or out of clearance, system pressurization, and a leak check at every connection point. Handis covers same-day installs from $250 on a basic single-handle to $650 on a widespread three-hole with a difficult drain. Most installs finish in 60 to 90 minutes per faucet. Pop-up drain assembly, lift rod, and tail piece replaced as standard scope on every job.
Single-Handle Lavatory Faucet (Three-Hole Pre-Drilled)
The most common modern lavatory faucet — a single-handle spout with a deck plate that covers the three-hole sink pre-drill (faucet body in the center, plus two outer holes used for the deck plate). Brands include Moen Voss, Moen Doux, Delta Trinsic, Kohler Purist, Brizo Litze. Drops in on the existing three-hole sink, no widespread separation. From $250 labor.
Single-Handle Lavatory Faucet (Single-Hole)
Modern single-hole lavatory faucets — no deck plate, just one center hole on the sink. Common on newer vessel-sink installs and on modernized older bathrooms. Requires the existing sink to be single-hole or to accept a deck plate. From $300 labor.
Two-Handle Lavatory Faucet
Traditional two-handle widespread or center-set configurations — hot and cold on separate handles flanking the spout. Replacement on existing two-handle or three-hole rough-in. Common on period-style remodels (1920s craftsman, 1950s mid-century). From $350 labor.
Widespread Three-Hole Faucet
Premium widespread three-hole lavatory faucet — separated handles, individually mounted spout, custom-fit valves. Each handle attaches to its own valve body underneath the sink. More complex install (three separate mounting points, three separate supply tie-ins, three separate seal points). From $500 labor.
Pop-Up Drain Assembly, Lift Rod, P-Trap as Standard
Every faucet swap includes a new pop-up drain assembly (the drain stopper that comes with the faucet kit), a new lift rod, and a new P-trap when the existing one shows corrosion, kinks, or fails the clearance check for the new faucet body. The drain seal at the sink basin is fresh plumber's putty or silicone (silicone on stone countertops to avoid staining). New braided stainless steel supply lines on every job — the old chrome flex lines or compression-fit copper supply lines come off and stay off.
How a Like-for-Like Faucet Swap Works
Six sequential steps from water shut-off to final leak check — the actual sequence on every like-for-like bathroom faucet swap.
Confirm Rough-In and Faucet from a Booking-Call Photo
Phone photo of the existing faucet from above, plus a photo of the angle stops and supply lines under the vanity, sent on the booking call. Confirms hole count (single, two, three-hole), angle-stop condition (compression-fit or threaded, working or seized), and supply line type. Faucet ordered to match the sink rough-in before arrival.
Shut Off Water at the Angle Stops or the Building Main
Angle stops shut off first. If the angle stops are seized or weeping, we shut off at the building main instead and route the seized angle stop replacement to the licensed plumber sub before the new faucet goes on. Lines drained, small bucket placed under the angle stops to catch residual water.
Remove the Existing Faucet and Drain Assembly
Old faucet disconnected from the supply lines and lifted off the sink. Old pop-up drain assembly disassembled and removed. Old P-trap removed and inspected — kept if sound, replaced if corroded or out of clearance for the new faucet body. Old plumber's putty or silicone cleaned off the sink basin and the drain stub-out.
Install the New Faucet to the Manufacturer's Spec
New faucet body seated on the sink with the manufacturer's gasket or fresh plumber's putty (silicone on stone countertops). Mounting hardware torqued from underneath — not over-cranked (over-cranked mounting hardware cracks the cast spout base). New pop-up drain installed with fresh seal at the basin, new lift rod attached to the faucet body.
New Supply Lines, New P-Trap, Connect to Angle Stops
New braided stainless steel supply lines (never the old chrome flex or compression-fit copper). Connections snugged with a wrench plus a quarter-turn, never over-cranked (over-cranked connections strip the brass threads). New P-trap installed if scope warrants. Drain assembly tightened from above and below.
Pressurize, Leak-Check Every Connection, Final Caulk
Water back on at the angle stops or the building main. Every connection leak-checked under pressure for at least three minutes — supply-to-angle-stop, supply-to-faucet body, P-trap slip joints, pop-up drain seal at the basin, lift rod assembly. Anything that drips gets re-torqued or re-sealed before sign-off. Final perimeter seal at the deck plate or faucet base where the spec calls for it.
Bathroom Faucet Swap Pricing
Final pricing is labor plus any condition-driven adders. Faucet kit cost depends on brand line and finish (owner-supplied is fine). Anything in-wall (leaking supply nipple, corroded drain stub-out, seized angle stop that needs replacement) routes to a licensed Washington L&I plumber as a transparent line-item adder. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Send a phone photo of the existing faucet and a photo of the angle stops under the vanity — we will confirm scope and quote before booking.
