Ironclad Plumbing wrote this guide because some plumbing jobs are genuinely easy to do yourself, some will destroy your house if you try, and most homeowners can’t tell the difference.
Quick Answer
| The Problem | DIY? | Why / Why Not |
|---|---|---|
| Clogged toilet | Yes | Plunger first. 90% of toilet clogs clear with a proper plunger (the kind with the flange, not the flat cup). |
| Hair clog in shower drain | Yes | Pull the drain cover, pull out the hair with tweezers or a $3 plastic drain tool from any hardware store. |
| Running toilet (flapper) | Yes | $8 flapper from Home Depot. YouTube video. 15 minutes. |
| Dripping faucet (new washer/cartridge) | Maybe | If you can identify the cartridge model, it’s doable. If the faucet is old and the cartridge is seized, you risk breaking the valve body. |
| Replacing a shower head | Yes | Unscrew old one, apply thread tape, screw on new one. 5 minutes. |
| Replacing a toilet seat | Yes | Two bolts. |
| Low water pressure at one faucet | Yes | Unscrew the aerator, soak it in vinegar, scrub off mineral buildup. Free. |
| Hooking up a dishwasher (existing connections) | Maybe | Doable if connections exist and you’re careful. The supply line and drain hose are straightforward. |
| Refrigerator water line | Maybe | Kits are $15-$25 and include everything. Risk: saddle valves can leak over time, and a slow leak behind the fridge goes unnoticed for months. |
| Replacing a garbage disposal | Maybe | If the new one fits the existing mount, it’s a 30-minute job. If the mount is different, it gets more involved. |
| Replacing under-sink supply lines | Yes | Turn off shutoff valve. Unscrew old line. Screw on new braided stainless line. Turn on. Check for leaks. $8 per line. |
| Water heater repair (element, thermocouple) | No | Electric: you’re working with 240V power. Gas: you’re working with gas connections. Both have real safety consequences if done wrong. |
| Water heater replacement | No | Heavy unit, gas/electrical connections, code requirements, permit needed, venting (gas), expansion tank. Too many things to get wrong. |
| Any gas line work | No, never | Gas leaks cause explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Licensed plumber + permit + inspection. Non-negotiable. |
| Anything behind a wall | No | If you need to cut drywall to access a pipe, call a pro. The risk of cutting into the wrong pipe, an electrical wire, or a structural member is real. |
| Sewer line work | No | Specialized equipment, code requirements, permit needed, high consequence if done wrong. |
| Repiping | No | Whole-house scope, code requirements, permit, inspection. Not a weekend project. |
| Slab leak anything | No | Under your foundation. Requires detection equipment, specialized repair methods, and a permit. |
| Shutoff valve replacement | No | Requires turning off main water supply to the house and working with compression or soldered fittings. Doable for a skilled DIYer but the consequence of a bad connection is flooding. |
| Moving or adding drain/supply lines | No | Code requirements, venting rules, permit likely required. |
The Three Questions to Ask Yourself
Before attempting any plumbing job yourself, answer these honestly:
1. If I make a mistake, what’s the worst that happens?
If the worst case is “the faucet still drips and I have to call a plumber anyway,” go ahead and try. You’ve lost nothing but time.
If the worst case is “water sprays everywhere and I can’t stop it because the shutoff valve doesn’t work,” call a pro. The gap between “I tried and it didn’t work” and “I tried and now there’s water damage” is where DIY plumbing goes wrong.
If the worst case involves gas, electricity, sewage, or water you can’t shut off, call a pro. Always.
2. Do I know exactly what part I need and how it connects?
Plumbing parts are extremely specific. A faucet cartridge that’s 1mm different from the correct one won’t work. A supply line that’s 3/8" when you need 1/2" won’t connect. A wax ring on a toilet with a non-standard flange won’t seal. Before you go to the hardware store, identify the exact make, model, and size of the part you need. Take a photo. Bring the old part with you if possible.
The most common DIY plumbing failure: buying the wrong part, forcing it, and breaking something that was working fine before you started.
3. Can I get the water turned off and back on without help?
Almost every plumbing repair requires shutting off water to the fixture or the house. Before you start anything, verify that the shutoff valve at the fixture actually works (turn it and confirm water stops flowing). If the shutoff valve doesn’t work, you’ll need to shut off the main water supply for the entire house. Know where that is and confirm it operates before you’re standing in a puddle with a wrench in your hand.
If you can’t reliably shut off the water, don’t start disassembling plumbing.
The Jobs Most People Can Handle
Unclogging a Toilet
What you need: A flange plunger (the kind with a rubber cone that extends below the cup, not a flat sink plunger). A toilet auger (also called a closet auger) for stubborn clogs.
How: Place the plunger so the flange inserts into the drain opening. Push down slowly to expel air, then plunge vigorously 10-15 times. The key is maintaining a seal. If the plunger doesn’t work after several sets of 15 plunges, try a toilet auger ($15-$25 at any hardware store). The auger’s flexible cable reaches past the toilet’s internal trap where most clogs sit.
When to stop and call a pro: If the auger doesn’t clear it, the clog is likely beyond the toilet in the drain line. That requires a cable machine. Also call if multiple fixtures are backing up simultaneously (toilets, sinks, tubs). That means the clog is in the main sewer line, not in the toilet.
Clearing a Hair Clog in a Shower or Tub Drain
What you need: A screwdriver to remove the drain cover. A plastic barbed drain strip ($3 at Home Depot, also called a “Zip-It”). Tweezers or needle-nose pliers.
