Measure everything before ordering
Vanity width is the obvious dimension, but three others cause more problems.
Depth: a deeper vanity than the original may block the door swing or narrow the walkway past the toilet. Measure the clear floor space you actually have.
Height: standard vanities are around 32 inches; comfort-height units are 36 inches, which most adults prefer. Changing height moves the mirror and may move the backsplash line.
Plumbing location: note the height and horizontal position of the drain and the supply stubs coming out of the wall. Many vanities have a back panel or a drawer bank that will not clear existing plumbing without modification. A vanity with an open back or a removable panel is far more forgiving.
What the old vanity is hiding
Pulling out a vanity almost always reveals something. Common finds: unfinished drywall where the cabinet covered it, flooring that stops at the old cabinet footprint, a patch of subfloor darkened by a long-term slow leak, and shutoff valves that have not been turned in twenty years and now weep.
If the new vanity is narrower or shallower than the old one, that unfinished area has to be patched, primed, painted, and — where flooring is missing — filled with matching material. This is the most common surprise line item on the job.
A good estimate flags this possibility up front rather than after the demolition. Ask specifically what happens if the flooring does not run under the old cabinet.
Setting it level, sealed, and secure
The vanity gets shimmed level side to side and front to back — countertops show even small errors, and a sloped top means water pooling at one end. It gets screwed through the back rail into wall studs so it cannot tip or shift.
The top is set and, for stone or solid surface, supported properly. The backsplash and the joint where the top meets the wall get sealed with silicone. Where the vanity meets the floor, a bead of caulk keeps mop water and spills out of the cabinet base — which is what destroys vanity bottoms.
The plumbing gets reconnected with a new P-trap assembly and new braided supply lines, and if the shutoff valves are old multi-turn stops, this is the natural moment to upgrade them to quarter-turn. Then everything runs under pressure and gets checked dry before the job is called done.
Signs you need this work
- A vanity cabinet with a swollen, delaminating, or water-stained base
- A cracked or chipped countertop or integrated sink
- Dated style that no longer suits the bathroom
- Insufficient storage for the way the bathroom is used
- Persistent mildew smell coming from inside the cabinet
- Doors and drawers that no longer align or close properly
- A vanity too low for comfortable use by adults in the household
Cost by property type
| Property | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment / condo | $350 – $1,935 | Water shutoff may be building-controlled. Confirm access to stops before scheduling, and check whether the association requires a licensed plumber. |
| Small home (under 1,500 sq ft) | $370 – $2,040 | Standard 24 to 30-inch vanity replaced in the same footprint, low end of the range. |
| Midsize home (1,500–2,500 sq ft) | $380 – $2,100 | The baseline for this estimate — a like-for-like vanity swap with existing plumbing locations. |
| Large home (2,500+ sq ft) | $430 – $2,370 | Double-sink vanities, stone tops, and undermount sinks increase both material cost and installation time significantly. |
| Older home (pre-1978) | $445 – $2,445 | Non-standard vanity sizes, out-of-square walls, seized shutoff valves, and floors that were tiled only around the old cabinet are all common and each adds time. |
| Rental / turnover unit | $330 – $1,830 | A prefab vanity with an integrated top is fast, inexpensive, and dramatically improves how a bathroom shows. |
| Small commercial / office | $455 – $2,520 | Commercial restrooms require ADA-compliant clearances, knee space, and often wall-hung fixtures rather than cabinet vanities. |
Ranges assume national-average handyman labor rates ($60–$100/hr) and mid-grade materials.
Cost by state
| State | Typical range | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $365 – $1,965 | |
| Alaska | $425 – $2,235 | |
| Arizona | $380 – $2,055 | |
| Arkansas | $350 – $1,920 | |
| California | $425 – $2,325 | |
| Colorado | $395 – $2,145 | |
| Connecticut | $410 – $2,190 | |
| Delaware | $380 – $2,055 | |
| Florida | $380 – $2,100 | |
| Georgia | $365 – $2,010 | |
| Hawaii | $440 – $2,325 | |
| Idaho | $365 – $2,010 | |
| Illinois | $395 – $2,145 | |
| Indiana | $365 – $1,965 | |
| Iowa | $350 – $1,965 | |
| Kansas | $350 – $1,965 | |
| Kentucky | $350 – $1,965 | |
| Louisiana | $365 – $2,010 | |
| Maine | $380 – $2,055 | |
| Maryland | $410 – $2,190 | |
| Massachusetts | $425 – $2,280 | |
| Michigan | $365 – $2,055 | Find a handyman in Michigan |
| Minnesota | $380 – $2,100 | |
| Mississippi | $350 – $1,920 | |
| Missouri | $365 – $1,965 | |
| Montana | $365 – $2,010 | |
| Nebraska | $350 – $1,965 | |
| Nevada | $395 – $2,145 | |
| New Hampshire | $395 – $2,100 | |
| New Jersey | $425 – $2,235 | |
| New Mexico | $365 – $2,010 | |
| New York | $425 – $2,280 | |
| North Carolina | $365 – $2,055 | |
| North Dakota | $365 – $1,965 | |
| Ohio | $365 – $2,010 | Find a handyman in Ohio |
| Oklahoma | $350 – $1,965 | |
| Oregon | $395 – $2,145 | |
| Pennsylvania | $380 – $2,100 | |
| Rhode Island | $395 – $2,145 | |
| South Carolina | $365 – $2,010 | |
| South Dakota | $350 – $1,965 | |
| Tennessee | $365 – $2,010 | |
| Texas | $380 – $2,100 | |
| Utah | $380 – $2,055 | |
| Vermont | $380 – $2,055 | |
| Virginia | $380 – $2,100 | |
| Washington | $410 – $2,235 | |
| Washington DC | $440 – $2,325 | |
| West Virginia | $350 – $1,920 | |
| Wisconsin | $365 – $2,055 | |
| Wyoming | $365 – $1,965 |
State ranges reflect typical independent handyman labor rates for a midsize home.
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace a bathroom vanity?
Labor typically runs $350 to $800 for a standard swap. The vanity and top add $200 to $1,200 depending on size and material. Wall or floor repairs revealed during removal add more.
Can I keep my existing countertop?
Only if the new cabinet is exactly the same footprint and the top is a separate piece, not integrated. Removing a stone top without cracking it is possible but risky, and most jobs replace both together.
Does the plumbing need to move?
Usually not, if the new vanity is a similar width and has an open back. Vanities with full back panels or drawers at the plumbing height may need the back cut, or the plumbing relocated — which is a bigger job.
Do I need a plumber for a vanity swap?
A like-for-like fixture swap is within handyman scope in most states. If supply or drain lines have to be moved, relocated, or replaced back into the wall, that generally requires a licensed plumber and possibly a permit.
Related project cost guides
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