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CostShower & Tub Repair

How much does shower valve repair cost in Virginia?

It depends mostly on whether the fix is a cartridge or the valve itself. A cartridge swap is a part plus a short visit; Moen listed its 1222 Posi-Temp cartridge at $94.68 when we checked on October 26, 2026. Replacing the valve body means opening the wall and changing supply piping, which costs far more. Get written quotes from licensed plumbers for the same job.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Name the valve

    Look for the brand on the handle or trim plate and photograph the handle, trim and spout so a plumber can identify the valve before the visit.

  2. Step 2: Write down the symptom

    Note whether the shower drips with the handle off, leaks at the handle, is stiff, or swings hot and cold, and tell the plumber, so they can identify the likely part before the visit.

  3. Step 3: Find the shutoffs

    Look for shutoffs under the sink, in a closet access behind the shower or in an access panel around the tub, and tell the plumber whether there are any.[4]

  4. Step 4: Ask for written quotes

    Get at least three written bids or estimates for the same job, so you can compare prices and contractors.[11]

  5. Step 5: Check the licence

    Look up each plumbing business on DPOR's License Lookup before you agree to a price.[11]

  6. Step 6: Keep the deposit small

    Pay an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless parts are special order.[11]

Shower valve repair is priced by what failed, not by a standard rate. A worn cartridge is a part and a short visit. A cracked or corroded valve body is a bigger job, because the valve lives inside the wall and is joined to the supply pipes. Plumbers set their own prices for this work, so the useful questions are which job you have and what a fair written quote should say.

The part: what a cartridge costs

When we checked on October 26, 2026, Moen's own store listed the 1222 single-handle Posi-Temp replacement cartridge at $94.68, against a list price of $118.35.[1] Other sellers, other brands and older valves differ, and a plumber's price for the part may include the trip to find it.

The part must match the valve exactly. Kohler's K-8305 Rite-Temp cartridge, for example, requires trim and a K-8300 valve body to complete an installation.[6] Parts for older two- and three-handle valves, like the ones in the photo below, can be harder to find, and that search time can show up in the quote.

Three worn brass shower valve stems laid out below a glass handle, a trim ring and a sleeve
Photo: Alan Levine from Strawberry, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What moves the labour price

Which repair the symptom points to. Moen's troubleshooting pages point to the cartridge when the shower keeps running or dripping with the handle off, or water leaks from the handle.[3] For a stiff handle on a Moen 1225 cartridge, the fix can be as small as lubricating the cartridge with silicone-based grease; on a Posi-Temp valve, the 1222 cartridge would need to be replaced.[2] Telling the plumber the symptom up front helps them bring the right part.

Whether the water can be shut off at the shower. Shutoffs for a shower are generally under the sink, in a closet access behind a shower or in an access panel around the tub, and sometimes the only shutoff is the main valve for the whole house.[4] A house with no shower shutoffs and a stiff main valve takes longer, and a main valve that will not close is its own repair.

Cleaning the valve body. Moen recommends cleaning and flushing the valve body whenever a new cartridge goes in.[5] It adds a little time, and it is worth paying for, because debris left in the valve body could damage the new cartridge.[5]

Cartridge or valve body. This is the big one. A cartridge comes out from the front. A valve body that is cracked, corroded or leaking means opening the wall or tile, cutting and rejoining supply pipes, and then the wall repair, which may be a separate trade.

Permits. Virginia's building code lists, among ordinary repairs that need no permit: "Replacement of plumbing fixtures and well pumps in all groups without alteration of the water supply and distribution systems, sanitary drainage systems, or vent systems."[7] A cartridge swap that changes no piping is normally treated as an ordinary repair, and your local building department can confirm that for your house. A new valve body that changes the supply piping may not, so ask your local building department. In unincorporated Montgomery County, outside towns such as Blacksburg and Christiansburg, the county is the office to ask: Montgomery County's Building Inspections Office enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, and its inspectors inspect all construction in the unincorporated areas of the county.[12] Inside a town or city, check with that town or city first, since it may run its own office.

What a good quote looks like

Virginia law says: "No person shall engage in, or offer to engage in, contracting work in the Commonwealth unless he has been licensed under the provisions of this chapter."[9] A Class C contractor licence covers a single contract or project over $1,000 but less than $30,000,[8] and the Board for Contractors must require a master tradesman licence as a condition of licensure for plumbing contractors.[8] The individual plumber holds a licence of their own, separate from the business's: DPOR's Board for Contractors regulates individual tradesmen who engage in the trades of electrical; plumbing; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); gas fitting, and state certification of these trades is mandatory, not optional.[10] Loclis goes further and accepts plumbing quotes only from licensed businesses, at any job size.

