Renovation guides

How to install a faucet, toilet and shower head yourself: step by step

Like-for-like fixture swaps only — nothing moves inside a wall. Shut the water off, replace the fixture, hand-tight plus a quarter turn, then watch every joint for 24 hours.

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 13

   Close the shutoffs and prove they hold

   Close each valve gently and open the fixture. The flow should stop completely. If a valve turns hard, weeps at the stem, or leaves a dribble, stop — do not force it, and do not start the swap.

2. Step 2 of 13

   Confirm the swap really is like-for-like

   Count faucet holes and measure their spread; check the toilet rough-in from the wall to the bolt centers (usually 12", sometimes 10" or 14"); check the shower trim against the valve body in the wall. If the new part does not match, exchange the part — do not modify the plumbing.

3. Step 3 of 13

   Drain what you are about to open

   For a toilet, flush and hold the handle, then sponge and vacuum the tank and bowl dry. For a sink, open the faucet and put a bucket under the trap. Dry fixtures are far easier to carry and far less unpleasant.

   Ready to swap fixtures?

   • Every shutoff valve closes fully with no residual drip
   • New fixture matches the existing rough-in and hole pattern
   • New supply lines and a new toilet seal on hand — nothing reused
   • Toilet flange checked: intact, bolt slots sound, at or just above the finished floor
   • Tank and bowl or trap drained, bucket and towels in place
   • You know where the main shutoff for the unit is

4. Step 4 of 13

   Pull the old faucet and clean the deck

   Disconnect the supplies, then release the mounting nuts underneath with the basin wrench. Scrape off old putty and mineral crust so the new base seats on a flat, clean surface.

5. Step 5 of 13

   Set the new faucet and connect the lines

   Follow the faucet's own gasket instructions — some want putty, some want the supplied gasket, some solid-surface tops want silicone. Snug the mounting nuts evenly. New braided lines, hot on the left, hand-tight plus about a quarter turn, no tape on compression fittings.

6. Step 6 of 13

   Swap the shower head and arm

   Unscrew the old head and arm counterclockwise. Wrap the arm's tapered threads with a few turns of PTFE tape in the direction the arm will turn, thread it in until snug and pointing down, then hand-tighten the head onto it with a turn of tape. Do not crank on a chrome finish with bare pliers — pad the jaws.

7. Step 7 of 13

   Remove the old toilet and inspect the flange

   Disconnect the supply, unbolt the base, rock the bowl gently to break the seal, and lift it straight up with help. Stuff a rag in the drain. Scrape the old wax off and look hard at the flange: cracked, corroded, or broken bolt slots means a plumber before anything goes back down.

8. Step 8 of 13

   Set the new seal and the bolts

   Stand new brass closet bolts in the flange slots and hold them upright with the plastic washers. Fit the waxless seal or a fresh wax ring per its instructions. A waxless seal can be lifted and re-seated if you miss; a wax ring cannot.

9. Step 9 of 13

   Lower the bowl straight down and bolt it evenly

   Line the bolt holes up and lower the bowl in one motion without twisting, then put your weight on it to seat the seal. Tighten the nuts a few turns at a time, alternating sides, until the bowl is firm — then stop. Shim any rock at the floor before the final snugging.

10. Step 10 of 13

    Set the tank and connect the supply

    Fit the tank-to-bowl gasket and bolts per the instructions, tightening evenly until the tank sits level and firm — porcelain cracks from uneven pressure. Connect the new supply line hand-tight plus a quarter turn.

11. Step 11 of 13

    Turn the water on slowly and test everything

    Open each valve a quarter turn at a time. Run the faucets hot and cold, fill and drain the sink, and flush the toilet several times while you watch the tank bolts, the supply nut, and the base. Set the fill level to the mark inside the tank.

12. Step 12 of 13

    Dry it all and watch for 24 hours

    Wipe every joint dry and lay dry paper towels under each valve, each trap, and around the toilet base. Check at an hour, then again the next day, and flush and run water several times in between — a slow leak only shows up with use.

13. Step 13 of 13

    Caulk the toilet base — front and sides only

    A thin silicone bead around the front and sides keeps mop water out from under the bowl. Leave the back open so that if the seal ever fails, the water shows on your floor instead of the ceiling downstairs.

    Quality check

    • 24 hours dry: no damp towels at any valve, trap, or the toilet base
    • Toilet does not rock in any direction, bolts snug and capped
    • Tank level, fill level at the mark, flush is strong and shuts off clean
    • Faucets run hot on the left, drains hold water and release fast
    • Shower head is tight, points down, and does not drip at the arm
    • Toilet base caulked at the front and sides, open at the back
    • Every shutoff valve still closes fully after the job

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

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