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Faucet repair in San Jose for drips, leaks and weak flow
A drip that wastes water all night, a handle that turns too far, a kitchen tap down to a trickle. Most faucets can be repaired with the right cartridge or seat, and we tell you plainly when replacing the faucet makes more sense.
Faucet repair in San Jose is usually a cartridge, seat or O-ring replacement, and the make and model of the faucet decide which part fits. Hard water shortens the life of those parts and clogs aerators, so we clean or replace the scaled pieces, then check the supply stops under the sink while the water is off.
The job
Finding the part that actually failed
Faucets fail in a small number of ways. Compression faucets drip when the washer or seat wears; cartridge and ceramic-disc faucets drip or turn stiff when the cartridge wears or scale builds inside it; ball-type kitchen faucets leak at the base when the O-rings dry out. Identifying the valve type and the maker narrows the repair to one part, which is why we look before we quote.
While the water is off we check the angle stops under the sink. Old multi-turn stops often seize or weep once they are finally turned, and swapping them on the same visit is easier than a second call. Our shutoff and angle stop replacement page covers that work.
Cost factors
What goes into the price of a faucet repair
Planning range, not a quote: $140 to $220 per hour for plumbers in Santa Clara County. Source: proplumbersanjose.com, 2026-07-26.
- Type of faucet Compression, cartridge, ball and disc valves use different parts.
- Part availability Current-model parts are quick to get; older or discontinued ones take sourcing.
- Scale and corrosion A cartridge bonded in by scale takes longer to remove without damage.
- Angle stops Replacing seized stops while the water is already off adds a little time.
- Location A faucet under a deep sink or a tub spout set in tile takes longer to reach.
Every job is priced after we see it; any published range is for planning only.
Your options
Repair the faucet or replace it?
Repair is usually the better value on a good faucet. Replacement wins when parts are no longer made or the body itself is failing; our faucet installation page covers new fixtures.
| Repair | Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Parts | Still made by the maker | Discontinued model, no cartridge available |
| Body condition | Solid body, leak at a replaceable part | Cracked body or corroded base |
| Cost | Part plus labor on one visit | New faucet plus installation |
| Finish | Still in good shape | Worn, or you want a different style |
| Time | One visit in most cases | One visit, longer if the sink or counter needs work |
Dripping faucet
A steady drip from the spout almost always means the part that seals the water off is worn. On older two-handle faucets that is a rubber washer pressed against a brass seat; if the seat is pitted, a new washer only buys a few weeks, so we dress or replace the seat as well. On single-handle faucets the drip comes from a worn cartridge or a cracked disc. A leak from under the handle rather than the spout is a stem O-ring, a different and usually smaller repair.
Cartridge replacement
Cartridges are specific to the maker and often to the model year, so we identify the faucet before ordering a part. Moen, Delta and Kohler each use their own designs, and a near match that fits loosely will leak or reverse the hot and cold rotation. Scale can bond an old cartridge to the valve body; we remove it with the correct puller rather than forcing it, which is how valve bodies get cracked. After the install we set the temperature limit stop so the handle cannot run scalding.
Low flow at one tap
When one faucet runs weak and the rest of the house is fine, the problem is at that faucet. The usual culprit is the aerator, packed with mineral grit, followed by a clogged cartridge screen or a partly closed or scaled angle stop. We clean or replace the aerator, flush the lines and check the stop. If every fixture has lost pressure, the cause is upstream, often corroded galvanized pipe or a failing water pressure regulator, and that is a different diagnosis.
Outdoor hose bib leak
Hose bibs leak in two places: from the spout when the washer is worn, and around the stem when the packing dries out. Many older bibs also lack an anti-siphon device, which current code expects so garden hose water cannot be drawn back into the house supply. We repair the washer and packing where the bib is sound and replace it with an anti-siphon model where it is not. A bib that leaks inside the wall whenever the hose is on needs replacement, not repair.
What happens after you call
How a faucet repair visit runs
- 1
Book a window
Call and we schedule faucet work at a time that suits you.
- 2
Identify the faucet
We find the maker and valve type before choosing a part.
- 3
Shut off and open up
Water off at the stops, handle and trim removed, valve inspected.
- 4
Replace the worn part
Washer, seat, cartridge, O-rings or aerator, with the scale cleaned out.
- 5
Check the stops
We test the angle stops and replace any that seize or weep.
- 6
Test hot and cold
Flow, drip check and the temperature limit set before we leave.
Local context
Hard water and faucet parts in San Jose
San Jose water runs about 10 to 16 grains per gallon of hardness depending on the season and the blend of Sierra water and local groundwater, and it is disinfected with chloramine. Hardness is what packs aerators with grit and stiffens cartridges over the years. When we service a faucet here, we clean the scale out of the valve body before setting a new cartridge, because a fresh part seated against a crusted body will not seal for long.
Brands we service and install
FAQ
Faucet questions we answer every week
If parts are still made and the body is sound, yes.
The seat is probably pitted and needs dressing or replacing.
Yes, when the part for your model is available.
Usually a clogged aerator or cartridge screen. If every fixture is slow, look at the supply piping.
Yes. We repair hose bib washers and packing, and replace bibs with anti-siphon models where needed.
Moen, Delta, Kohler, American Standard and most others found in San Jose homes.
If they are rubber, bulging or corroded, yes, while the water is off.
Related work
Other Kitchen & Bath jobs we handle
Book a faucet repair in San Jose
Call any hour to schedule a visit, and ask about stops and supply lines while we are there.
Updated September 2026