How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Garbage Disposal?
A new garbage disposal runs $130–$350 for the unit and $100–$250 for a plumber to fit it — less if you do it yourself. Plus when a repair is the smarter buy.
Replace it, or not?
Do it yourself if…
the outlet and drain connections are already there and you can spare two hours. A like-for-like swap needs a wrench, plumber’s putty and a bucket — your only cost is the unit, $130 to $350.
Hire a plumber if…
it’s your first disposal, the old one was wired directly with no outlet, or the plumbing under the sink has to move. Budget $100–$250 for labour on top of the unit.
Don’t replace it yet if…
it only hums — that’s a jam, cleared for free with the reset button and a hex wrench — or it leaks from the flange rather than the body. Check how old it is first.
Check how old it is →
Replacing a garbage disposal costs $150 to $500 for most homeowners, depending on whether you hire it out. The unit is $130 to $350 — most people spend $150 to $200 on a 1/2 or 3/4 HP model — and a plumber charges $100 to $250 to swap it in. Do it yourself and your only cost is the unit plus a few dollars of plumber's putty.
These numbers are for replacing a disposal you already have, reusing the outlet, mounting ring and drain connections that are already under the sink. Adding a disposal where there was never one is a bigger job — more on that further down.
What does the garbage disposal unit cost?
A replacement unit runs $130 to $350, and horsepower is what moves the price. Here is InSinkErator's current 2026 lineup and what each tier gets you — list prices from InSinkErator; street prices at Home Depot and Lowe's often run a bit lower:
| Horsepower | Model (InSinkErator) | List price | Warranty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/3 HP | Badger 1 | $129 | 2 years | One or two people, light use |
| 1/2 HP | Badger 5 | $149 | 5 years | A couple or small household that skips bones and fibrous scraps |
| 3/4 HP | Badger 5XP | $179 | 6 years | Most families of three to five |
| 3/4 HP, anti-jam | Power .75HP | $199 | 6 years | Stainless components and jam-resistant, without paying for noise insulation |
| 3/4 HP, quieter | Evolution .75HP | $299 | 9 years | Same grinding power, with a sound-insulating blanket |
| 1 HP | Evolution 1.0HP | $349 | 10 years | Heavy daily use, frequent bones and pits |
For most kitchens, 3/4 HP is the practical choice — it is the size manufacturers and sizing guides point families of three to five toward, and it handles chicken bones, mixed vegetable scraps and fruit pits without straining. Half-horsepower is fine for one or two people who are careful about what goes down. Going above 1 HP mostly buys you a taller, wider unit — check you still have room underneath for the P-trap before sizing up.
If your current disposal is an InSinkErator, which most are, the garbage disposal age tool reads its build year off the serial number. That tells you whether you are replacing something that owes you nothing or scrapping a unit with years left.
What does installation cost?
A plumber or installer charges $100 to $250 to swap a disposal like-for-like — Home Depot's own installation service averages $189. Figure $50 to $100 an hour, more if there is electrical work. A straightforward replacement takes one to two hours.
- Plumber — the safe choice if the plumbing under the sink needs adjusting or you would rather not touch the wiring.
- Handyman or installer — often cheaper than a plumber for a clean like-for-like swap.
- Electrician — only if there is no outlet under the sink and the old unit was wired directly. Adding one and doing the wiring pushes the labour up by $100 or more.
- Yourself — the unit plus plumber's putty. A like-for-like replacement is genuinely a one- to two-hour job with a wrench, a bucket and the mounting ring you already have. On an InSinkErator, which most disposals are, the old unit twists off that ring and the new one twists back onto it the same way.
What can push the price up?
The base numbers assume everything under the sink is reusable. The cost climbs when it is not:
| Add-on | Cost | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| New standard outlet | $80–$200 | Old unit was hardwired |
| New GFCI outlet | $150–$350 | Code upgrade during the work |
| Counter air switch | ~$40–$100 in parts, plus labour | Replacing a wall switch |
| New mounting assembly | $15–$40 | Old flange is corroded and will not reseal |
| Drain fittings or dishwasher connection | ~$10–$40 | Layout changes |
Adding a disposal where there was not one is a different job — the electrical and drain work put it a few hundred dollars above a straight swap. That is a separate question from replacement, and one we will cover on its own.
Is it cheaper to repair instead?
Sometimes — and where the unit is leaking from tells you most of the answer.
| Problem | Fix | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hums but will not spin | Reset button, then a hex wrench in the socket underneath | Free, yourself |
| Leaking from the top (the flange) | Reseal with plumber's putty or a new gasket | $10–$30 in parts yourself, $70–$200 with a plumber |
| Worn splash guard | A $5–$15 part that snaps in by hand | $5–$15 |
| Leaking from the bottom of the body | Not repairable — the internal seal has gone | Replace |
| Slower or louder grinding over months, odour that survives cleaning | Internal corrosion | Replace |
A garbage disposal repair runs roughly $70 to $400, averaging around $250 — a jam or a flange reseal sits at the cheap end, a control or motor failure at the expensive end. Our rule across appliances: if the repair quote tops half the price of a new unit, replace it. For a disposal that line comes early, because a new one is cheap — a $250 repair on a $180 unit is not worth it. A jam, a flange reseal or a splash guard is worth fixing at any age.
If you are not sure how old yours is, check it with the garbage disposal age tool — on an InSinkErator the date is the first four digits of the serial, two for the year and two for the month. A four-year-old unit that suddenly quit is almost always just jammed, not dead. For the full decision, see should you repair or replace a garbage disposal?
How to keep the cost down
- Buy the unit yourself and have a handyman or plumber fit it. You avoid paying a markup on the disposal.
- Reuse the mounting assembly if it is not corroded. The new disposal attaches to the same ring.
- Do not over-size. Three-quarter horsepower covers almost every household; 1 HP mostly adds bulk.
- Do the swap yourself if the connections are already there. It is the rare appliance job that is genuinely beginner-friendly.
- Budget for it before it dies. A disposal lasts 8 to 15 years — the maintenance budget calculator folds a replacement like this into a yearly figure so it is not a surprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth replacing a garbage disposal yourself?
Yes, for a like-for-like swap with the outlet and plumbing already in place. It is a one- to two-hour job needing a wrench, plumber’s putty and a bucket. Hire it out if it is your first disposal, the wiring has to change, or the drain plumbing needs to move.
How much does a plumber charge to replace a garbage disposal?
$100 to $250 for a straight like-for-like swap — Home Depot’s own installation service averages $189. Rates run $50 to $100 an hour, more if there is electrical work. Most replacements take one to two hours.
How long does a garbage disposal replacement take?
One to two hours for a like-for-like swap. Longer if an outlet, air switch or drain fittings have to be changed at the same time.
Should I repair or replace my garbage disposal?
Replace it if it leaks from the body, or if the repair quote is more than half the price of a new unit — which for a disposal happens fast, since a new one is cheap. A jam, a flange leak or a worn splash guard is worth fixing at any age.
Sources
- InSinkErator — Garbage Disposal Comparison Chart & product pages — current 2026 models, horsepower, grind stages, warranty lengths, list prices
- NerdWallet — How Much Does a Garbage Disposal Cost? — unit price by horsepower, labour rates, Home Depot install average, DIY vs professional
- ConsumerAffairs — Garbage Disposal Replacement Cost — installed totals, plumber labour per job, DIY cost
- ConsumerAffairs — Garbage Disposal Repair Cost — repair cost range, labour rate, when a repair stops being worth it