Toilets
Toilet Repair and Installation in Bothell, WA
Running toilets, weak or double flushing, leaks at the base, wobbling bowls and full replacements across 98011, 98012 and 98021.
A silently running toilet is the single most common cause of an unexplained water bill spike in Bothell. Test it free: put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, wait twenty minutes without flushing, and check whether color appears in the bowl. If it does, the flapper or fill valve has failed. Toilet installation in this market runs 300 to 800 dollars. Under Bothell Municipal Code 20.02.095 you do not need a permit to remove and reinstall a toilet, provided no valve or pipe is rearranged.
Free test, do it now
The food coloring test that finds a silent leak in twenty minutes
- Take the tank lid off and set it somewhere safe. They crack easily and replacements are surprisingly expensive.
- Put ten drops of food coloring into the tank water. Any color works, dark ones read best.
- Wait twenty minutes and do not flush. Go and do something else.
- Look in the bowl. Any color in the bowl means water is passing from tank to bowl continuously, which is a failed flapper or a fill valve set too high.
- Flush to clear the dye so it does not stain.
If your meter low flow indicator is turning but every toilet passes the dye test, the leak is elsewhere and it is worth a proper look. If a toilet fails the test, it is very often a ten dollar part.
Diagnosis
What your toilet is doing, and what it actually needs
| Symptom | Usual cause | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Runs constantly or cycles on its own | Failed flapper, or fill valve set above the overflow tube | Flapper and fill valve. Small part, big water saving. |
| Runs intermittently with nobody near it | Often high static water pressure forcing past the fill valve seal | Check pressure first. Code requires a PRV above 80 psi. See water pressure. |
| Weak flush, needs two goes | Partially blocked rim jets, a flapper closing early, or a low tank level | Clean the jets, adjust the chain and level. Rarely a new toilet. |
| Water on the floor at the base | Failed wax ring, loose closet bolts, or a cracked bowl | Pull and reset with a new wax ring. Replace only if the china is cracked. |
| Rocking or wobbling | Loose bolts, or a rotted subfloor beneath the flange | Do not just tighten it. A rocking toilet breaks its own seal repeatedly, and rot needs the floor opened. |
| Gurgles when the washer drains | Main line blockage, not a toilet fault at all | Stop running water. See sewer repair. |
| Sewer smell near the toilet | Dry trap, failed wax ring, or a venting problem | Diagnosis first. Venting faults are code issues, not air freshener issues. |
| Slow filling after a flush | Restricted supply stop, or a fill valve nearing end of life | Open the stop fully, then replace the valve if needed. |
What it costs
Toilet repair and installation prices in Bothell
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Toilet installationCustomer supplied or supplied by us | 300 to 800 dollars |
| Flapper or fill valve replacementUsually inside a standard service call | Well under a service call minimum |
| Pull and reset with new wax ring | Typically inside a 284 to 760 dollar service call |
| Typical plumbing service callAngi Seattle average 522 dollars | 284 to 760 dollars |
| Hourly labor | 150 to 200 dollars per hour |
| Diagnostic visitCredited in full to any repair you approve | 75 to 200 dollars |
Permits
Do you need a permit to replace a toilet in Bothell?
No, in the normal case, and this is one of the few places where the code is genuinely helpful to homeowners.
Bothell Municipal Code 20.02.095 exempts, in its own words, the removal and reinstallation of water closets where no valve or pipe rearrangement occurs, and the reinstallation or replacement of prefabricated fixtures that do not require replacement or rearrangement of valves or pipes. A toilet is a prefabricated fixture. A straight swap onto the existing flange and stop valve is exempt.
When it stops being exempt:
- You are moving the toilet to a different position, which means moving the drain and the vent.
- The flange has to be replaced because the subfloor is rotten, which becomes concealed pipe work.
- You are adding a toilet where there was not one, in a basement conversion or an ADU.
- You are replacing concealed supply pipe rather than just the visible stop.
Outside city limits, in Bothell East, Bothell West and unincorporated Snohomish County, the jurisdiction is Snohomish County Planning and Development Services, whose published guidance is that any work performed on the water supply or drainage systems requires a permit. That is a stricter reading than the city, so check before you assume the same exemption applies.
Choosing one
What actually matters when you buy a toilet
- Rough-in distance. Measure from the finished wall to the center of the closet bolts. Twelve inches is standard, but ten and fourteen exist, and older Bothell homes from the 1950s and 1960s throw up surprises. Get this wrong and nothing else matters.
