Installing a new bathroom vanity and sink is a great way to bring your space into the current era. For example, I traded in my marblesque blue-and-white counter with grainy wood cabinetry for a more modern cherrywood vanity with a beige countertop. I mean, I love a good ‘90s throwback, just not when it comes to an outdated bathroom design.
Installation took a lot less time than I imagined (about two hours), and while I only watched it get put in, I learned a few things along the way: namely, I could definitely DIY the mess out of this.
Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know to pull off this project yourself, from gathering the tools you’ll need to removing the old vanity to prepping the space for the new one.
| Project difficulty: Intermediate Estimated time to complete: 2 to 4 hours Project cost: $200 to $1,500, depending on the tools you already have and the type of vanity, sink, and faucet you choose. However, if you choose high-end materials, this cost can easily exceed $2,500. |
Step 1: Gather Materials
To paraphrase the old adage, those who fail to prepare prepare to fail. Avoid a DIY-gone-wrong moment, and get everything you need ready, first.
- Old towel
- Bucket
- Safety gear (gloves, glasses, work boots, long clothing)
- Chisel
- Utility or putty knife
- Tongue-and-groove pliers
- Adjustable wrench
- Drill
- Silicone caulk
- Hole saw
- Drywall screws
- Level
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Bar clamp (optional)
- Shim (optional)
- Stud finder (optional)
- Spackle (optional)
- Sandpaper (optional)
- Paint (optional)
Step 2: Remove the Old Vanity and Sink
Before you rip the old vanity out, though, be sure to measure it. This will help you choose a replacement vanity and sink that correctly fit the space.
Then, you can start the demo by following the steps below:
- Shut off the water.
- Disconnect the plumbing.
- Remove the old vanity and sink.
- Use spackle, sandpaper, and paint to repair any damaged wall surface, if necessary.
For step-by-step instructions on how to do each, read our guide on How to Remove a Bathroom Vanity and Sink.
Step 3: Prep the New Vanity and Space
Get someone to help you with this because vanities are hea-vy. With you on one side and a friend on the other, gently situate the new vanity where you’d like it to go.
If you have an open-back vanity, continue on with using your level to make sure everything is in proper alignment. Then, lightly mark (with a pencil or painter’s tape) the location of your new vanity’s back and sides.
For walls that aren’t perfectly level, you’ll need to use a shim. (Don’t worry, I didn’t know what that meant at first, either.) A shim is a narrow, tapered wedge made of wood, metal, or plastic. When slipped between a wall and your vanity, for instance, it will fill the gap and make the two level with each other.
No open-back vanity? Mark where the plumbing holes will need to be on the back side of your cabinetry. Any easy hack to get this right includes dabbing some paint on the pipes in the wall, sliding the vanity back to tap the paint, and then making the holes where the paint is.
Once the holes have been made with your hole saw, you can slide the vanity all the way against the wall where you’d like it to go and mark the outline of the back and sides.
Step 4: Attach New Vanity to Wall
With drill in hand, screw the back and sides of your vanity cabinets to the wall. If any shims were needed, screw directly into the shims.
You can use a stud finder to locate the vertical support beams in your walls (before sliding the vanity in place) and fasten your cabinets to them. Or, you can opt for drywall anchors and screws, which will provide sufficient support without studs.
My Tip: Learn more about how drywall anchors work.
Step 5: Install the Sink and Vanity Top
If your sink, faucet, and vanity came pre-attached, you can move on to step 7. Otherwise, it’s time to attach the faucet.
The easiest way to do this is before attaching the vanity top. (It prevents any accidental head bumps that could occur while working underneath the cabinetry.) Flip the countertop/sink combo upside down so you’re looking at the underside of the sink, and screw in the faucet and faucet lines (one for each handle) with your hands or an adjustable wrench.
Then, insert the drain into the drain hole and attach the nut, washer, and gasket to the bottom of the drain. Finally, apply silicone to the top edges of the cabinetry and attach the vanity top and sink.
But what if you have a custom countertop slab and a totally separate sink to install? Most likely, this will be an undermount sink, and you’ll need to apply silicone caulk to the top edges of the sink and attach it to the underside of the countertop. Then:
- Place a 2×4 wooden board across the sink hole.
- Drop a bar clamp through the sink’s drain hole. Clamp the bottom to the underside of the sink, and clamp the top to the wooden board.
- Leave clamps on until the caulk has dried and set.
- You can reinforce caulk adhesive by screwing in sink clips from the underside of the sink into the base of the countertop.
Step 6: Reconnect the Plumbing
Connect the cold and hot water supply lines to their corresponding supply tubes. Then, screw on the sink tailpiece (that straight pipe that hangs down from the bottom of the sink) and join it to the drain trap (or, P-trap).
Step 7: Turn on the Water and Test
Finally, turn your water back on (whether you do it from the shutoff valves under your sink or via that main shutoff valve for your home), and check to make sure there’s a flow from your sink when you turn the handles.
Renew, Refresh, Revamp
When DIY-ing your bathroom upgrades, it’s best to tackle one project at a time. Modernizing your bathroom vanity and sink is a great place to start.
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- Read More: What is a Bathroom Vanity?
Main Photo Credit: Mat / Adobe Stock Free / License
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