Guides
How to install a kitchen faucet
Two hours if the old shut-off valves cooperate, and a whole afternoon if they do not. The tools list is the part worth reading before you start.
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Short answer
Shut off both supply valves, disconnect and remove the old faucet with a basin wrench, clean the deck, fit the new faucet's gasket and deck plate, tighten the mounting nuts from below, connect new supply lines, then run water and check every joint with a dry hand after five minutes. Budget two hours.
Tools and parts, before you start
- A basin wrench. Non-negotiable. Faucet mounting nuts sit behind the sink where no other wrench reaches, and a telescoping model covers both a shallow vanity and a deep kitchen cabinet.
- An adjustable wrench for the supply connections.
- New supply lines, braided stainless, the right length. Reusing old ones is how a cabinet floods.
- Penetrating oil for corroded nuts, applied early so it has time to work.
- A bucket, rags and a torch. The torch is not optional; you are working blind otherwise.
- Plumber's putty or silicone only if the faucet's own gasket does not seal the deck — check the instructions first.
The ten steps
Clear the cabinet and put down a towel
Empty everything out. You need room to lie on your back and see upward, and the towel is for the water still in the lines.
Shut off both supply valves and open the faucet
Close the hot and cold valves under the sink, then open the faucet to drain the pressure and confirm the valves actually shut.
Disconnect the supply lines
Undo the connections at the valves with a bucket underneath. Expect a cupful of water from each line.
Disconnect the sprayer hose and any accessories
On a pull-down, unclip the counterweight and disconnect the hose at the quick-connect fitting.
Remove the old mounting nuts with the basin wrench
Apply penetrating oil first if they are corroded. Support the faucet from above so it does not drop as the last nut frees.
Lift the old faucet out and clean the deck
Scrape off old putty, silicone and mineral deposits until the deck is flat and clean. A new seal will not sit on old sealant.
Fit the new gasket and deck plate, then set the faucet
Follow the manufacturer's sequence exactly — gasket, plate, faucet — and feed the hoses down through the hole before seating it.
Tighten the mounting hardware from below
Hand-tight then a firm turn with the basin wrench, checking from above that the faucet is square to the sink before the final tighten.
Connect new supply lines, hot to hot
Hand-tight plus a quarter turn with a wrench. Over-tightening a braided line's nut is a more common leak cause than under-tightening.
Open the valves, run water and check for leaks
Remove the aerator and run both sides for a minute to flush debris, refit it, then check every joint with a dry hand after five minutes and again the next day.
Branch: a single-hole sink
The simplest case. The faucet's own base and gasket seal the single hole, no deck plate is needed, and the deck plate that came in the box stays in the box. Check that the faucet's base is large enough to cover any wear ring left by the old faucet — a mineral halo on a stainless deck can be polished out, but on a colored composite deck it may show.
Branch: a three-hole sink with a single-hole faucet
The most common upgrade there is. The deck plate spans all three holes and sits on the gasket supplied with it. Two details matter: use the manufacturer's gasket rather than silicone, so the plate can be removed later without scraping a stainless deck; and think about whether you want to use the spare holes instead of covering them — an air switch for a disposal or a filtered-water tap both live there naturally. See faucet hole configurations.
Branch: a two-handle or widespread faucet
Three separate components, three sets of connections, and the spout fed from a mixing tee below the deck. The install sequence is the same but the alignment matters more: set all three loosely, align the handles and spout by eye from a standing position, then tighten. A widespread set tightened component by component ends up subtly crooked, and it is visible every day thereafter.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. There are no scores here because we run no test lab — how picks are chosen is published in full on our methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  RIDGID Model 1017 telescoping basin wrench The one tool that decides this job | Any faucet removal or install | Telescopes 10 to 17 inches, ratchets one-handed | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 2 |  Delta Leland 9178-AR-DST Easiest faucet to fit | Most kitchens, one or three holes | Single hole with the deck plate included | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 3 |  Moen Arbor 7594 Documented for one or three holes | Deep pots and hard-water kitchens | Either configuration without extra parts | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
Branch: fitting a pull-down wand and counterweight
The hose runs down through the faucet body and carries a counterweight that retracts the wand. Clip the weight on at the height the instructions specify, and then — the step people skip — check the weight has a clear vertical run with the cabinet doors closed. If it fouls the drain tailpiece or a stored bottle, the wand will not retract smoothly and you will blame the faucet.
Photograph shows the product category, not this specific unit. We do not republish manufacturer product photography.
1. The one tool that decides this job
RIDGID Model 1017 telescoping basin wrench
RIDGID · Best for any faucet removal or install
The one tool that decides whether a faucet swap is a two-hour job or a six-hour one. Faucet mounting nuts sit behind the sink where no normal wrench reaches; a basin wrench's spring-loaded head ratchets one-handed in that space. The telescoping shank is what gets you from a shallow vanity to a deep kitchen cabinet.
