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Around the House · Plumbing
How to replace a toilet
Replacing a toilet is mostly an exercise in lifting something heavy and awkward without dropping it. The plumbing is simple. The logistics — and the wax ring — are where people get tripped up.
The Honest Read
What this job actually involves
Toilets are heavy (60–120 lbs), brittle, and you'll be carrying yours through your house twice. Two people make this a 2-hour job. One person makes it a 4-hour job with a higher chance of dropping something.
The plumbing connection is one supply line and one wax ring. The wax ring is the entire reason this job has a reputation — it has to seat perfectly the first time. You don't get to lift the toilet to check and put it back down without replacing the wax ring.
If the closet flange (the pipe flange in the floor) is broken, rusted, or below the finished floor level, stop. That's a flange-repair job before a toilet-install job, and it's usually a plumber call.
What you need
Tools & materials
Shop the supply side here. The big-ticket stuff and the brand-restricted items, we'll point you local further down.
Tools
- Adjustable wrench
- Channel-lock pliers
- Hacksaw (for cutting old bolts if needed)
- Putty knife (plastic, not metal)
- Sponge and bucket
- Box cutter
- Level
Materials
- New toilet (round or elongated bowl, height to taste)
- Wax ring (standard or extra-thick depending on flange height)
- Closet bolts and washer/nut sets
- New braided supply line (12″ or 20″)
- Toilet shims (plastic, never wood)
- Caulk (color-matched to floor, for the base perimeter)
The Steps
How to swap the toilet without flooding the bathroom
01
Shut off water and empty the toilet
Close the supply valve. Flush and hold the lever down to drain as much as possible. Sponge out the rest of the tank and bowl. Disconnect the supply line.
02
Remove the tank from the bowl (optional but recommended)
Two-piece toilets are way easier to lift in pieces. Pop off the bolt caps at the base, hold the bolts on top with a screwdriver, loosen the nuts underneath the tank from above. Lift the tank off and set it aside on a towel.
03
Remove the bowl
Pop the bolt caps at the floor. Unscrew the nuts on the closet bolts. Rock the bowl side to side to break the wax seal — then lift it straight up and walk it out. Do not drag it. Set it on a tarp or old towels in the hallway.
04
Clean the flange and check the bolts
Scrape off old wax with the plastic putty knife (metal scratches and chips the porcelain on the new toilet's foot). Stuff a rag in the open drain to block sewer gas. Inspect the closet flange — it should be level with the finished floor, intact, no cracks. If it's broken or sunk, stop here and call a plumber.
05
Set the new bolts and wax ring
Slot the new closet bolts into the flange and stand them up. Press the new wax ring onto the bottom of the new toilet horn (not onto the flange — the wax travels with the toilet). Pull the rag out of the drain. Lower the toilet straight down over the bolts — no rocking, no twisting. One smooth motion.
06
Press, level, bolt, and connect
Sit on the toilet to compress the wax ring. Add washers and nuts on the closet bolts, alternate sides as you tighten — snug, not crushed. Porcelain cracks. Check level; shim with plastic shims if needed. Hacksaw the bolt tops to length, cap them. Reinstall the tank, connect the supply line, turn water on slowly. Caulk the base perimeter (leave the back open so a future leak shows itself).
Try local first · We'll wait
Why you should buy the toilet from a real store
Toilets ship as freight (they're heavy and they break in transit). You'll pay shipping that wipes out the online savings, and if the porcelain arrives cracked you're filing a claim and waiting another week. The math doesn't work.
- See the bowl shape and height in person — comfort-height vs. standard is a real difference
- Heft and quality vary wildly between brands — look at glaze, look at trapway design
- Avoid freight shipping damage — broken toilets in boxes are a real problem
- Authorized dealer for Kohler, American Standard, Toto — the brands that require it for warranty
- Real expert advice on rough-in size (10″, 12″, 14″ from the wall) before you buy
When to call a pro
Call a plumber if: the closet flange is broken, rusted, or below floor level; the drainpipe under the flange is cast iron or galvanized and damaged; the floor under the toilet is soft (subfloor rot); you're moving the toilet location (that's a remodel, not a swap); or this is your second wax-ring replacement in two years (something's not seating right and a pro should look at the flange).
Keep going
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