A dripping tap is rarely just a dripping tap for long. A running toilet can waste water quietly for weeks, a leaking waste can soak the inside of a kitchen unit, and a pressure drop may be the first sign of a leak you cannot see.
This is the sort of work we deal with every week as a plumber in Farnham. Small repairs, awkward repairs, older pipework, hidden leaks and the occasional job where a tiny failed washer has caused a surprisingly large amount of damage.
Cost guide updated: October 2026. The prices below are realistic guide ranges for normal scheduled plumbing work. They are not fixed prices. We quote after seeing the job because access, pipework age, parts, isolation valves and making-good can change the final figure.
What does a plumber in Farnham usually cost?
For a straightforward repair, you might expect a normal daytime plumbing visit and labour to start in the region of £70 to £120, before unusual parts or difficult access are added. Some jobs take half an hour. Others take most of a morning because the obvious leak is not actually the source.
Here is what common jobs can cost:
| Plumbing job | Typical guide price |
|---|---|
| Repairing a dripping tap | £60–£145 |
| Replacing a standard tap | £90–£225 |
| Repairing a running toilet | £80–£150 |
| Repairing a leaking waste or trap | £85–£180 |
| Low water pressure diagnosis | £80–£200 |
| More involved pressure or pipework repair | £150–£600+ |
| Radiator valve or joint repair | £75–£150 |
| Replacing a radiator | £150–£400 |
| Accessible split pipe repair | £85–£180 |
| Difficult or concealed split pipe repair | £135–£500+ |
| Hidden leak investigation | £150–£1,000+, depending on method |
These ranges can move up or down depending on whether the part is standard, whether an isolation valve works, how old the pipework is, and whether cupboards, tiles, flooring or plasterboard need to come out.
We explain the options before doing extra work. That matters. A cheap repair should stay a cheap repair where possible.
1. Dripping taps and leaking valves
A tap that drips once every few seconds may seem harmless, but it is irritating, wasteful and often gets worse. We are usually asked to replace a washer, cartridge or valve, although older taps sometimes need replacing altogether.
A simple dripping tap repair often falls around £60–£145. If the tap is seized, the flexible hoses are perished or the whole unit needs replacing, allow roughly £90–£225, depending on the tap and the work involved.
We also see leaking isolation valves under sinks and behind toilets. These small valves are meant to make future repairs easier, but on older installations they can be stiff, corroded or impossible to close fully. If the valve fails while we are working, replacing it is usually sensible. It also gives the next plumber a safer way to isolate the fitting.
That is one of those small fixes which can prevent a bigger problem later.
2. Running toilets and leaking cisterns
A toilet that keeps filling after it has been flushed is often caused by a worn fill valve, flush valve or seal. Sometimes it is simply limescale stopping the mechanism from closing cleanly.
An exposed toilet mechanism may cost around £80–£150 to repair. A leaking pan connector, cistern seal or awkwardly positioned toilet may be closer to £100–£180. Concealed cisterns, boxed-in pipework and wall-hung toilets can take longer, with costs commonly reaching £150–£300 or more.
The real issue is not only the water bill. A slow leak around the base of a toilet can damage flooring, skirting boards and the subfloor before anyone notices it.
We normally test the toilet after the repair, check the flush, inspect the surrounding joints and make sure the cistern is not slowly refilling. It sounds basic, but it is the detail that stops a return visit.
3. Leaking wastes, traps and kitchen pipework
Leaking wastes are another everyday job. The trap under a basin, bath or kitchen sink may be loose, cracked or fitted with a tired washer. A leak can also appear only when the sink is full, which is why a quick glance at a dry pipe does not always tell the whole story.
For a visible waste trap, joint or washer, a guide price is £85–£180. If the waste is behind a unit, access panel or bath panel, the cost may be £150–£350. Where cabinets have to be removed or flooring is already swollen, the plumbing repair and the making-good should be priced separately.
This is a good example of why we ask customers to clear the area before we arrive, where possible. It gives us room to work and lets us see exactly where the water has travelled.
4. Low water pressure
Low pressure is not always a failed pump or a problem with the water supplier. It might be:
- A partly closed or faulty stopcock
- A blocked tap aerator or shower head
- Scale inside an old valve
- A pressure-reducing valve that is no longer working properly
- A leak on the incoming supply
- Restricted or corroded pipework
- A fault affecting hot water only
If just one tap is weak, we start there. If every outlet is affected, we test the supply more broadly. A simple restriction may cost £80–£120 to identify and correct. A pressure regulator may be around £150–£400, while heavily restricted pipework or a concealed leak can take the cost beyond £500.
