Tap repair
Quoted
Cartridge / washer / O-ring fix on existing tap
- Diagnostic + repair
- Standard cartridges and washers from the van
- Like-for-like cartridge swap (most makes)
- Aerator clean if low flow
- £55/hour after first hour (rare)
Plumbing
Tap repair & replacement
Dripping taps, seized cartridges, full mixer replacement; most jobs done in one visit, fixed-price after the first hour.
Pricing Quoted
Clear quote · Gas Safe registered · Checkatrade approved
- 1Send the detailsPhotos, postcode, what's happening: phone, WhatsApp or form.
- 2Same-day replyNigel confirms price, visit time or survey slot.
- 3Fixed quoteWritten down before any work starts. No surprises.
Indicative scope
Exact pricing is confirmed before work starts and depends on the property, access, parts and fault diagnosis.
Tap replacement (kitchen)
Quoted
Like-for-like or supply-new mixer install
- Removal of old tap
- Isolation valves fitted (or replaced)
- New mixer installed and pressure-tested
- Trade-rate supply if you want us to source
- Old tap recycled
Tap replacement (bathroom)
Quoted
Mono-block or 3-hole basin / bath tap install
- Mono-block or 3-hole supported
- Isolation valves where missing
- Inline pressure-balance washers
- Silicone re-bedded around base
- Worn pop-up waste replaced if needed
Taps
Dripping tap waking the house up?
Dripping taps, seized cartridges, full mixer replacement; most jobs done in one visit, fixed-price after the first hour.
At a glance
Quick facts before you read on.
What's included
5 things, no extras on the day- Diagnostic + repair
- Standard cartridges and washers from the van
- Like-for-like cartridge swap (most makes)
- Aerator clean if low flow
How we quote
Confirmed before work startsFirst hour covers most repairs and a like-for-like swap.
Certification
WaterSafe ApprovedJob done to standards. Paperwork on the day.
Service area
Cardiff, Penarth, Barry, CaerphillyA dripping tap wastes around 5,500 litres of water a year, and gets steadily worse, not better. Most are a £20 cartridge or washer fix and don’t need replacing. We’ll always tell you whether your existing tap is worth saving.
What we fix
- Dripping or running taps: 80% of the time it’s a perished washer or worn ceramic cartridge. We carry common cartridges (Bristan, Methven, Roca, Hansgrohe, Crosswater, Bristan, Mira) on the van.
- Seized or stuck mixer levers, caused by limescale build-up around the spindle. Free-up, lubricate, replace cartridge if necessary.
- Loose or wobbly tap bodies: usually the back-nut has unwound or the seal has dried out. 15-minute fix.
- Slow flow rates, almost always a clogged aerator (unscrew at the spout, soak in vinegar) or partial limescale block on the inlet.
- Leaks from the base: worn O-ring or perished silicone bead. Tap comes off, base re-bedded, new ring fitted.
- Outdoor taps, frost-burst, seized stop, missing isolator. Most fitted with a frost-resistant garden valve to prevent re-occurrence.
Replacement
If your tap’s beyond repair, or you’re updating the look of a kitchen or bathroom, we’ll fit your supply or source a like-for-like at trade prices.
- Kitchen mixer install: £75–£110 fitted with isolation valves.
- Bathroom mixer with isolation valves: £95–£140 fitted.
- Mono-block basin tap: £95 fitted.
- 3-hole bath tap: £140–£180 fitted.
- Quooker / boiling tap install: £180 + tap supply (typically £900–£1,400).
- Outdoor garden tap: £140 fitted with frost-resistant valve.
We get trade pricing on Bristan, Methven, Roca, Crosswater, Hansgrohe, Damixa and Vola, typically 10–15% under retail. If you’ve already bought your tap or seen it on a designer site, fine: we’ll fit it and stand by the workmanship, just not the product warranty.
Pricing
We charge £75 for the first hour (covers most repairs and a like-for-like swap) and £55 per hour after that. Materials at trade plus 15%. Most repairs are done in 30–60 minutes; most replacements in 45–75 minutes.
For most calls we’ll quote off a photo before we set off. Send a shot of the tap from above and another of the isolation valves underneath, and we’ll text back a fixed price within half an hour during working hours.
Common mistakes other firms make
- Recommending replacement when a £20 cartridge will fix it. Always ask whether the existing tap can be repaired before you buy a new one.
- Skipping isolation valves. Every tap fitted should have isolation valves underneath. If yours don’t, we’ll fit them, which saves a stopcock-off panic at every future repair.
- Not pressure-testing. A tap that “looks fitted” isn’t fitted. We run hot and cold for 30 seconds and watch every joint before we leave.
Workmanship and warranty
Every repair and replacement is covered by a 12-month workmanship warranty. Manufacturer warranties on tap bodies are typically 5 years (Bristan, Methven), 10 years (Hansgrohe), or lifetime (Vola, GROHE Premium), and we’ll register the warranty with you copied in.
We’re WaterSafe-approved, which is the recognised standard for any work that touches the mains supply. It’s the scheme insurers and conveyancers look for on home reports.
★★★★★
If you look for a professional plumber who is very skilled, polite, tidy and communicative look no further. Thank you Nigel for installing our shower.
Recent jobs near you
A few of the jobs we have finished lately, with the postcode and what was involved.
- CF24 April
Roath terrace: single-lever kitchen mixer cartridge replaced. 35 minutes.
