HOW TO HIRE · PLUMBING & HEATING

How to hire a tap fitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to tap fitting, but taps must meet the water fittings rules. The checks, the pressure question and a fair quote.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a tap fitter in five steps

  1. Check the tap suits your pressureSome mixers need mains pressure and will dribble on a low-pressure system.
  2. Measure the holesTap holes and deck thickness, before buying.
  3. Ask for isolation valvesIf there are none, have them fitted now.
  4. Bundle the jobsMost plumbers have a minimum charge; do several taps at once.
  5. Keep the old tap until it worksIn case the new one does not fit.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to tap fitters in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so anyone may offer tap fitting. For tap fitting, two legal lines remain: gas work belongs to a Gas Safe registered engineer, and new fittings must meet your nation's water fittings rules.

Ask whether any part of the tap fitting touches gas, and if it does, who on the team is on the Gas Safe Register.

Approved taps and backflow

Schedule 2 of the 1999 Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations requires fittings that do not contaminate the water and arrangements that stop backflow into the supply; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own versions. A tap bought cheaply online may not meet them.

Ask the fitter whether the tap you bought is suitable for UK water fittings rules before it goes in. legislation.gov.uk →

Water fittings rules

In England and Wales the 1999 Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations govern the pipes and fittings used for the tap installation; an approved contractor must give the person who commissioned the work a certificate saying whether the fittings comply. For the tap installation in Scotland the rules are Scottish Water's byelaws, and in Northern Ireland the 2009 Regulations.

Ask whether the plumber is an approved contractor and will give you the certificate for the the tap installation. legislation.gov.uk →

Public liability insurance, including water damage

No law requires a plumber to be insured for the tap installation, but one leaking joint can ruin a ceiling. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you the right to the tap installation done with reasonable care and skill — insurance is what makes a claim against the tap fitter worth something.

Ask the tap fitter for the insurer's name and whether the policy covers water damage.

VAT

Fitting a tap or mixer is standard-rated at 20%, valves and connectors included. Once a business's taxable turnover goes over £90,000 it must be registered, and the VAT then goes on the quote as its own line.

Ask the tap fitter whether the price per tap includes VAT, and for the VAT number. gov.uk →

“Will this tap or mixer work on my water pressure?”

A good answer: A check of the system; a low-pressure gravity supply needs a low-pressure tap.

“Are there isolation valves under the sink, and will you fit them if not?”

A good answer: Yes, priced, so the next tap change is quick.

“What if the back nuts on the old tap are seized?”

A good answer: A stated plan and price for cutting them off.

“Does the tap fitting price include flexible connectors?”

A good answer: Yes, or the fitter says which to buy.

“Can you fit a boiling-water tap or mixer?”

A good answer: Yes, with the electrical side quoted or referred to an electrician.

“Is there a minimum charge for fitting one tap?”

A good answer: A plain answer, so you can add other jobs.

Getting the quote right

  • Fitting price per tap, and the minimum charge
  • Isolation valves and connectors included or extra
  • Removal of the old tap
  • Who actually attends to fit the taps — the plumber you booked, or a subcontractor
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on its own line

Walk away if

  • No isolation valves fitted when they are missing
  • No leak check with the water on
  • Cuts or damages a worktop without asking
  • A minimum charge that appears only on the invoice
LOW
£60
TYPICAL
£100
HIGH
£200

What a tap fitter costs: £60–£200 per tap

Taps are priced per tap, usually with a minimum charge for the visit; seized fittings and new valves add a little. Tap & Mixer Installation price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Tap fitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. IsolateWater off at the valves or the stopcock.
  2. RemoveOld tap out and the surface cleaned.
  3. FitNew tap fixed, connectors attached.
  4. TestWater back on and every joint checked.
  5. TidyOld tap taken away or left as agreed.

Mixer tap
One spout mixing hot and cold.
Back nut
The nut under the sink that holds the tap on.
Flexible connector
A braided hose from the pipe to the tap.
Isolation valve
A small valve that cuts water to one fitting.
Backflow
Water flowing back into the supply from a fitting.
Low-pressure system
A gravity-fed supply from a tank, with weak flow.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check under the sinkDry connectors after an hour of use.
Run hot and coldBoth sides, full flow, and the mixer at every position.
Keep the tap guaranteeThe maker's guarantee and the fitter's invoice.
Write the reviewSay what the tap fitter did well on the tap installation and what they did not. If it fell short, use the make-it-right step first, so the tap fitter can put it right before you publish.

STEP 1Tell the tap fitter, in writingWrite it down: what the tap fitter did, what is wrong with the tap installation and what would fix it. Reasonable care and skill is the standard section 49 of the 2015 Act sets; if the tap installation missed it, ask for the work to be redone free, or for part of the price back.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepBelow four stars, Locufy offers to pass the problem with the tap installation to the tap fitter before your review is published, and follows it up with both of you.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesA tap fitter who will not engage can be reported through the consumer helplines, which pass cases to Trading Standards — Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060), Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedA claim against the tap fitter that will not settle can go to court without a lawyer — the small claims track for up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure for up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court for up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a tap fitter: questions people ask

No. No register applies, but the tap must meet the water fittings rules.

Not always; some need mains pressure. Check before buying.

Usually just an invoice. An approved contractor can certify new fittings comply.

£60–£200 per tap, about £100 typical. The tap and mixer installation price guide has the detail; enter your town above for plumbers near you.

You can; check it suits your pressure and sink holes, and agree that with the fitter first.

About an hour for most tap swaps, longer with seized fittings.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in plumbing & heating

How to hire: Kitchen PlumbingHow to hire: Bathroom PlumbingHow to hire: PlumberHow to hire: Leak RepairHow to hire: Toilet Repair & InstallationHow to hire: Shower InstallationHow to hire: Water Softener InstallationHow to hire: Pipework InstallationAll 701 hiring guides →

Tap fitters near you

Tap fitters in LondonTap fitters in ManchesterTap fitters in BirminghamTap fitters in GlasgowTap fitters in BelfastAll tap fitters on Locufy →Do it yourself: replacing a kitchen mixer tap like for like →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, regulation 5 — notice to the water undertaker
  2. Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, regulation 6 — contractor's certificate
  3. Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws Extension Order 2024
  4. Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009
  5. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 3
  6. Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2 — requirements for water fittings
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  9. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  10. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register