Dripping kitchen faucet: repair, replace, and why stuck shutoff valves change the quote

The short answer

If the faucet body is solid and the drip is coming from a cartridge, stem, washer, or handle area, repair may be the better first step.

If the faucet is corroded, loose at the deck, leaking from more than one place, or has worn pull-out parts, replacement often makes more sense than paying for repeated small repairs.

A stuck angle-stop valve is a separate issue. A faucet repair assumes the water can be shut off under the sink. If the hot or cold shutoff valve is seized, leaking, or still lets water pass, the plumber has to control the water another way before the faucet work can safely happen.

Why this comes up in older local kitchens

Philadelphia’s housing stock is older than the region’s, with just over forty percent of homes built before 1940. Bucks County has some prewar homes and a large mix of later housing, while Montgomery County has a substantial nineteen-sixties and nineteen-seventies housing group.

That does not mean every older kitchen has bad valves. It does mean a dripping faucet visit can reveal older supply lines, stiff shutoff handles, or valves that have not been moved in years.

Repair usually makes sense when

• The faucet is otherwise in good shape.

• The drip is steady from the spout, not from the cabinet below.

• The handles work normally.

• The faucet is not loose on the sink or countertop.

• Replacement parts are straightforward.

• You like the faucet and just want it to stop dripping.

This is usually quoted as fixture work: $300 – $1,200.

Replacement usually makes sense when

• The faucet is corroded at the base or spout.

• The sprayer hose, head, or diverter keeps failing.

• The faucet moves when you turn it on.

• Water is getting under the sink deck.

• The finish is worn and you were already planning to update the kitchen.

• The labor to repair is close to the labor to replace.

A basic replacement is still fixture work, but the final quote depends on access, supply connections, the new faucet type, and whether the shutoff valves work.

Why seized angle-stop valves add a line item

The angle stops are the small valves under the sink, usually one for hot water and one for cold water. They let the plumber shut off water to the faucet without shutting off the whole house or unit.

When they are seized, the job changes:

• The plumber may not be able to isolate the faucet.

• The main house shutoff may have to be used.

• Water may need to be drained from the line.

• The old angle stops may need to be cut off or carefully removed.

• New valves and supply lines may be needed before the faucet is tested.

That is why a quote may show faucet repair or replacement as one line, and angle-stop replacement as another. The extra line is not for the drip itself. It is for making the faucet safe and serviceable.

What you can check before asking for a quote

Do not force an old valve. A stuck shutoff can start leaking if it is cranked hard.

Instead:

• Take a clear photo of the faucet from above.

• Take a clear photo inside the cabinet, showing both shutoff valves.

• Look for green, white, or rusty buildup around the valves and supply lines.

• Note whether the drip is from the spout, handle, base, or under the sink.

• Find your main water shutoff before the visit.

• If you live in a condo, apartment, or rowhome with shared systems, ask who controls the building shutoff.

These details help independent local contractors quote the real job, not just the visible drip.

Permit notes for this kind of work

Philadelphia’s plumbing permit page says minor same-material repairs, including replacing faucets, valves and parts, do not need a plumbing permit.

For work outside Philadelphia, permit administration can vary because Pennsylvania says most municipalities administer and enforce the Uniform Construction Code locally. For a simple faucet repair, the practical question to ask is: “Is this just fixture service, or are you altering plumbing?”

When the quote should move from fixture work to leak repair

If there is water damage inside the cabinet, staining below the sink, wet flooring, or a leak from a pipe rather than the faucet, the project may move from fixture work to leak repair: $300 – $2,500.

That is a different scope. The plumber is no longer just stopping a drip at the faucet. They are finding and repairing an active leak path.