- CF11 April
Canton flat, basin mixer + worn pop-up waste.
- CF14 April
Llanishen: 3-hole bath tap fitted, customer-supplied Hansgrohe.
- CF64 March
Penarth, outdoor garden tap with frost-resistant valve.
- CF23 March
Cyncoed kitchen: Quooker boiling tap install (gas + filter).
How the job runs
- 01
Photo + postcode
1 minSend a photo of the tap from above and another of the under-sink isolation valves. We can usually quote inside half an hour without coming out first.
- 02
Visit
30–60 minMost repairs and like-for-like swaps are done inside the first hour. Cartridge supply we carry on the van; 95% of jobs don't need a parts run.
- 03
Pressure-test
5 minEvery join pressure-tested before we leave. Hot-and-cold both run for 30 seconds while we watch. Nothing left to leak.
- 04
Pay + warranty
Same visitCard, Apple Pay, bank transfer, all on the day. 12-month workmanship warranty emailed to you with the receipt.
Common questions
How quickly can you come out for an emergency?
For genuine emergencies (gas leak, no heat in winter, burst pipe) we aim to be on site within 60 minutes anywhere in Cardiff and within 90 minutes for Penarth, Barry, and the Vale. Out of hours, your call goes to a triage line that wakes Nigel for true emergencies.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
No call-out fee for jobs we go on to quote. Diagnostic visits where we don't carry out work are charged at our standard hourly rate, which we'll always tell you about up front.
How does the heat pump grant work?
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays toward an air-source heat pump install at one of two rates. If your home currently runs on oil or LPG you get £9,000, an uplift for off-gas-grid homes that runs until 31 March 2027. If you're on mains gas it's £7,500. The voucher is applied for through the installer before the work starts, so you never handle the paperwork or the money. The grant is discounted at the point of sale.
Are you Gas Safe registered?
Yes, every gas engineer who works under PHBLUE is Gas Safe registered. You'll see our registration number on every quote, every invoice, and every Gas Safety Certificate. You can also verify us directly on the Gas Safe Register's public lookup.
What areas do you cover?
Cardiff and the surrounding South Wales region, primarily Cardiff, Penarth, Barry, Caerphilly, Llandough, Roath, Rhiwbina, Whitchurch, and Cowbridge. If you're nearby and we don't cover your postcode yet, drop us a message and we'll see what we can do.
How much does a new bathroom cost in Cardiff?
For a standard 3-piece bathroom (bath, basin, WC) refit including tiling, flooring and second-fix electrics: £6,500–£9,500 fitted, depending on tile choice and whether the layout moves. Wet rooms and en-suites with shower trays start £8,500. We quote fully fixed-price after a survey; supply-only items are at trade plus 10%.
How long does a bathroom installation take?
A straight refit (same layout, same waste positions) is 5–7 working days. Layout changes that need waste pipe reroutes add 2–3 days. We work clean: dust sheets up, daily clean-down, the rest of the house stays liveable.
Do you do tap repairs or just full installs?
Both. Most tap drips are a £20 cartridge, and we charge £90 for the first hour (covers diagnosis and most repairs) and £55 per hour after. If your taps are end-of-life we'll tell you and quote a swap, never the other way round.
What's the difference between a powerflush and a magnetic filter?
A powerflush is a one-time deep clean of the heating system using a high-flow pump and inhibitor, which clears years of magnetite sludge from radiators, boilers and pipework. A magnetic filter (MagnaClean or equivalent) is fitted permanently on the return pipe and traps sludge as it circulates, year on year. Both are needed for a long-lasting modern system. Powerflush £450; magnetic filter retrofit £180 fitted.
My water pressure is low, can you help?
Yes, first we'll find out whether it's coming in low (a problem with the incoming main, your stopcock, or a partially-closed valve), or dropping mid-house (a leak, a cylinder issue, or scale in the pipework). Diagnostic visit is £90 and gets credited if you go on to have the work done.
Are you WaterSafe registered?
Yes: WaterSafe approved plumber scheme. That's the recognised standard for any work that touches the mains supply (stopcocks, incoming mains repairs, unvented cylinders, water softeners). It's also the scheme insurers and conveyancers look for on home reports.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
No, not for any job we go on to quote or carry out. Diagnostic visits where we don't end up doing work are charged at our standard hourly rate (£90 first hour, £55 after) and we'll always tell you that up front.
Are quotes fixed price or estimates?
Fixed-price for everything we can survey: boiler installs, bathrooms, EV chargers, EICRs, central heating refurbs, heat pumps. Variable-rate for diagnostic and repair work, but with hourly rates published on every relevant page so you know before we start.
Can you take a deposit and stage payments?
For jobs over £3,000 we take a 30% deposit at scheduling, 50% on day one, balance on completion. That covers our materials outlay without exposing you. Smaller jobs are paid on completion. We accept bank transfer, card, and Apple/Google Pay; no cash in hand.
Do you offer finance?
Not directly: we're not authorised to broker credit. For boiler installs, Worcester Bosch and Vaillant both run their own finance schemes (0% over 12 months on installs through accredited installers like us). Ask at quote stage and we'll send you the application link.
Do you give written quotes?
Always. Every job over £200 gets a written, itemised, fixed-price quote before any work starts. The quote is yours to keep, valid for 30 days, and the price on it is what you'll pay: line-item breakdown for materials, labour, and any provisional sums.