How Long Does It Take to Replace a Toilet? A Complete Breakdown

Let’s first be honest about the experience of replacing a toilet. It isn’t exactly the most exciting home improvement experience. But when your toilet starts leaking or just looks like it belongs in a museum, you’ll need to swap it out, right?

Coming back to the main question: “How long does it take to replace a toilet?” Well, that depends. If you’re thinking that it is a quick job that’ll be done before your morning coffee gets cold, that’s not possible. Other than that, know that sometimes, it can happen really fast and easily, but at other times, you’ll feel it to be the toughest job on the planet with no reward.

Now, let’s break down exactly how long it takes to replace a toilet, what affects its timeline, and how you can avoid turning this into a full-day event.

What Affects the Time to Replace a Toilet?

Some people ask this question: Why does one person completely replace a toilet in an hour while someone else might take the whole day? Let me answer this question:

A few key things come into play:

• Experience Level – If you’ve never held a wrench before, this might take longer than expected.
• Condition of the Existing Toilet – Is it rusted? Bolts corroded? Get ready for some elbow grease.
• Type of Flooring and Plumbing Setup – Older homes sometimes have surprises lurking under the toilet. For example, uneven or damaged flooring, outdated or corroded plumbing, or non-standard setups.
• Unexpected Issues – If you find leaks, damaged pipes, or a broken flange, a simple task can become a major project. In other words, if everything is in good shape, replacing a toilet won’t take much time. Instead, it will be a short and sweet process. But if things don’t go well, get ready; it might take a lot longer.

Can You Replace a Toilet in One Day?

Do you want a short answer to this question? Yes. In fact, if all goes well, you can finish replacing a toilet even before lunch. But here’s when it might take longer:

• Corrosion Problems – If the old toilet is stuck like gum on a hot sidewalk, you’ll need extra time.
• Missing or Wrong Parts – Have you ever started a project only to realize you need another trip to the hardware store?
• Plumbing Adjustments – If your new toilet doesn’t fit well with your pipes, you may need some extra fittings or an adapter.

If none of the above problems occurs, you’ll be using your brand-new toilet within a few hours. If not, well… patience is key.

Hiring a Plumber vs. DIY Toilet Replacement: What’s Faster?

Thinking about doing this yourself? Let’s compare:

• Professional Plumber – They’ll have it done in 1-2 hours like it’s just another Tuesday.
• DIY Installation – If you’re handy, expect 3-6 hours. If you’re not, maybe clear your whole day.
• Potential DIY Setbacks – Misaligned pipes, leaks, or dropping the toilet (yep, it happens) can add time.

Now, if you believe time is more valuable to you than money, hiring a professional is the way to go.

Tools and Materials You’ll Need

Before you start, get your tools and materials ready. Because nothing is worse than stopping in the middle of the project because you’re missing something. Anyways, you need the following things:

• Tools: Putty knife, screwdriver, adjustable wrench, level, bucket, and sponge
• Materials: New toilet, plumber’s tape, wax ring, and new bolts if needed

If you have these with you, it will save you from running to a hardware store multiple times because one trip is already too many.

Step-by-Step Guide to Replacing a Toilet

Ready to take the steps to replace a toilet? Here’s the DIY toilet replacement guide:

1. Shut off the water – Turn the valve off and flush to drain excess water.
2. Disconnect the supply line – Use a wrench to loosen the connection, but have a towel close by to catch any water that may leak out when you remove the line.
3. Remove the old toilet – Unscrew the bolts, carefully lift the toilet up, and set it aside.
4. Inspect and clean the area – Get rid of the old wax by scraping it off, and check to see if the flange is okay.
5. Install the new wax ring – This is what prevents leaks, so place it properly.
6. Position the new toilet – Lower it onto the flange and secure the bolts.
7. Reconnect the water supply – After tightening everything, turn the water back on. Then, check for leaks.

Common Mistakes That Add Extra Time

Want to avoid turning this into an all-day project? Here’s what NOT to do:

• Forgetting to shut off the water – This turns into an indoor water park really fast.
• Not checking for leaks – A small drip now can mean a big problem later.
• Overtightening bolts – This can crack the toilet. Yes, really.

What If You Run into Unexpected Issues?

I know that sometimes things don’t go as we have planned. If you run into any problems, it might take days to replace a toilet. To avoid this from happening, here’s what you should do:

• Broken Flange? Get a repair kit.
• Pipe Misalignment? Use an offset flange or flexible adapter.
• Slow Water Refill? Check for debris in the valve.

How to Speed Up the Process

Need this done ASAP? Here are some tricks:

• Gather all materials beforehand – A missing part is a time-killer.
• Watch a tutorial first – A little prep goes a long way.
• Don’t rush the installation – Ironically, going slow prevents mistakes that waste more time.

Conclusion

So, how long does it take to replace a toilet? If everything goes well, it’ll take 1-2 hours if a plumber does it, but if you do it, it can take up to 3-6 hours. But if you encounter a problem, it might take longer.

You might still be asking: “Is it hard to replace a toilet? Should I do it myself?” Yes, it’s hard to replace it. But if you’re comfortable with tools and have some patience, go for it. But if you don’t want to spend your weekend wrestling a toilet, calling a plumber is the faster option.

Have you ever replaced a toilet? Got any funny or frustrating stories? Drop them in the comments!