How: Remove the drain cover (usually 1-2 screws or it pops off). Insert the drain strip or reach in with tweezers and pull out the hair ball. It will be disgusting. That’s normal. Run hot water for 2 minutes after clearing to flush remaining debris.
When to stop and call a pro: If clearing the visible clog doesn’t improve drainage, the blockage is deeper in the line. Don’t pour chemical drain cleaner down the drain. Chemical cleaners (Drano, Liquid-Plumber) are harsh on pipes, often don’t work on serious clogs, and create a hazardous chemical situation for the plumber who eventually needs to work on the drain. If the $3 strip and hot water don’t fix it, call a plumber.
Replacing a Toilet Flapper
What you need: A new flapper that matches your toilet (bring the old one to the store to match). The brand and model of your toilet is usually stamped inside the tank.
How: Turn off the water supply valve behind the toilet (turn clockwise). Flush the toilet to drain the tank. Unhook the old flapper from the overflow tube ears. Disconnect the chain from the flush handle arm. Attach the new flapper to the same ears. Connect the chain to the handle arm with about 1/2 inch of slack. Turn the water back on. Let the tank fill. Flush and check that it seals.
When to stop and call a pro: If the new flapper doesn’t seal and the toilet still runs, the flush valve seat (the ring the flapper sits on) may be pitted or corroded. You can try a flush valve seat repair kit ($5-$10), but if that doesn’t work, the flush valve needs replacing, and that’s a more involved job.
Cleaning a Faucet Aerator
What you need: Your hands or pliers with a cloth (to avoid scratching the finish). A bowl of white vinegar.
How: Unscrew the aerator from the end of the faucet (counterclockwise when looking up at it). If it’s stuck, wrap a cloth around it and use pliers. Drop it in vinegar for 30 minutes. Scrub the screen with an old toothbrush. Rinse. Screw it back on.
This fixes low water pressure at a single faucet about 70% of the time, especially in Austin where hard water mineral buildup is constant. Free.
Replacing Supply Lines Under a Sink
What you need: Two braided stainless steel supply lines (match the size: usually 3/8" compression x 1/2" FIP, check yours). An adjustable wrench.
How: Turn off both shutoff valves under the sink (hot and cold). Open the faucet to release pressure. Place a towel under the connections. Unscrew the old supply lines from the shutoff valve and from the faucet connections. Screw on the new lines hand-tight, then snug with a wrench (1/4 turn past hand-tight). Turn the valves on slowly. Check for drips at all four connection points.
When to stop and call a pro: If the shutoff valve leaks when you turn it off (a sign it needs replacing), or if the old supply line connections are corroded and won’t budge without excessive force. Forcing a corroded connection can break the shutoff valve, which means water is now spraying and you need to shut off the main supply to the house.
Pro tip: Replace rubber supply lines with braided stainless proactively every 5-8 years. Rubber hoses deteriorate and are a leading cause of under-sink flooding. The braided stainless lines cost $8-$12 each and take 10 minutes to install. Best home plumbing maintenance money you can spend.
The Jobs That Look Easy on YouTube But Aren’t
Faucet Cartridge Replacement
YouTube makes this look like a 10-minute job. And on a newer faucet with a standard Moen or Delta cartridge, it can be. The problem: on an older faucet, the cartridge may be seized from years of mineral buildup. Pulling a stuck cartridge without the right extraction tool can crack the valve body, which turns a $175 repair into a $375 faucet replacement. If you try it and the cartridge won’t pull with moderate force, stop. A plumber has extraction tools and techniques for this.
Garbage Disposal Replacement
If the new disposal uses the same mounting bracket as the old one (most InSinkErator-to-InSinkErator swaps do), it’s plug-and-play. Disconnect power, twist the old one off the mount, twist the new one on, reconnect plumbing and power. 30 minutes.
If the mounts are different (switching brands or going from a 3-bolt to a different system), you’re replacing the entire mounting flange, which means removing the sink drain connection and working with plumber’s putty and compression fittings in a cramped under-sink space. This is where most DIY disposal installs go sideways. Leaks at the flange connection are common and sometimes don’t appear until days later when the sink gets heavy use.
Toilet Installation
Mechanically straightforward: set the wax ring, lower the toilet onto the bolts, tighten, connect the supply. The part people underestimate: a standard toilet weighs 60-80 pounds and needs to be lowered perfectly aligned onto a wax ring that you can’t see once the toilet is over it. Misalignment means the wax ring doesn’t seal, which means sewer gas and/or water leaking at the base. You get one shot at the alignment before you need a new wax ring. Professional plumbers do this multiple times a day and make it look effortless. First-timers often need two attempts.
The Rule of Thumb
If the job involves parts you can buy at a hardware store, water you can shut off at the fixture, and a failure mode that’s “it didn’t work and I need to call someone” rather than “my house is flooding” — try it yourself. The worst case is you spend $20 in parts, learn something, and call a plumber anyway.
If the job involves gas, electricity, opening walls, working under the slab, permits, sewer lines, or water you can’t isolate to a single fixture — call a professional. The savings from DIY on these jobs is small relative to the cost of a mistake.
And regardless of what you’re doing: know where your main water shutoff is before you pick up a wrench. That’s the single most important piece of plumbing knowledge any homeowner can have.
Ironclad Plumbing is here for the jobs you shouldn’t do yourself. And if you tried something and it didn’t work, we won’t judge you for it. Call (833) 597-1932.