Why Handis for Bathroom Faucet Swaps
Most homeowners who call us about a faucet swap have already gone to a big-box store, picked out a faucet, and stalled at the install. The DIY install runs aground in the same three places every time. The angle stops will not budge because they have not been turned in fifteen years. The existing P-trap is the wrong height for the new faucet body. The pop-up drain assembly comes with a vague exploded diagram and no real instructions. Handis runs the swap as a 60 to 90 minute visit with the right wrenches, a small bucket, fresh supply lines, and the experience to spot a seized angle stop before it becomes a flood. The honest line on in-wall work is on the booking call — anything behind the angle stop, anything in the wall, routes to the licensed plumber and shows up as a separate line item on the quote.
Confirm rough-in from a phone photo before the truck rolls
Most failed faucet swaps fail because the new faucet does not match the existing sink rough-in (a single-hole faucet bought for a three-hole sink, a widespread bought for a center-set rough-in). We ask for a clear phone photo of the existing faucet from above on the booking call so we can confirm hole count, plus a photo of the angle stops and supply lines under the vanity so we can confirm rough-in condition. The faucet gets ordered to fit before the truck rolls.
New braided stainless supply lines on every job
The old chrome flex lines or compression-fit copper supply lines come off and stay off. Every faucet swap gets new braided stainless steel supply lines — the standard for residential water supply since the early 2000s, rated for 125 PSI and a 5-year lifespan minimum. Old supply lines are a hidden failure mode behind the cabinet that we never carry forward to a fresh install.
Pop-up drain assembly is part of the scope, not an upsell
Every faucet swap includes a new pop-up drain assembly (the stopper mechanism that comes in the faucet kit), a new lift rod, and a fresh seal at the drain stub-out. The pop-up drain is the part most DIY installs get wrong — the lift rod alignment, the ball-stem seal, the drain-to-trap clearance. We assemble it to spec and test it for full open and full close before the visit closes.
Honest plumber handoff on anything in-wall
The angle stops, the supply lines, the P-trap, and the pop-up drain are all handyman scope. The supply nipple behind the angle stop, the drain stub-out behind the wall, the wall-mount faucet rough-in, and any work that requires opening the wall are licensed Washington L&I plumber scope. We confirm what triggers a plumber call on the booking call and name the sub portion separately on the quote.
Leak check under pressure before the visit closes
Water back on, every connection leak-checked under pressure for at least three minutes — supply-to-angle-stop, supply-to-faucet body, P-trap slip joints, pop-up drain seal at the basin, lift rod assembly. Anything that drips gets re-torqued or re-sealed on the spot. We do not leave a faucet at a weeping connection and ask the homeowner to call back.
Insured, background-checked, 30-day workmanship guarantee
Every Handis tech carries liability insurance and has cleared a background screening. 30-day workmanship guarantee — if a faucet drips at a connection we made, the pop-up drain seal weeps, or the supply line backs out within 30 days because of our install, we come back and fix it at no extra charge. The guarantee covers our install — it does not cover the faucet cartridge itself failing months later (a known wear part), the supply lines being damaged from a stored cleaning product leaking inside the cabinet, or aggressive cleaning chemicals stripping the finish.
Estimate
Send us a clear phone photo of the existing faucet from above and a photo of the angle stops and supply lines under the vanity. Tell us the new faucet (brand line and finish, or owner-supplied with model number), how many faucets are in scope, and any known issues — a slow drain, a seized angle stop, a wobbly faucet. We send a written quote with any plumber-sub scope called out separately when applicable.
Customer Reviews
Bathroom faucet swap reviews from real Handis customers.
New brushed-nickel Moen Voss in the master bath after we updated the vanity countertop. Sent Handis a photo of the existing chrome faucet and the angle stops. They confirmed the three-hole rough-in matched the new Voss, ordered it, installed it in 75 minutes. New supply lines, new P-trap, new pop-up drain. Sink works better than it did with the old faucet.
Widespread three-hole faucet in our period-style 1924 bungalow guest bath. The original two-handle had been dripping at the hot side for years. Tech swapped it for a widespread Kohler Purist in polished nickel, took about two and a half hours because the under-cabinet access was tight. Looks like it was always there.
Two bathroom faucets — master and hall bath — done in one visit. Tech started on the master, moved to the hall while the master sealed. Both single-handle Delta Trinsic in matte black, both done in three hours including the cleanup. One trip charge, two faucets, the matching finish across both bathrooms.
Old angle stops in our 1962 split-level were seized solid. Tech could not turn them without snapping. Called their plumber sub the same day, replaced both angle stops on threaded connections, then did the faucet swap. Plumber portion was on its own line item just like they explained on the booking call. No surprises on the invoice.
We bought the faucet online and had it sitting in the box for six months. Handis confirmed it was the right model for our sink rough-in from a phone photo. Tech installed in 90 minutes, took the old faucet for metal recycling. The DIY-install paralysis finally over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about like-for-like bathroom faucet swaps.