The Virginia Board for Contractors advises that you get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications,[11] so describe the same job to each plumber. It also reminds homeowners: "Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work."[11] A clear quote for this job names:

  • the valve brand and the part being replaced;
  • whether flushing the valve body and setting the hot limit are included;
  • what happens, and at what price, if the cartridge is seized or the valve body has to be replaced;
  • whether wall or tile repair is included or left to another trade;
  • who pulls a permit if one is needed.

On deposits, the Board's rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less, and up to 30% of the total contract value for custom-made items or special orders.[11]

How Loclis handles the price

You describe the shower once and licensed local plumbers quote it. A plumber who needs to see the valve first can offer an estimate visit, free or paid, and a paid visit's fee comes off the repair price. A paid service call works the same way: its fee comes off the repair. Contact details are shared only after booking. Loclis's own fees are on the pricing page.

If you would rather try the repair yourself, replacing a shower valve cartridge walks through it, and should you hire a plumber for a shower valve covers where the line is. If the problem is temperature, start with why a shower goes from hot to cold. You can also check how to confirm a contractor's licence, find plumbers in Blacksburg, or browse all plumbing repair answers.

Stop and call a pro if

  • The cartridge is seized or breaks, or the valve body is cracked or corroded.
  • Water is showing inside the wall, on the ceiling below or under the tub.
  • There is no shutoff you can close, or the main valve will not stop the water.
  • The repair means changing the supply piping, which may need a permit.

When you are ready for prices, describe the shower valve repair once and licensed local plumbers quote it.

Common questions

Is there a standard price for shower valve repair in Virginia?
No. Plumbers set their own prices and price by the job: which part failed, whether the valve can be reached from the front or needs the wall opened, and how easy the cartridge is to find. Ask for a written quote that names the part and says what happens if the valve body turns out to need replacing.
How much is the part itself?
It varies by brand and model. When we checked on October 26, 2026, Moen listed its 1222 Posi-Temp cartridge at $94.68 on its own store, against a list price of $118.35. Other brands and older valves differ, and some older cartridges are hard to find at all.
Why is replacing the whole valve so much more expensive?
Because the valve body is joined to the supply pipes inside the wall. Reaching it usually means opening the wall or tile from the front or from an access panel behind, cutting and rejoining the supply piping, and then repairing the wall. Virginia's permit exemption for replacing plumbing fixtures applies only when the water supply, drainage and vent systems are not altered.
Does a plumber need a licence for a small shower repair?
Individual plumbers in Virginia hold a state tradesman licence: DPOR's Board for Contractors regulates individual plumbers, and that state certification is mandatory, not optional. The business is licensed as well once a job is large enough for a contractor class; the Class C licence covers a single job over $1,000 but less than $30,000, and plumbing contractors must hold a master tradesman licence as a condition of their licence. For a small repair, ask for the plumber's tradesman licence number and look it up on DPOR's License Lookup. On Loclis, plumbing quotes come only from licensed businesses, at any job size.
Can I save money by replacing the cartridge myself?
Often, if the shower has working shutoffs and you can find the exact cartridge. The Loclis guide to replacing a shower valve cartridge walks through it. If the cartridge is seized or the valve body is damaged, stop and get a quote, because forcing it can turn a cartridge job into a valve replacement.
What does Loclis charge?
Plumbers on Loclis quote the job itself. Loclis's own fees are listed on the pricing page.

Sources

  1. [1] Moen 1222 Single-Handle Replacement Cartridge, Posi-Temp, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  2. [2] Handle is difficult to operate, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  3. [3] Shower Faucet: Leaking- Moentrol Valves, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  4. [4] How to Turn Off the Water Supply to the Faucet, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  5. [5] Valve Body Cleaning and Flushing, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  6. [6] Rite-Temp Pressure-balancing cartridge K-8305, specification sheet, Kohler Co.. Checked October 26, 2026.
  7. [7] 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
  8. [8] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100. Definitions, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
  9. [9] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1103. Necessity for license, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
  10. [10] Tradesmen Program, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 26, 2026.
  11. [11] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 26, 2026.
  12. [12] Building Permits & Inspections, Montgomery County, Virginia. Checked October 26, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.