How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Toilet in London?
By Emergency Plumb,
Most of what a new toilet costs is decided before the plumber arrives: the type of toilet you choose, and whether it goes back exactly where the old one was.
Short answer: Replacing a standard close-coupled toilet like for like, in the same position, is a fixed £245 labour with us, plus the toilet itself and any parts. Wall-hung toilets, hidden cisterns and jobs that move the toilet are charged by time at £99 for the first hour and £49 per extra half hour, with no call-out fee.
What the fixed price covers
The fixed £245 is for the most common job: taking out a close-coupled toilet, where the cistern sits on the back of the pan, and fitting a new close-coupled toilet in the same spot. The new one connects to the existing water supply and soil pipe, and we test the flush, the fill and every joint before we leave. Taking the old toilet away is included in the price. Small parts such as a new pan connector, an isolating valve or seals are added at the cost of the part.
What makes a toilet cost more to fit
A hidden cistern. Back-to-wall and wall-hung toilets have the cistern behind a panel or inside a frame in the wall. That means building or adapting the frame and boxing it in, so it is priced by time.
Moving the toilet. If the new pan does not line up with the existing soil pipe, the waste has to be altered, and sometimes the water feed too. A few centimetres can be bridged with an offset connector; a different position in the room is a bigger job.
Old, awkward fittings. A pan cemented to the floor, a corroded supply pipe or a cracked soil pipe collar all add time. We tell you before carrying on if we find one.
Where there is no gravity drain. A toilet in a basement or a loft room below or away from the soil stack may need a macerator pump; see our Saniflo installation service.
How long the job takes
A like-for-like swap is usually done in two to three hours: isolating the water, draining and removing the old toilet, preparing the floor and the soil connection, fitting and fixing the new pan and cistern, then filling and testing. Anything involving a hidden cistern or new pipework runs longer, which is why those jobs are charged by time rather than at a fixed price.
Choosing a toilet that will fit
Before buying, measure from the finished wall behind the toilet to the centre of the soil pipe, and check whether your current pan’s outlet goes straight back into the wall or down into the floor. Most new toilets list a range they can reach. Picking one that matches avoids altering the waste, which is the single biggest extra cost on a toilet replacement.
Replace, or just repair?
A running cistern, a weak flush or a small leak at the base is a part, and much cheaper than a new toilet. Our guide to a running or weak-flushing toilet helps you tell which. To book a replacement, see our toilet repair and installation service in London.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to replace a toilet?
With us, replacing a standard close-coupled toilet with a new one in the same position is a fixed £245 for the labour, plus the toilet and any parts. Other jobs are charged at £99 for the first hour and £49 per additional half hour.
How long does it take to replace a toilet?
A straight swap, where the new toilet goes where the old one was and the pipes line up, usually takes two to three hours. Moving the toilet, or fitting one with a hidden cistern, takes longer.
Can I buy the toilet myself?
Yes. You can buy your own, or we can source a standard toilet for you and add its price to the bill with the other parts. If you buy your own, check the outlet type and the distance from the wall to the soil pipe match your bathroom.
Is it cheaper to repair a toilet than replace it?
Usually. A running cistern, a weak flush or a leak at the base is almost always a part, not a new toilet. Replacement makes sense for a cracked pan, a cistern whose parts are no longer made, or a change of style.