Toilet repair and replacement in MD, DC and Northern VA
Most toilet trouble comes from a few parts, the fill valve, the flapper, the wax seal and the flange. We fix the one that failed and only talk about a new toilet when the old one really is done.
What your toilet might be doing
If one of these sounds familiar, it's usually a part we can replace on the first visit.
- Toilet running constantly
- Blocks every week
- Water at the base
- Weak or incomplete flush
- Toilet rocking on the floor
- Overflowing on flush
What changes the price
- Whether it's a part inside the tank or the seal and flange under the bowl
- The state of the shutoff and supply line, which often get replaced at the same time
- A cracked or rusted flange that has to be repaired before the toilet goes back down
Most toilets don’t need replacing
Toilet trouble is usually a cheap part inside the tank or a problem further down the line. Knowing which saves you buying a bowl you didn’t need.
- Parts before porcelain
- We check the flapper, the fill valve and the shutoff before anyone mentions a new toilet. A toilet that runs all night is nearly always one of them.
- We lift it to look
- If it rocks or leaves water on the floor, we pull it up and look at the wax ring and the flange. Guessing at a seal is how a subfloor rots.
- Blockages traced down the line
- If it blocks every few weeks, we look past the bowl at the drain and the vent, because a new toilet on an old obstruction blocks just the same.
If your toilet leaks at the base
Tightening the bolts won't stop it. We pull the toilet, put in a new wax ring and set it back down, and that's the repair we quote.
People crank those bolts down because it feels like a fix. It can crack the porcelain, and a seal that has already failed stays failed. The water just keeps going into the floor where you can't see it.
You can find out which leak you've got before you call. Dry the floor, lay one paper towel around the base and another under the tank, and flush once. If the towel at the base is wet right after the flush, it's the seal. If the one under the tank gets wet without a flush, the tank is probably sweating. That's condensation, and it's a different fix.
Before you book toilet repair
Being sold a new toilet when it needs a part.
A running toilet is usually a flapper or a fill valve, sometimes the shutoff. You hear which one and what it costs before anything gets replaced.
Nobody looks under it.
A rocking or leaking toilet comes up so we can see the wax ring and the flange. Tightening the bolts can crack the porcelain and never reseats a failed seal. Caught early, a new ring is a small job. Left alone, the subfloor goes soft.
It blocks again next week.
Repeat clogs usually sit further down the line or in the vent. We find out which, then flush it several times before calling it fixed.
The bathroom is left a mess.
The floor is covered before the toilet comes up, and old wax and water are cleaned up before we go. If the subfloor is soft, we show you before anything goes back down.
When toilets give trouble around DC
Toilets work hardest when the house is full, and sewer backups are at their worst in December. When the toilet gurgles as a sink drains, look at the main line. See sewer line repair.
Get a free toilet repair quote
- Repair or replacement priced side by side
- Toilet work carries our 60 to 90 day warranty
Or call us
(240) 695-4415Request Toilet Repair & Replacement
We take insurance jobs. Financing may also be available for qualifying projects. Ask when you call.
How the job runs
- 1First we work out where the fault is. It could be inside the tank, at the seal under the bowl, or further down the line.
- 2We check the flapper, the fill valve and the shutoff, because a toilet that runs is nearly always one of them.
- 3If the toilet rocks or leaks at the base, we lift it and look at the flange and the wax ring instead of guessing.
- 4You hear what failed and what it costs before any part is swapped.
- 5After the repair we flush it several times and watch the tank refill before calling it done.
Questions we get about toilet repair and replacement
Why does my toilet keep blocking?
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Is water at the base serious?
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Toilet running, rocking or blocking?
Tell us which, and for how long. A toilet leaking at the base jumps ahead of routine work and is scheduled within 48 hours.