Garbage Disposal Cost

How Much Does a Garbage Disposal Cost?

Low: Disposal Units Start $50-$115, Run $50-$380

Medium: Can Run $150-$600 Installed

Installed under the kitchen sink, a garbage disposal uses sharp blades and a motor to grind (and practically liquefy) food waste so it can flow down through the drains and into the sewage system.

Typical costs:

Residential garbage disposals with a 1/3 horsepower (HP) motor cost about $50-$115; a 1/2 HP model runs around $60-$180; disposals with a 3/4 HP motor are about $120-$350; and 1 HP motors can be $150-$380 depending on brand name and quality of construction.
Light-duty commercial-grade garbage disposals start around $500-$2,500 and go up depending on size, brand and features.

Related articles: Water Softener, Kitchen Sink, Plumber, Unclogging a Toilet

What should be included:

Also called a garbage disposer, a garbage disposal comes in two basic types -- continuous feed, which usually has a wall-mounted switch so the unit keeps running as you drop more waste in; and batch feed, which requires a food cover be in place to operate the unit. Continuous feed is common and the easiest to use; a batch feed model is safer but can be slower to use on large amounts of food waste because you have to process it in batches. An Ohio plumbing supply company provides an overview of garbage disposal types and styles.
Stainless steel blades are generally preferred because they're less prone to rust. Other good options are overload protection, which turns off the motor if it starts to overheat; an auto-reverse feature to prevent jamming; and a dishwasher-drain connection so food particles from the dirty dishes get ground up in the disposal. And if your house is on a septic system, you'll need a disposal specifically designed to be used with a septic system. AskTheBuilder.com gives an overview[1] of garbage disposals and septic systems.
Although models vary, installing a garbage disposal generally requires moderate skills plus basic tools. HomeTips.com provides written[2] installation instructions and ThisOldHouse.com offers a how-to video[3] .

Additional costs:

If you can't install the garbage disposal yourself, it's generally not a difficult or time-consuming process and you can usually hire a handyman, for anywhere from $30-$150 an hour. Installation typically takes about 1-2 hours for a straightforward replacement and 2-3 hours or more if it's necessary to add electrical wiring or plumbing, so installation can cost anywhere from $50-$450 but generally is about $80-$150. If your home is not set up for a disposal, hiring a plumber to do the installation usually runs around $100-$200, but can go as high as $250-$450. Hiring an electrician to add an electrical outlet can run $70-$250.
New models of garbage disposals might need to be hard-wired into a dedicated electrical circuit from the electrical panel; if this isn't available in an older home, hiring an electrician to add a circuit costs around $150-$250.
If needed, garbage disposal cleaner-deodorizer products are available at most hardware stores for about $3-$9.

Shopping for a garbage disposal:

Home Depot provides a garbage disposal buying guide[4] .
Major manufacturers include GE[5] , InSinkErator[6] , KitchenAid, Waste King and Whirlpool[7] .

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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments

Garbage Disposal replace

Amount: $465.00 total

Posted by: R. Hetrick in Roseville, CA.	Posted: December 20th, 2020 07:12AM
Brand: Insinkerator 1/2 hp Badger	Installer: Rooter Hero Plumbing

Purchased new disposal prior to plumber arrival. He tried to convince me a 3/4 hp unit would be better. After waiting 1.5 hrs for his superior to provide quote due to out of service area, he quoted $400, but because of wait time, lowered to $350! I almost said NO, but I will never use them again because it’s only 6 days from Christmas and I needed a working disposal. They didnt charge by hour but a flat fee so I feel I was ripped off as it took him about 45 min to replace with no other complications.

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