Renovation guides

How to remove a toilet, vanity and faucets yourself: step by step

Draft guide written from standard practice, not yet reviewed by a licensed pro. Follow product labels where they differ.

Disconnect and carry out the toilet, vanity, sink, and faucets, then cap every open supply and plug the drain so nothing leaks and nothing comes up out of the floor.

Difficulty 2 of 5 · about half a day · you can do this

Photo of your room, the look you pick, then this guide with the materials counted for your room.

Step by step

1. Step 1 of 14

   Confirm water and power are off to this room

   

   Close the stop under each fixture you are pulling and open the fixture to prove the water stays off — if your plan has the home's water-and-power shut-off job, it did this already. A vanity light or an outlet in the backsplash means the circuit must be dead too.

2. Step 2 of 14

   Photograph everything before you touch it

   

   Under the sink, behind the toilet, the P-trap assembly. You will want to know what was there when you put it back.

3. Step 3 of 14

   Disconnect the supply lines at the faucet

   

   Bucket underneath. Hold the valve body still with one wrench and loosen the nut with the other — stop at the first sign the pipe turns in the wall. Loosen at the stop first, then at the faucet tailpiece.

4. Step 4 of 14

   Empty the toilet completely

   

   Close the stop, flush and hold the lever down, then sponge and shop-vac the tank and the bowl until they are dry. A toilet is heavy enough without the water.

5. Step 5 of 14

   Unbolt the closet bolts and break the seal

   

   Pop the caps, remove the nuts, then rock the bowl side to side to break the wax. Cut a seized bolt with a mini hacksaw or a multi-tool rather than twisting the porcelain.

6. Step 6 of 14

   Lift it straight up, then plug the flange immediately

   

   Two hands, knees bent, set it on cardboard. Then stuff a large rag into the flange with a corner hanging out, tape over it, or set a test plug. Do this before you take a break.

7. Step 7 of 14

   Scrape the old wax off the flange

   

   Putty knife until the flange is bare metal or plastic. Bag the wax. Inspect the flange: cracked, or sitting below the finished floor, is a repair to schedule now.

8. Step 8 of 14

   Drop the P-trap into a bucket

   

   Loosen the slip nuts by hand where you can. The trap is full of water. Bag it if it is going in the trash.

9. Step 9 of 14

   Free the sink or top from the vanity

   

   Drop-in sinks: cut the caulk bead at the counter. Undermount: support the bowl from below before you release the clips.

10. Step 10 of 14

    Cut the caulk and the paint line at the wall

    

    Utility knife along the top and the sides of the vanity where it meets the wall. This is what keeps the drywall paper intact.

11. Step 11 of 14

    Back out the cabinet screws and walk it out

    

    Usually two to four screws through the back rail into studs. Two people for anything with a stone top — the top comes off separately when you can.

12. Step 12 of 14

    Cap every open supply line

    

    Put a 3/8 in compression cap (the size of your stop's outlet — check it) on every angle stop: hand tight, then a quarter to half turn with a wrench, per the package. Push-to-connect caps are only for a bare pipe stub. The stop stays closed — two closed things between the water and your room, not one.

13. Step 13 of 14

    Turn the water back on and watch for ten minutes

    

    Open the main again so the rest of the unit works, then stand there and look at every cap and stop with a dry paper towel. Any damp spot means it is not done.

14. Step 14 of 14

    Room is clear and sealed

    

    Everything out, every opening closed.

    Quality check

    • Toilet flange is plugged and taped; no sewer smell
    • Every sink and tub drain opening is plugged
    • Every supply stub is capped and the angle stop is closed
    • Water back on to the rest of the unit, no drips after ten minutes
    • No rot, mold, or leak staining found under the vanity or the toilet
    • Fixtures are out of the room and bagged or stacked for haul-out

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