We do not recommend fitting a booster pump before checking what is actually causing the pressure drop. Sometimes the small, boring fix is the right one.
5. Radiator faults and small heating repairs
Radiators are plumbing jobs too, even if the problem shows up as a cold room. We are often asked to look at leaking radiator valves, cold radiators, noisy pipework and radiators that need balancing.
A leaking valve or joint may cost around £75–£150 to repair. A thermostatic radiator valve replacement is often £100–£200, while replacing a radiator may be £150–£400, depending on size, pipe alterations and the finish required.
A radiator cold at the top may have air in it. Cold at the bottom can point towards sludge, although pump, balancing and control issues can create similar symptoms. We check rather than assume.
If the fault is connected to a boiler, gas appliance or combustion system, it needs the right qualified person. If you are searching for a gas safe engineer farnham homeowners can trust, check that the engineer is registered for the gas work involved. The Gas Safe Register is the place to verify registration.
Split pipes and water leaks in Aldershot and Farnborough
We see plenty of split pipe repair work around Aldershot and Farnborough, particularly where older pipework, exposed external runs, poor insulation or previous alterations are involved.
A split pipe may be obvious, with water coming through a ceiling or under a kitchen unit. It may also be much less dramatic: damp plaster, a staining mark, a constantly turning water meter or a pressure drop that appears without explanation.
An accessible pipe repair may be around £85–£180. If the pipe is behind a wall, under a floor or connected to old fittings that need replacing, the cost may be £135–£500 or more.
Before we start opening up, we try to establish where the water is coming from. We may check the meter, isolate sections, pressure-test pipework, inspect joints and use thermal or acoustic equipment where it is appropriate. The aim is simple: find the source before making holes.
That saves money. Cutting into the wrong wall, lifting the wrong section of floor and then discovering the leak is somewhere else is expensive for everyone.
What a real water leak repair looks like
There is no honest way to promise that every leak repair will be clean and invisible from the start. If a pipe is accessible beneath a sink, behind a removable panel or in a service cupboard, the job may take 30 minutes to two hours and create very little disruption.
A concealed leak is different.
Depending on where the pipe runs, we may need to:
- Lift a small section of flooring
- Remove skirting board
- Open a section of plasterboard
- Remove the back of a cupboard
- Lift tiles where there is no alternative access
- Drain part of the water or heating system
- Leave the area open temporarily so it can dry
We protect floors with dust sheets and floor protection, keep removed materials together and limit the opening-up to what is needed. We do not smash out a whole wall because one pipe might be nearby.
For a simple isolated repair, you may be without water for 30 minutes to two hours. A larger split pipe repair can require a longer shut-off while the pipe is drained, cut out, replaced and tested. Central-heating work may need the system to cool and drain before it can be safely worked on.
The plumbing repair itself is not always the end of the project. Drying, plastering, decorating, replacing tiles or repairing flooring may be separate work, and we explain that clearly rather than hiding it inside a vague price.
What to do if you spot a leak or pressure drop
Keep it simple:
- Turn off the stopcock if water is running from a mains-fed pipe.
- Close the local isolation valve if the leak is under a sink, toilet or appliance and the valve works.
- Switch off nearby electrical equipment only if it is safe to do so. Do not touch wet electrical items.
- Put down a container and towels to limit damage, but do not bury the leak under towels and leave it unchecked.
- Take photographs of damp patches, pipework and any visible damage.
- Check whether the pressure drop affects one outlet or the whole property.
- Do not keep topping up a central-heating system if the pressure repeatedly falls. The cause needs checking.
- Arrange a plumber visit and tell us what you have already isolated, where the water is appearing and whether the leak is still active.
If you rent the property, notify the landlord or managing agent as well. If the water cannot be isolated, explain that clearly when arranging a visit so the situation can be assessed properly.
Why diagnosis is part of good plumbing
The best plumbing work is not always the part you can see at the end. It is the testing, tracing and careful decision-making beforehand.
We have seen small leaks become expensive because a loose joint was tightened without checking the pipe beside it, a failed seal was replaced while the real crack was underneath, or a pressure problem was covered up with new equipment rather than investigated.
Our approach is practical: identify the source, protect the property, repair the fault properly and explain what may still need attention. We work with homeowners and commercial customers across Aldershot, Farnborough, Farnham, Guildford and surrounding areas.
For more about the work we cover, visit our plumbing services page. If something is dripping, running, damp or losing pressure, you can book a visit through our contact page at a time that works for you. We will look at the job, talk through the options and provide a quote based on the actual pipework and access, not a guess from a photograph…