A dripping tap looks like the simplest job in plumbing, so people are often surprised the price isn’t one flat number. The honest answer is the same as with blocked drains: it depends on what’s actually causing the leak.
A tap that just needs new washers is a simple service. A tap where the brass seat has been eaten away by water, or where the real problem turns out to be the pipework behind the wall, is a different job altogether. Both start with “my tap is leaking“, but the work involved is worlds apart.
To show what that looks like in practice, here are four real jobs we’ve done around Perth, priced at our current rates. Each one shows what was leaking, what it cost, and why it cost that. Prices include GST.
Need a leaking tap fixed? There are no call-out fees. Call 1300 634 581 to book one of our local plumbers today.
Four Perth Leaking Tap Jobs and What They Cost
Suburb |
What caused the leak |
Work completed |
Cost including GST |
| Butler | A worn shower hose, calcified shower head and ensuite taps leaking at the spindles | Breech re-seated, new shower taps, new shower head and hose | $481.87 |
| Baldivis | A kinked copper tee behind the vanity taps | Everything under the basin rebuilt, with new isolation valves and flexi hoses | $559.90 |
| Bayswater | A dripping kitchen mixer, a loose basin mixer and a garden tap seat eaten away by water | New kitchen and basin mixers, and the garden tap replaced with wall work | $1,226.50 |
| Woodlands | Three faulty tap sets and sticking mini stops | New basin and laundry tapware, mini stops and flexi hoses throughout | Just over $2,500 |
1. Leaking Showers in Both Bathrooms in Butler
What was leaking
Two problems in one house. The main bathroom shower hose was leaking badly and the shower head was calcified solid, a common sight in Perth homes, where minerals in the water slowly build up and choke the outlets. In the ensuite, the shower taps were leaking up through the spindles, the part the handle sits on. That usually means the brass seat the tap closes against has worn, so the tap can’t shut off the water cleanly and it escapes around the handle instead.
What it cost
$481.87
Why it cost that
This was three fixes in one visit, not a single dripping tap. In the ensuite we re-seated the breech inside the wall, cutting a fresh seat into the brass so the new taps seal properly, then fitted new shower taps. In the main bathroom we replaced the shower head and hose. Both showers left working properly, and because it was all done in the one visit, the whole house was sorted for less than two separate call-outs would have cost. This is the entry level of tap work, and even here there’s more to it than swapping a washer.
2. A Leak Under the Vanity in Baldivis
What was leaking
Water was collecting under the bathroom vanity, and the customer was worried it was an emergency. Fair enough too, water inside a cabinet can do real damage, swelling the timber, staining the cupboard and leaving the damp conditions mould loves. Vanity leaks are also tricky to read, because the pipes and fittings are tucked away behind the basin and the water you can see is rarely sitting right where the fault is. The taps looked like the obvious suspect, but the real cause was hidden behind them.
What it cost
$559.90
Why it cost that
The leak turned out not to be the taps themselves. Behind the tapware, a kinked copper tee feeding the spindles and spout had given out. Rather than patch one fitting, we rebuilt everything under that basin: replaced the underside of the taps, and because the original install had no isolation points, added flexi hoses and isolation valves so the water can be turned off right there next time instead of at the meter. The customer wanted quarter-turn taps to match their other bathrooms, so we fitted their new spindles, and installed their new plug and waste while we were in there. Every component under that basin left the job brand new and tested, no more leaks. The step up in price comes from the extra parts and the rebuild work.
3. Three Taps in One Visit in Bayswater
What was leaking
Three separate problems: a dripping kitchen mixer, a loose basin mixer, and a garden tap leaking badly. Mixers wear internally with daily use, and once their cartridges and seals start to go, a steady drip or a wobbly handle tends to follow. The garden tap was the worst of the three. Outdoor taps cop the weather and often go years without anyone paying them much attention, so by the time they’re leaking badly, the damage inside is usually well advanced.
What it cost
$1,226.50
Why it cost that
The garden tap is the story here. Water had completely eaten away the seat inside the tap body, and the tap was so far gone we had to chip into the wall to get it out and fit the new one. The kitchen got a new gooseneck mixer and the bathroom a new basin mixer, both quality units, because on mixers a cheap replacement usually means doing the job twice. The price reflects three fixes in one visit, the new tapware, and the wall work. Doing them together cost less than three separate call-outs would have.
4. A Full Tapware Refresh in Woodlands
What was leaking
This one wasn’t an emergency at all. As part of a bathroom update, the customer wanted the tired tapware replaced properly: three sets of taps were faulty and the little isolation valves under the fixtures (mini stops) were sticking. Mini stops let you shut off the water at one fixture without turning off the whole house, and when they stick, even a simple tap change gets harder than it should be. With three tap sets already failing, it made more sense to sort the whole set-up at once than to replace one tap at a time.
What it cost
Just over $2,500
Why it cost that
We supplied and installed two new basin sets with swivel spouts, a new laundry set, and new mini stops and flexi hoses throughout. New mini stops and flexis are the part nobody sees, but they’re what stops the next leak before it starts, old ones seize up exactly when you need them. Jobs this size are planned rather than urgent, and the price reflects a full set of new tapware installed properly throughout the home.
Need a Leaking Tap Fixed in Perth? Talk to Swan’s Professional Plumbing
If you’ve got a dripping or leaking tap anywhere around Perth or Peel, give us a call. At Swan’s Professional Plumbing, our licensed Perth plumbers will ask a few questions, give you an honest steer on where your job might land, and explain what’s involved before any work starts.
You’ll get upfront pricing with no call-out fees, and if a few taps need attention, we can sort them in the one visit. No surprises on the invoice, just taps that stop dripping and peace of mind.
Members get 15% off the labour on every job, so if you use us regularly it’s worth asking how that works when you book.
Call us on 1300 634 581 or book online below.
FAQ
In the jobs above, a visit that sorted leaking showers came in under $500. A repair needing new tapware or pipework behind the wall sat higher, at $559.90 to $1,226.50. A full tapware refresh was just over $2,500. It all comes down to what's causing the leak.
Water had completely eaten away the seat inside the garden tap body, so the tap was too far gone to service. We had to chip into the wall to get it out and fit the new one, which is part of why that job cost more than a standard tap repair.
It's worth not leaving it. Water running past a worn seat keeps eating away at the brass. At Bayswater, the garden tap was so far gone it had to be chipped out of the wall. A leak inside a vanity cabinet can also do real damage.
Yes. Bundling taps into one visit always beats separate call-outs. At Butler and Bayswater, doing everything together cost less than separate visits would have.
They're the little isolation valves under basins and other fixtures that let you turn off the water right there instead of at the meter. Old ones can seize up exactly when you need them, so we often replace them with new flexi hoses during tap work.
