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HiringShower & Tub Repair

Should I hire a plumber to fix my shower valve?

Not always. If the shower has working shutoffs and you can buy the exact cartridge, replacing it is a manageable job for a careful homeowner. Hire a licensed plumber when the cartridge is seized, the valve body is cracked or leaking inside the wall, there is no way to shut the water off, or the valve itself has to be replaced. In Virginia, plumbing contractors must be licensed by DPOR.

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: Find the shutoffs

    Look under the sink, in a closet access behind the shower or in an access panel around the tub, and note whether the shower can be shut off on its own.[1]

  2. Step 2: Name the symptom

    Write down whether the shower drips with the handle off, leaks at the handle, is stiff, or swings hot and cold, and whether water shows anywhere outside the tub.

  3. Step 3: Decide who does it

    Keep a cartridge swap or a limit-stop adjustment if you are comfortable with it, and hand over anything behind the wall or in the piping.

  4. Step 4: Check the licence

    Verify each plumbing business's licence status on DPOR's License Lookup or by calling (804) 367-8511 before you hire.[8]

  5. Step 5: Compare written bids

    Get at least three written bids or estimates for the same job and do not automatically accept the lowest.[8]

  6. Step 6: Get it in writing

    Insist on a detailed written contract, and do not sign until you understand every term.[8]

  7. Step 7: Ask about the permit

    Ask the plumber whether the job alters the supply piping and, if it does, who will apply for the permit with your local building department.[9]

You do not always need a plumber. A worn cartridge in a single-handle shower is a part a careful homeowner can often replace, as long as the water can be shut off and the exact cartridge is available. The line is the wall: once the problem is the valve body, the pipes behind it, or a shower you cannot shut off, it is a job for a licensed plumber.

Jobs a homeowner can usually handle

  • Replacing the cartridge. The tools are ordinary ones, such as large pliers or channel locks, needle-nose pliers and a Phillips screwdriver.[2] Our guide to replacing a shower valve cartridge goes through it.
  • Setting the hot limit. Moen recommends limiting the maximum temperature flowing from the shower to 120°F/49°C or less to prevent scalding,[3] and on Moen's Posi-Temp valves the limit stop is reached by taking the handle off.[3]
  • Keeping it working. Cleaning, using the valve regularly and catching drips early are covered in how to keep a shower valve working smoothly.

All of it starts with the water off. Moen's rule is: "Any repairs done to a Moen faucet require the water supply to be shut off. Failure to do so could result in flooding or injury."[1] Shower shutoffs 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 home's main valve.[1]

Stop and call a pro if

  • The water cannot be shut off at the shower, or the main valve will not close fully. Working on a valve with no reliable shutoff risks a flood.
  • The cartridge is seized or breaks apart. Forcing it can twist the valve body on the pipes inside the wall.
  • The valve body is cracked, corroded or leaking, or water shows inside the wall, under the tub or on a ceiling below. That is piping work.
  • A part will not go back together. On a Moen Posi-Temp, if the retainer clip cannot be installed or appears damaged, the water cannot be turned back on until the clip is replaced.[2]
  • The valve itself has to be replaced or moved. That means cutting into the wall and the supply pipes, often soldering, and possibly a permit.
  • The temperature cannot be controlled. The Consumer Product Safety Commission notes: "Most adults will suffer third-degree burns if exposed to 150 degree water for two seconds."[4] If the shower scalds at full hot after the limit is set, or swings sharply when someone flushes a toilet, have a plumber look at the valve and the water heater. Our guide to why a shower goes from hot to cold covers the usual causes.
A black pressure-balancing cartridge with two oval rubber seals seated in a brass shower valve body, with tape around the opening
Tomwsulcer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

What Virginia requires of the plumber

Virginia law is direct: "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."[5] By the Code's definitions, a Class C contractor licence covers a single contract or project over $1,000 but less than $30,000, and the Board for Contractors must require a master tradesman licence as a condition of licensure for plumbing contractors.[6]

The individual plumber is licensed too. 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 the Board adds that state certification of these trades is mandatory, not optional.[7] There is also a newer licence aimed at homes: since April 1, 2025, a Residential Plumbing licence has allowed plumbers to work in residential structures only, with no commercial work.[7] Loclis accepts plumbing quotes only from licensed businesses, whatever the job size.

Permits for shower valve work

Virginia's building code lists, among ordinary repairs that need no permit application: "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."[9] A cartridge swap leaves the piping alone. A new valve body usually does not, so ask the building department before the wall is opened. The same section adds that when an owner or an owner's agent requests that a permit be issued for any of the following, then a permit shall be issued and any related inspections shall be required,[9] so you can ask for an inspection even on exempt work.

Locally, Montgomery County's Building Inspections Office enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code within the county, and its inspectors inspect all construction in the unincorporated areas.[10] If you live in a town or city, check whether it runs its own building office.

How to hire well

The Virginia Board for Contractors' consumer guide sets out the basics. Check every licence, because "A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid."[8] Get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications.[8] And remember that Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work.[8] For the deposit, 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.[8]

Ask each plumber what they will do if the cartridge is seized or the valve body is damaged, and what that would add to the price. For more on prices, see what shower valve repair costs in Virginia, and for licences, how to check a Virginia contractor's licence.

On Loclis, licensed plumbers quote the job you describe. One who needs to see the valve first can offer an estimate visit, and a paid visit's fee comes off the repair price. You can also find plumbers in Blacksburg, browse shower and tub repair, or see all plumbing repair answers.

If the shower valve is past a cartridge swap, describe the shower repair once and licensed local plumbers quote it.

Common questions

Can a handyman fix my shower valve in Virginia?
Virginia treats plumbing as a licensed trade. DPOR certifies individual plumbers, and that certification is mandatory, and contracting work over $1,000 needs a contractor licence in the right class. Ask anyone who quotes a shower valve for a licence number and check it on DPOR's License Lookup. On Loclis, plumbing quotes come only from licensed businesses, at any job size.
Do I need a permit to fix a shower valve?
Usually not for a cartridge. Virginia's building code exempts replacing plumbing fixtures when the water supply, drainage and vent systems are not altered. Replacing the valve body, which changes the supply piping, is a question for your local building department, and a licensed plumber normally handles the permit.
What can I safely do myself?
With working shutoffs and the exact part, a cartridge swap, lubricating a stiff cartridge where the maker allows it, and adjusting the hot limit stop are all homeowner-sized jobs. Anything that means opening the wall, cutting pipe or soldering is a plumber's job.
How do I check a plumber's licence?
Use DPOR's License Lookup online or call the Board for Contractors at (804) 367-8511. The Board warns that a licence number on a business card or advert does not by itself mean the licence is valid, so check the status, the expiry date and that the licence covers plumbing.
What should I tell a plumber before the visit?
The brand on the handle or trim, photos of the handle, trim and spout, what the shower is doing (dripping, leaking at the handle, stiff, or swinging hot and cold), where the shutoffs are, and whether water shows anywhere outside the tub. That lets the plumber bring the right cartridge and quote the job more closely.

Sources

  1. [1] How to Turn Off the Water Supply to the Faucet, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  2. [2] 1222 Cartridge: Single Handle Shower- PosiTemp, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  3. [3] How to Adjust the PosiTemp Temperature Limit Stop, Moen. Checked October 26, 2026.
  4. [4] Avoiding Tap Water Scalds (Publication 5098), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Checked October 26, 2026.
  5. [5] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1103. Necessity for license, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
  6. [6] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100. Definitions, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
  7. [7] Tradesmen Program, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 26, 2026.
  8. [8] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 26, 2026.
  9. [9] 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
  10. [10] 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.