Garbage Disposal Replacement in Estero, FL | Chad The Handyman

A garbage disposal is one of those kitchen workhorses you never think about — until it stops working. Whether yours is grinding to a halt mid-rinse, leaking under the sink, or making sounds no appliance should make, a failing disposal disrupts your daily routine fast. The good news is that replacement is straightforward when you know what to look for and who to call.

Signs Your Garbage Disposal Needs Replacement

Most garbage disposals last 8 to 10 years with normal use, but Southwest Florida’s water conditions and climate can shorten that lifespan considerably. Here are the signs that your unit is reaching the end of its run rather than just having a bad day.

Frequent jams that the reset button no longer fixes are the most common complaint we see in kitchens across Estero, Naples, and Fort Myers. If you’re reaching under the sink with an Allen wrench every week, the internal components are worn beyond what a quick fix can address. Leaking from the bottom of the unit — not from the connections above, but from the housing itself — means the internal seals have failed. No amount of tightening will solve that. Persistent odors that survive ice cubes, citrus peels, and baking soda treatments usually indicate food buildup in corroded areas of the grinding chamber where bacteria thrive unchecked.

Unusual grinding noises are another clear indicator. Metallic scraping, rattling, or a high-pitched whine point to damaged impellers or a failing motor bearing. Slow draining even when the disposal seems to run fine often means the grinding mechanism isn’t breaking food down enough to pass through your drain line efficiently. And if your unit is simply old — even if it still runs — newer models are significantly quieter, more powerful, and more energy-efficient. Sometimes replacement just makes more sense than nursing an aging unit along.

How Garbage Disposal Replacement Works

Garbage disposal replacement is one of the more straightforward kitchen upgrades, and most installations take between one and two hours. The process starts with disconnecting the existing unit from both the electrical supply and the drain plumbing. If the current mounting assembly is in good condition and compatible with the new unit, we leave it in place — this saves time and keeps the installation clean.

When the mounting hardware needs replacement — either because it’s corroded, a different brand is going in, or the original install was done poorly — we remove and replace the entire assembly. The new unit locks into the mount, and we reconnect the electrical wiring and plumbing connections carefully. Then we run water through the system while testing at various loads, checking for leaks at every connection point and making sure the dishwasher drain hose, if connected, flows properly.

Disposal replacement is part of the broader plumbing repair services we offer throughout Estero, Naples, Bonita Springs, and Fort Myers. If your kitchen has other plumbing needs — a dripping faucet, slow drain, or supply line replacement — we handle those in the same visit.

Why Disposals Wear Out Faster in Southwest Florida

If you’ve lived in Lee or Collier County for any length of time, you already know our water is hard. The limestone aquifer that supplies most of Southwest Florida’s water produces mineral concentrations between 120 and 180 parts per million. That calcium and magnesium buildup doesn’t just affect your showerheads and water heater — it coats the inside of your garbage disposal’s grinding chamber and impeller blades, reducing efficiency over time and forcing the motor to work harder with every use.

The under-sink environment in Florida homes adds another layer of wear. Year-round humidity, even in well-air-conditioned homes, creates condensation on metal components. That persistent moisture accelerates corrosion on the disposal housing, mounting hardware, and electrical connections. We regularly see units that look ten years old after only five or six years of service, especially in homes without whole-house water softeners. Supply lines and connections under the sink also degrade faster in the heat, which is why we always inspect the surrounding plumbing when we replace a disposal.

Hard water and humidity affect many systems in your home beyond the kitchen. Our general home repair services address the full range of maintenance tasks that Florida’s climate demands.

Cost and What Affects Pricing

The total cost of garbage disposal replacement breaks down into the unit itself and the labor to install it. Disposals generally fall into three tiers. Basic models run $80 to $150 and work well for light use in a one- or two-person household. Mid-range units, $150 to $250, offer more horsepower, better sound insulation, and longer warranties — these are what we recommend for most families. Premium disposals at $250 and above feature stainless steel grinding components, multi-stage grinding, and near-silent operation.

Labor depends on the complexity of your existing setup. A straightforward swap on a compatible mount is the quickest job. If we need to replace the mounting assembly, modify plumbing connections, or address electrical wiring issues, the job takes a bit longer. One real advantage of working with a handyman rather than a specialty plumber is flexibility: no trip fee, and we can bundle the disposal replacement with other kitchen tasks in the same appointment. Need a new faucet installed, cabinet hardware swapped out, or under-sink shelving organized? One visit handles it all, which saves you both time and money compared to scheduling multiple trades.

If you’re curious about what other electrical and plumbing projects a licensed handyman can handle, that post covers the scope of work we do regularly in Southwest Florida homes.

Garbage Disposal on Your Home Inspection Report

Buying or selling a home in Southwest Florida? Garbage disposals are a common line item on inspection reports. Inspectors flag units that don’t turn on, leak, drain slowly, or show signs of improper wiring — and in older homes across Estero and Naples, these findings come up frequently. A non-functioning disposal might seem like a minor finding on its own, but it often appears alongside a longer list of kitchen and plumbing items that need attention before closing.

The practical advantage of addressing disposal replacement through a handyman is efficiency. We can work through your entire inspection repair list in one or two visits rather than scheduling separate trades for each item. Disposal replacement, outlet corrections, missing caulk, slow drains, loose hardware — these are exactly the kinds of tasks we handle every day for buyers and sellers across Estero, Naples, Bonita Springs, and Fort Myers.

Visit our home inspection report repairs page to see the full scope of inspection items we handle. You can also review our guide on home inspection repair costs in Florida for realistic cost ranges by category.

Serving homeowners throughout Estero, Naples, Bonita Springs, and Fort Myers. Call (239) 880-2423 for a free estimate on garbage disposal replacement or any kitchen repair.