Faucet installation: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering faucet installation

Faucet installs are quick when the holes and shutoff valves match, and slow when they do not. Check the holes, the valves and the supply lines before the faucet is ordered.

What customers ask

  • Will this faucet fit my sink?
  • Do I have to replace the supply lines?
  • Why is my new faucet dripping at the base?
  • Can you put in a pull-down spray?
  • Will you leave the old faucet for me to dispose of?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask the sink type, the number of holes, the faucet style the customer wants, and whether there is a water filter or spray already installed.
  • Bring a set of flexible supply lines, a deck plate, a mounting nut kit and a gasket set to the first visit.
  • Check the shutoff valves before you start, and say which valve you will close first.
  • Show the customer the faucet model and the mounting method before you install it.
  • Quote the faucet, the supply lines, the valves and any deck plate as separate lines.
  • Test hot and cold, the spray and the diverter, and check every connection for a drip before you leave.

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of a finished install with the supply lines and shutoffs visible under the sink
  • List the faucet types you install, including pull-down, widespread and pot filler
  • Note the shutoff valve replacements you do, and the supply line materials you use
  • Show a before and after of a sink with a deck plate or a new hole, if you have one

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer to replace the shutoff valves on the same visit when they are old or hard to close
  • Suggest a water filter connection when the customer already has a filter nearby
  • Recommend a check of the supply lines in a few years, since they age even when they do not leak

Licenses and permits

Faucet installation is commonly done by licensed plumbers, and some areas allow simple fixture swaps without a plumbing license. Confirm the rules with your state or local licensing agency before taking the job.

Questions

What do I do when the customer's sink does not match the faucet they bought?

Stop before installing. Show the hole count and offer a deck plate or a different faucet that fits. Do not drill a new hole without the customer's written approval.

How do I handle a shutoff valve that will not close?

Close the next valve up or the main, and explain that the valve must be replaced. Quote the valve as its own line, and do not work on the faucet with the valve leaking.

Should the supply lines be replaced at the same time?

Recommend it and say why. Old lines can fail, and replacing them while the faucet is out is a common and sensible step.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

Edit history

More plumbing guides for pros

Start here

About this guide

Get faucet installation requests

Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.

Join as a pro
Sign up free