Plumbing Guide
How to fix a leaking faucet
By All Purpose Anytime Services LLC
A drip from the spout is nearly always one worn part inside the faucet: a rubber washer in an older two-handle tap, or a cartridge or O-ring in a newer one. With the valves under the sink closed, swapping that part is a job plenty of homeowners do themselves. EPA WaterSense figures a faucet dripping once a second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year, so it is worth doing this week.
Find where it is leaking
- From the spout when the faucet is off: a worn washer, cartridge or seat inside the faucet.
- Around the handle when the water runs: a worn O-ring or the packing around the stem.
- Under the sink: the supply line, the shutoff valve or the connection to the faucet. That is a different repair, and the cabinet floor may already be wet.
Turn the water off under the sink
Close the hot and cold shutoff valves under the sink by turning them clockwise. Open the faucet to drain what is left in the line, and put the stopper in or a rag over the drain so a small screw cannot fall in.
If a valve will not turn, or starts dripping when you turn it, stop. A valve that has not moved in years can snap, and then the water for the whole house has to go off at the main. Replacing that valve is plumbing work, and it goes on the same visit as the faucet.
Work out which faucet you have
- Two handles that you screw down tight to stop the water: a compression faucet, sealed by rubber washers.
- Two handles that turn a quarter turn, or one lever: a cartridge or ceramic disc faucet.
- One lever over a rounded cap: a ball faucet, sealed by springs and rubber seats.
The maker's name is usually on the faucet or under the sink on the box it came in. Repair kits are sold by make and model, so write it down before you go to the store.
Swap the worn part
- Pry off the cap on the handle and remove the screw beneath it, then lift the handle off.
- Unscrew the packing nut or pull the retaining clip, and draw out the stem or cartridge.
- Photograph each piece as it comes out, in order, on a towel.
- Take the old washer, O-ring or cartridge to the store and match it exactly.
- Coat new O-rings with a little plumber's silicone grease, put everything back in reverse order and do not overtighten.
- Open the shutoff valves slowly and run the faucet hot and cold for a minute to clear any air.
When to stop and call a plumber
- The shutoff valves are seized, or leak when you turn them.
- The water is coming from under the sink, from a supply line or the faucet's base.
- The drip comes back after a new part.
- The handle or the stem is corroded on and will not come free without force.
- The faucet body is cracked, or nobody sells parts for it any more.
What we do on a dripping faucet call
We find which part failed and check the shutoffs under the sink, since a valve that will not close is the next thing to fail. You get one written price for the repair, and a price for a new faucet next to it when replacing is the honest option. Nothing is charged by the hour. If a running toilet or a slow drain also needs a look, put it on the same request and it goes on the same estimate. Our plumbing repair page covers the rest of the small jobs we take on.
Where the numbers come from
The 3,000 gallon figure is from EPA WaterSense's Fix a Leak Week leak facts, read in November 2026. The repair price range is from Angi's Washington, DC plumber cost page, read in October 2026. Both are published figures, not our prices.
Leaking faucet questions
How do I fix a leaking faucet?
Close both shutoff valves under the sink, open the faucet to let the pressure out and plug the drain. Take the handle off, pull the washer, cartridge or stem, and take it to a hardware store to match. Fit the new part, put the handle back and open the valves slowly. If the valves will not close, stop and call a plumber before you take anything apart.
Can I fix a dripping faucet myself?
Usually, yes, if the drip is from the spout or around the handle and the shutoff valves under the sink close fully. It is a part swap with a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. Leave it to a plumber when the valves are seized, the leak is under the sink, or the faucet is corroded enough that the handle will not come off without force.
Why does my faucet still drip after I replaced the washer?
Usually the seat the washer presses against is worn or pitted, so a new washer still cannot seal. On a cartridge faucet, the wrong cartridge or a missing O-ring does the same. A worn seat can sometimes be replaced. On an old faucet with a damaged body, a new faucet is often the better repair.
How much water does a dripping faucet waste?
More than 3,000 gallons a year at one drip per second, according to EPA WaterSense. A slow drip wastes less and a steady trickle far more. Either way it shows up on the water bill, and on the hot side it is water you have also paid to heat.
Should I repair a leaking faucet or replace it?
Repair it when the faucet is sound and parts are still sold for it, which covers most leaks. Replace it when the body is cracked or corroded, when parts for it can no longer be found, or when the drip comes back after a new part. Putting in a new faucet is part of our fixture installation work.
How much does it cost to have a plumber fix a dripping faucet?
Angi's Washington, DC plumber cost page puts small jobs such as a faucet or toilet fix at $100 to $300 (page read October 2026). That is a market figure, not ours. If the shutoff under the sink also needs replacing, that goes on the same estimate. We price the job after a free look, and it comes in writing before any work.
Faucet still dripping?
Tell us which faucet, where the water comes from and whether the valves under the sink close. A dripping tap and a running toilet can go on one estimate and one visit.
We take insurance jobs. Financing may also be available for qualifying projects. Ask when you call.