Frisco Homeowner's Choice for Toilet Installation & Repair
Toilets are probably the one plumbing item that you can’t go without—or at least don’t want to. The most seasoned campers among us can get along fine with a bottle of water for hygiene basics like handwashing and teeth brushing if a sink is broken. But the toilet is a different story. You’ll quickly realize how important this simple yet complicated and so very needed fixture is when it stops functioning properly.
Believe us, we understand. We’ve seen it all, and we’re prepared to tackle any toilet issues you face, big or small. From tightening the nuts to replacing a poor-performing toilet with a more reliable model, we’ll provide you with the best recommendations and workmanship to solve the problem.
Earl’s Plumbing Trucks Are Stocked with Toilets & Parts
Earl’s Plumbing trucks are larger than most and use a very organized and labeled bin system that is the same in every truck. This allows us to track and carry additional parts and materials that other companies cannot. That means we can complete over 98% of our jobs on the same day and same visit, usually avoiding additional labor that is associated with supply house runs, travel, and trip charge expenses.
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Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions
A flush beats a full house every time. When you have questions about replacing, repairing, and restoring your toilet to its rightful place in your home, ask the experts at Earl’s!
This situation can feel disgusting or embarrassing and sometimes both. Some plumbing companies refuse to do a basic toilet repair. Worse, they may just overcharge in the hopes of avoiding the call altogether. The reason is that this job is not especially profitable. It generally adds little to the top sales line, and there are a lot more jobs out there that pay a lot more for the same amount of time.
However, at Earl’s Plumbing, we take all plumbing-related jobs, both big and small. Even though toilet jobs are usually simple, we teach our plumbers several tricks, tweaks, and adjustments that make the finished outcome more complete. And you’d be surprised how easy it can be to mess up. We’ve seen some pretty embarrassing DIY projects and handyman work—we have a “wall of shame” in the office for that reason.
If you’re not convinced whether the flapper should be changed or not, look at it this way: it is a part that costs less than $5 and we’ve already included it in the price of every repair job. We do it for peace of mind and because we know the last thing you want is us coming back to your house two to three days later on a warranty call.
It just might take you two or three times longer than it takes us, plus the trip to and from the store.
But, if you are not as mobile or flexible as you once were, you don’t have the time, or you lack confidence, Earl’s Plumbing is always happy to help.
A full disassembly of the tank and a rebuild of everything inside can be time-consuming. Plus, there is always the possibility that the toilet is so old that the universal parts won’t even work. A full tank rebuild is never the most ideal. We will do it, but we can install a brand new and far better toilet for just slightly more.
A new toilet installation will probably take us less time to complete with a far better long-term outcome. But in any case, sometimes a full tank rebuild makes sense and sometimes it does not. We’ll always discuss your options with you candidly before we make any decisions.
On occasion, you might have a bad installation from the construction phase that is just now appearing in the ceiling below. Sometimes it takes years for the leak to finally blow out the cheap wax ring and become visible. Ultimately, improper installation is the primary reason for the bulk of these types of “leaking base” repairs. Many or most have to do with the flange, closet bolts, and/or flooring not being installed properly.
There is a proper workaround for this if you know what you are doing—but that is the reason plumbers exist!
Once again, this type of repair is far more common than it should be. However, this problem has nothing to do with the age of the toilet, the wear of the parts, or the know-how, knowledge, or skill level of the person installing it. It has everything to do with poor-quality materials. More specifically, it has to do with poor-quality toilets—even more specifically, builder-grade toilets.
You might have a builder-grade toilet or a less expensive off-brand toilet from a big box home improvement store if it:
- Has a weak flush
- Water swirls and takes a long time to fully flush the toilet
- You can’t make the water stop running after a flush
- Clogs often
- Requires multiple flushes on a regular basis
We see this a lot when a seller is trying to sell their home and put as little money as possible into it to make it more appealing. When the realtor says, “Look, all new toilets throughout!” it’s most likely code for “We spent as little money as possible and watched a YouTube video.”
Builder toilets purchased from a plumbing wholesaler cost the new construction plumber about $65 each. A low-end toilet at the home improvement store is about $100. Other than the minimal price difference (margin that each seller makes), there is very little quality difference between the two sellers’ toilets, regardless of brand.
Both are inferior quality with minimal engineering and testing standards behind them. The toilet manufacturer has a very low bar to hit to pass the minimal standards test, which is fairly easy to achieve. That is—until that toilet gets to the real world of everyday, normal use!
If your toilets brand is one of the following, then it is either builder-grade or has minimal engineering and quality:
- ProFlo
- Mansfield
- Gerber
- Western
- Vortens
- AquaSource
- Glacier Bay
There are a few others, and we’ll let you know if we see one in your home. We see firsthand issues with these toilets every day. We have even seen them flood entire houses on multiple occasions.
Of course, you can find articles on the internet that say these brands are trustworthy. But that’s simply paid advertising—it’s pseudo-journalism, not real-world experience.
There is no repair for a bad or poor-quality toilet. There is only one remedy for this and that is to replace the toilet with a quality name brand like Kohler or American Standard.
In other words, we feel that our toilet is an incredible value when you combine the overall quality, features, appearance, and price.
At Earl’s Plumbing, we are very transparent, so we will say this: we often feel that Kohler as a brand is slightly overrated and too often overpriced. However, their toilets, with the slow-close seat and proprietary “AquaPiston” flushing system, have our overwhelming approval. The Kohler toilet that we stock has traditionally been the top-selling replacement toilet in America.
That said, we will install any toilet that you provide. We just ask that you inspect the toilet for damage upon being unloaded to avoid any unnecessary trips and charges. Toilets with elements that make installation more complicated will cost more than a basic install. These include features like heated seats, self-flushing, bidet sprayers, boltless designs, etc.
Conversely, the price for installing lower-end, generic branded toilets such as AquaSource, Mansfield, Glacier Bay, or similar brands will also be adjusted up accordingly. That’s because they are of inferior quality and harder to assemble, install, and level. In other words, a lower-priced toilet may be less expensive initially, but in the end, it could be more total out of pocket than a slightly higher-priced name brand of superior quality.
- Removal, haul away, and landfill disposal of the old toilet
- Preparation of the area, which includes basic cleaning of the immediate floor area and toilet flange
- Inspection of the flange, water shut-off valve, and flooring area for signs of damage
- Upgraded, extra-thick, reinforced wax ring and new braided stainless steel toilet water supply line
- Assembly, installation, setting the toilet, and fill valve water adjustments
- Proper caulking and sealing per code requirements
- A limited install labor warranty of 120 days for any toilet we install
- An additional 60 days (180 days total) for toilets that we supply
Not included in basic toilet installations is the replacement of the water shut-off valve (also called a water supply valve). Many commission-based plumbers insist that homeowners replace this important piece of equipment after replacing a toilet. But as long as it functions or does not form a leak during the normal on/off operation, Earl’s Plumbing would never require it to be replaced.
We strongly suggest replacing the shut-off valve if your home is older than 10 years old OR if the valve is of poor design & quality. That would include plastic thread, plastic stem, multi-turn, or PEX push & pull types. As a convenience for you, we adjust the price accordingly for this extra work when done at the time of installation.
Although rarely needed or required in homes less than 20 years old, flange repair is also NOT part of the basic install price. We can’t know or predict whether flange repair will be required until the old toilet is removed and can be visibly inspected.
We have the ability to perform three levels of flange repairs on the same visit. Each is priced accordingly based on the level of difficulty and the materials required. Brass flanges and “Lead Dutchman” flanges are very rare, totally different animals, but we can also tackle them in the event that there is a problem.
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