Skip to Content
Top

Ideas for Upgrading Your Kitchen Faucet

Kitchen Faucet
|

Looking to change your kitchen without spending a small fortune? A new kitchen faucet can add style and functionality while taking less than an hour to replace. Whether you are hiring a Houston plumber or installing it yourself, few upgrades offer as much value as a new faucet.

Number of Faucet Holes and Spacing

New kitchen faucets will cost anywhere from $50 to $1,000, but the price goes up substantially if you change to a different type of faucet. You may need to modify your countertop to accommodate it, and if your sink has integrated faucet holes, changing the layout could entail replacing the entire sink — an extra cost of at least $150. Faucets typically come in 1- to 3-hole varieties with multiple holes most often spaced 4 inches on-center. If your existing faucet has more holes than your new one, it is easy to cover unused holes with a deck plate, which costs just a few dollars.

Supply Valve Considerations

Most new faucets come with 3/8-inch flex tubing that’s incompatible with 1/2-inch supply valves. If your existing supply valves are 3/8-inch, then you do not need to upgrade, but you might want to replace them regardless just to be sure that they will turn off in case of an emergency leak. If you have questions or concerns, you may want to contact a Houston plumber to make sure the installation is done correctly.

Wall and Deck Mounting

Faucets come in either wall- or deck-mounted varieties. The vast majority of faucets are deck-mounted. In other words, they are attached directly to a countertop or sink. They are significantly easier to replace and maintain than wall-mounted models. If you currently have a deck-mounted faucet and want a wall-mounted model, expect to pay at least several hundred dollars more to run new supply lines in the wall and to repair the wall damage. Because of their extra cost, wall-mounted faucets are considered luxury fixtures.

Handle Options

Every faucet has zero, one, or two handles. Single-handle models are very common and found throughout the price spectrum. Two-handle models offer a more traditional look and more precise control over the flow of hot and cold water. Touch-free faucets are certainly high-end, but they do not typically offer touch-free temperature control.

Style and Finish Options

With literally hundreds of options to choose from, picking the right faucet can take weeks or longer. Price is one very important consideration, but even in the $100 range, you can choose from contemporary, traditional, or transitional models in more than a dozen finishes. If you are not exactly sure what you want, choose a finish that is consistent with the rest of your kitchen. For example, pick a brushed nickel faucet if all of your cabinet knobs are brushed nickel, and you probably don’t want to mix an ornate, flowery faucet with sharp and sleek shaker cabinets.

Need help with a faucet installation or Houston water heater repair? Check out the Houston toilet repair plumbing professionals at Santhoff Plumbing, or call us at (713) 360-2185 today!

Share To: