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Toilet Repair in San Francisco, CA
Most people in San Francisco rent: 61% of households do. The housing is also old, with 82% built before 1990 — which usually means old fixtures that are somebody else's to replace.
Short version
61% of occupied homes in San Francisco are rented, so for most households the toilet is the landlord's fixture rather than the tenant's. Reporting it is normally the tenant's step, and arranging the repair is normally not. With 82% of the housing built before 1990, a fixture predating the 1.6 gallon standard may still be in place; the figure describes the building rather than the bathroom.
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, tables B25003 and B25034.
Who this page is for in San Francisco
Most households in San Francisco rent: 61% of 361,770 occupied homes. If that includes you, the toilet is part of the property and repairing it is normally your landlord’s responsibility, not something to arrange and pay for yourself.
| Occupied homes in San Francisco | Share | Homes |
|---|---|---|
| Owner-occupied | 39% | 139,535 |
| Rented | 61% | 222,235 |
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25003 (tenure), 2023 release. Universe: 361,770 occupied housing units.
What the age of San Francisco’s housing suggests
Housing in San Francisco is mostly older than the standard: 82% of it went up before 1990. A toilet fitted when those homes were built used at least twice what a current one does.
Whether the original is still there is a different question, and the only way to settle it is to look at the fixture.
| Housing in San Francisco | Share |
|---|---|
| Built before 1940 | 45% |
| Built 1940 to 1989 | 37% |
| Built 1990 onwards | 18% |
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25034 (year structure built), 2023 release. Universe: 410,569 housing units, including vacant ones — a different universe from the tenure table above. Flush volumes: US EPA WaterSense, tank-type toilet supporting statement
What is actually wrong with it
The fault list is short. A running tank and a weak flush are both usually parts inside the tank. A leak at the base is the one that damages the building, and a fixture that rocks is the one that causes it.
On an older fixture that is being lifted anyway, ask what the difference is between putting this one back and setting a new one down. Frequently the work is the same and only the part differs, which is the one moment when replacement is worth thinking about.
Other California towns we route in
- Belvedere Tiburon 73% owner-occupied · 84% built before 1990
- Claremont 66% owner-occupied · 86% built before 1990
- San Clemente 62% owner-occupied · 64% built before 1990
- Mentone 66% owner-occupied · 66% built before 1990
- Martinez 72% owner-occupied · 81% built before 1990
Checking a plumber in California
Checking a credential in California
California licenses are issued by the Contractors State License Board, which publishes a public search you can use before work begins. California licenses the C-36 plumbing contractor; there is no state journeyman license.
If the dye test pointed at the flapper, that is a part, not a fixture.Worth saying on the call, because it changes what somebody arrives with. We connect you to a contractor covering your area and you are never charged. Whatever wants a plumber in San Francisco can be raised when you call.
Call (888) 525-3450