- Flush performance over gallons per flush. Modern 1.28 gallon toilets vary enormously in real world performance. A good 1.28 outperforms a bad 1.6 and uses less water doing it.
- One piece or two piece. One piece is easier to clean and has no tank-to-bowl gasket to fail. Two piece is cheaper and far easier to carry up a staircase.
- Bowl height. Comfort height, around 17 to 19 inches, is easier for most adults and considerably easier for anyone with mobility issues. In a market with as many long term owner occupiers as Bothell, this is worth thinking about before you need it.
- Trapway. A fully glazed trapway clogs less. It is one of the few specification differences that reliably shows up in daily use.
- Parts availability. Buy a brand whose flapper and fill valve you can get at a hardware store in Bothell in ten years, not an imported model with proprietary internals.
Straight answers
Toilet questions from Bothell homeowners
How do I know if my toilet is leaking silently?
Put ten drops of food coloring in the tank, wait twenty minutes without flushing, then check the bowl. Any color in the bowl means the flapper or fill valve is passing water continuously. It is the most common cause of an unexplained water bill spike in Bothell, and the repair is usually a very cheap part.
How much does toilet installation cost in Bothell, WA?
Typically 300 to 800 dollars. A pull and reset with a new wax ring usually falls inside a standard service call, which averages 522 dollars in the Seattle market with a common range of 284 to 760. Our diagnostic fee is credited in full to any repair you approve.
Do I need a permit to replace a toilet in Bothell?
Not for a straight swap. Bothell Municipal Code 20.02.095 exempts the removal and reinstallation of water closets where no valve or pipe rearrangement occurs, and the replacement of prefabricated fixtures. You do need a permit if you are moving the toilet, replacing concealed pipe, or adding a fixture where there was not one.
Why does my toilet run intermittently when nobody has flushed it?
Very often high static water pressure forcing past the fill valve seal. Code requires a pressure reducing valve above 80 psi, and Bothell has over 460 feet of relief between the Sammamish valley floor and the ridge tops, so low lying streets genuinely run high. Have the pressure gauged before replacing parts repeatedly.
My toilet gurgles when the washing machine drains. Is the toilet broken?
No, that is a main line signal rather than a toilet fault. When one fixture draining causes another to gurgle or rise, the blockage is in the main. Stop running water and call your water and sewer district first, because they will confirm free of charge whether it is their main or your side sewer.
Is a rocking toilet a serious problem?
Yes, more than people think. A toilet that rocks breaks its own wax seal repeatedly, which lets water and sewer gas escape under the floor where you cannot see it. Do not just tighten the bolts, because over tightening cracks the china. It usually needs a proper reset, and sometimes the subfloor under the flange has rotted and needs opening up.
What is the best toilet height for an older adult?
Comfort height, roughly 17 to 19 inches to the bowl rim, rather than standard height at around 15 inches. It is significantly easier to sit and stand from. Worth specifying at the time of replacement rather than replacing twice.
Can I install a toilet myself in Bothell?
Legally yes for a straight swap on your own home, since BMC 20.02.095 exempts it. The two things that catch people out are getting the rough-in measurement wrong before buying, and overtightening the closet bolts and cracking the china. Measure from the finished wall to the center of the bolts before you buy anything.
Related
Other things we fix in Bothell
Drain Cleaning & Clogged Drains
Cleared through a cleanout, then cameraed so you see the line is actually clear.
Garbage Disposal Repair & Installation
Jams, hums, leaks and replacements, plus why grease is the real problem in Bothell drains.
Leak Detection & Pipe Repair
Pinhole leaks, crawlspace leaks, and the free meter test you can run yourself first.
Water Pressure, PRV & Expansion Tanks
The Alderwood pressure reduction project, and why your relief valve drips.
24 Hour Emergency Plumber
Burst pipes, sewer backups and no-water calls, answered around the clock across 98011, 98012 and 98021.
Sewer Repair & Side Sewer Replacement
Camera first, permit pulled, and the footage handed to you before anyone quotes a replacement.
See the Bothell plumbing permit guide for the full exemption list.
Service area
- 98011
- 98012
- 98021
- Kenmore
- Woodinville
- Mill Creek
- Brier
- Lynnwood
- Bothell East
- Bothell West
Toilet running, leaking or overflowing?
Same day toilet repair across Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville, Mill Creek, Brier and Lynnwood.