Three toilet problems and where each one starts
A toilet that runs between flushes usually has a flapper that no longer seals or a fill valve that doesn't shut off. Water at the base points to the supply line, the tank bolts or the seal under the bowl, and a clog sits in the trap or just past it.
Each of those has a fix a homeowner can do with the stop valve closed. A clog that comes back, or one that sends other drains slow too, belongs on the drain cleaning page.
What toilet repair costs in Texas
A company's toilet repair comes to $90 to $250 per repair on our model, an estimate and not a quote. The base is 2 national published ranges adjusted to Texas pay, and no permit is added, because clearing and repair are exempt and a swap may need a city permit.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $90 to $250 per repair | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Texas plumber wage ratio (0.84). Four Texas plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Plumber wage, Texas mean | $29.22 an hour | Hourly mean wage of Texas plumbers, BLS May 2025, separate from a company's bill. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by Texas's plumber wage ratio to the US (0.84, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. Four Texas plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Texas company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
Fix the parts, or buy a new toilet?
A worn part is a repair. A cracked bowl or tank is a replacement, and so is a toilet that has needed repair after repair.
- The flapper, fill valve or chain is worn and the porcelain is whole.
- The leak stops when the supply line or the bolts are tightened.
- A crack shows in the bowl or the tank.
- Water seeps at the base again after the seal under the bowl is replaced.
What Texas law says about swapping a toilet
Occupations Code 1301.551 has a city's ordinance require a permit for plumbing other than repairing leaks and replacing lavatory or kitchen faucets, ballcocks or water control valves, garbage disposals, or water closets. Austin's own list also exempts repairing or replacing fixtures, exposed traps, fixture supply valves and faucets when no other city department or trade is involved.
An owner may do plumbing in their own homestead without a license (1301.051). A company that offers to do the swap must have a Responsible Master Plumber (1301.351), and you can search that license on TSBPE's public search.
Toilet problems that need a call now
- The bowl is overflowing and the stop valve behind it won't close.
- Sewage is backing up in the toilet and the tub together.
- Running between flushes, with no water on the floor.
- A base that wobbles without any water showing.
Steps before you call a company
- Close the stop valve behind the toilet before you open anything.
- Lift the tank lid, flush, and watch whether the flapper seals or the fill valve keeps running.
- Dry the base and the supply line, then look for the first drop to form.
- Plunge a clog with a flange plunger, and stop if other drains slow down too.
Does a toilet repair or swap need a permit?
Occupations Code 1301.551 names replacing water closets in its list of work left out of a city's permit requirement. For your address, the city's permit office has the answer.
Austin's list doesn't exempt installing or replacing a shower, tub or tub-shower.
Before any work starts, ask for the license number of the company's Responsible Master Plumber and search it on TSBPE's public license search.
Questions people ask
Do I need a permit to replace a toilet in Texas?
State law leaves water closet replacement out of the permit requirement for cities. Occupations Code 1301.551 has cities require a permit for plumbing other than repairing leaks and replacing water closets, ballcocks, faucets, water control valves and garbage disposals. Your city's own ordinance is the one that applies to your address.
How much does toilet repair cost in Texas?
$90 to $250 per repair per the model, an estimate. A toilet repair is modeled at $90 to $250 per repair, with no permit added and national ranges scaled to Texas pay behind it.
Can I replace my own toilet without a license?
In your homestead, yes. A property owner needs no license for plumbing in their own homestead under Occupations Code 1301.051. If you hire it out, the company's work runs under its Responsible Master Plumber.
Why does my toilet keep running?
Usually a flapper that doesn't seal or a fill valve that doesn't shut off. Lift the tank lid and flush. If water keeps flowing into the bowl, the flapper isn't sealing, and if it keeps flowing into the tank, the fill valve isn't shutting off.
When is a clogged toilet a bigger problem?
When other drains are slow too. A toilet that clears with a plunge is a local clog. If the tub gurgles or a second fixture slows down, the plug is farther along the line, and the drain cleaning page covers that case.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), Texas, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PlumberMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TSBPE Plumbing License Law, plain-view PDF Sept 2025 Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Austin: Work exempt from building permits Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TSBPE: Responsible Master Plumber Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TSBPE / HPC public license search; TSBPE Contact page Read Oct 23, 2026.