Published specifications
What works
- The 10-to-17-inch telescoping shank covers both a shallow bathroom vanity and a deep kitchen base cabinet
- One-handed ratcheting matters, because the other hand is holding a flashlight
- Alloy steel jaws grip a plastic mounting nut without crushing it
- The head locks at an angle, which is how you reach a nut behind a disposal
What does not
- A single-purpose tool that lives in a drawer between faucet jobs
- A badly corroded nut still needs penetrating oil and patience, not a better wrench
- No substitute for clearing the cabinet out before you start
Skip it if
Skip it if a plumber is fitting the faucet — they own one, and you would use yours perhaps twice a decade.
#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: RIDGID’s own page for the RIDGID Model 1017 telescoping basin wrench.
Photograph shows the product category, not this specific unit. We do not republish manufacturer product photography.
2. Easiest faucet to fit
Delta Leland 9178-AR-DST
Delta · Best for most kitchens, one or three holes
The pull-down we would fit in most kitchens, because the two parts that usually fail first on a pull-down are the two Delta engineered around: the docking mechanism and the valve. MagnaTite pulls the wand back into the spout with a magnet instead of relying on a friction collar, and Diamond Seal keeps water off the valve. It ships with a deck plate, so it covers a three-hole sink or mounts through one.
Published specifications
What works
- MagnaTite docking is a magnet, not a friction fit — a wand that stops seating is the most common pull-down complaint, and a magnet does not wear the way a plastic collar does
- Spout reach of 9-3/16" clears the far side of a standard 22-inch front-to-back sink
- Diamond Seal keeps water off the valve, which is what the lifetime warranty is really protecting
- Deck plate in the box, so a three-hole sink needs no extra part
What does not
- 1.8 gpm is higher than the 1.5 gpm most competitors now ship, which matters if your area caps flow rate
- Zinc body rather than brass — normal at this price, but this is not a forever faucet
- No independent lab publishes durability figures for this model, so we cannot tell you how the finish looks at year five
Skip it if
Skip it if your sink is a shallow bar sink: at 14-7/8" overall the arc will splash in a basin under about seven inches deep.
#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: Delta’s own page for the Delta Leland 9178-AR-DST.
Photograph shows the product category, not this specific unit. We do not republish manufacturer product photography.
3. Documented for one or three holes
Moen Arbor 7594
Moen · Best for deep pots and hard-water kitchens
The pull-down to buy if you want the taller arc and a finish that hides water spots. Its 8-1/4" spout height is about half an inch more clearance than the Leland, which is the difference between washing a stock pot and fighting one. The tradeoff is reach: 7-7/8" against 9-3/16", so it works closer to the back of the bowl.
Published specifications
What works
- The 8-1/4" spout height is genuine pot clearance, not decorative arc
- Power Boost concentrates the stream for filling and rinsing without raising the rated flow
- Spot Resist Stainless is the single most useful finish choice in a hard-water house
- Reflex docking has been in Moen's line long enough that replacement wands are easy to find
What does not
- Reach is 7-7/8", over an inch shorter than the Leland — on a wide double bowl you will notice
- Moen publishes no independent noise or durability measurement, and neither do we
- The spot-resist coating is a finish, not armor; abrasive cleaners still dull it
Skip it if
Skip it if you have a wide double-bowl sink and want one faucet to reach both drains comfortably — buy reach instead of height.
#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: Moen’s own page for the Moen Arbor 7594.
What to take away
- The basin wrench is the difference between a two-hour job and a six-hour one.
- Always fit new supply lines. Old braided lines are the part that floods a cabinet.
- Clean the deck back to bare material before the new gasket goes down.
- Check the pull-down counterweight has a clear run with the cabinet closed, or the wand will not retract.
How we sourced this page
Every figure on this page came from one of the following. Where a manufacturer or an independent lab does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
Common questions
- How long does it take to install a kitchen faucet?
- About two hours for a straightforward single-hole replacement. Allow half a day if the old faucet's mounting nuts are corroded, if the shut-off valves are seized, or if you are changing from a three-hole to a single-hole configuration.
- Do I need a basin wrench to install a kitchen faucet?
- In practice yes. Faucet mounting nuts sit directly behind the sink bowl where no ordinary wrench fits, and a basin wrench's spring-loaded head ratchets one-handed in that space. A telescoping model — the RIDGID 1017 extends from 10 to 17 inches — covers both shallow and deep cabinets.
- Should I use plumber's putty or silicone under a kitchen faucet?
- Usually neither: modern faucets ship with a gasket designed to seal the deck, and the instructions will say if sealant is required. If it is, plumber's putty is preferable to silicone because it can be removed cleanly when the faucet is next replaced.
- Can I install a kitchen faucet myself?
- Yes, if the shut-off valves under the sink work and the connections are threaded rather than soldered. Stop and call a plumber if a valve will not close, if anything is weeping at the wall, or if the job requires moving a drain line.
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