Two main types. Standard hose bibs have the shutoff at the spigot — water sits in the stem in winter and freezes. Frost-free bibs run 8 to 18 inches back into the wall, so the shutoff lives inside the heated part of the house and the outside section drains empty. In Utah you almost always want frost-free.
A small valve on top of the bib that stops dirty hose water from getting siphoned back into your home's drinking water. Code-required on every outdoor faucet. Some bibs have it built in. Cheaper bibs use an add-on cap that fails after a few seasons.
Where the bib goes through your wall. Frost-free bibs have to slope slightly down toward the outside so water drains out when the valve closes. Install it level or tilted the wrong way and it traps water — and freezes anyway.
A second valve inside the house on the line that feeds the bib. Lets you shut off and drain the line in winter for extra protection. Frost-free bibs cut the freeze risk but a separate indoor shutoff is still the belt-and-suspenders move.
What feeds the bib. Usually 1/2 inch copper or PEX in newer homes. Older houses might have galvanized — that gets replaced when uncovered because it clogs up and corrodes from the inside.
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The number one question I get from homeowners is: was that hose bib quote fair?
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. This site helps you ask better questions before you approve the work.
Read my storyStraight answers before you book.
A like-for-like frost-free replacement installed by a licensed Utah plumber typically starts around $500. A new hose bib at a location that didn't have one before runs higher because of the new line work, wall penetration, and finish repair. A frozen-and-burst repair depends on how far back in the wall the line actually broke. Drop your quote into the Second Opinion tool above for a fair-or-not check against real Utah numbers for your scope.
Frost-free, almost always. A standard hose bib has its shutoff valve right at the spigot, so water sits in the stem all winter and freezes. A frost-free bib runs 8 to 18 inches back into the wall and the shutoff is inside the heated part of the house — the outside stem drains empty when you close it. Standard bibs in Utah are how you end up with a burst pipe in the wall.
Three usual reasons. One: a hose was left connected over winter, so water couldn't drain out of the body. Two: the bib was installed level or angled the wrong way, so water sat in the stem instead of draining. Three: the bib isn't actually frost-free, it just looks similar. If you have a frost-free that keeps freezing, one of those three is the cause.
A small valve on top of the hose bib that stops dirty hose water from getting siphoned back into your home's drinking water if the city pressure drops. Code requires backflow protection on every outdoor faucet. Some bibs have it built in. Cheaper bibs use a screw-on cap that fails after a few seasons.
Woodford and Mansfield are the contractor favorites for frost-free bibs — brass body, good freeze design, parts available years later. Aquor makes a premium wall-flush bib that looks cleaner and uses a quick-connect for the hose. Skip the generic big-box plastic options — body cracks in cold, and the screw-on vacuum breaker caps fail fast.
Like-for-like replacement on an accessible existing line is doable if you can solder copper or fit PEX. New installs that require running new line, drilling exterior walls, or cutting into finished interior space are real work. The bigger issue is doing it right — wrong slope, missing vacuum breaker, or skipping the indoor shutoff sets up a future leak. Doing it wrong costs more than paying a plumber the first time.
Most cities don't require a permit for like-for-like replacement. Adding a new hose bib where one didn't exist before — new line tap, new wall penetration — usually does need one. Ask your plumber what your city requires.
A like-for-like replacement on an accessible existing line is 30 to 60 minutes plus the leak check. A new install with new pipe run can be a half day. A frozen-burst repair depends on how far back in the wall the line actually broke.
A separate valve inside the house on the line that feeds your hose bib. Lets you shut off and drain the line for winter. Frost-free bibs reduce freeze risk but an indoor shutoff is the belt-and-suspenders move — especially worth it on north-facing or shaded bibs that don't get sun.
Real plumbing work. The plumber has to find the closest existing line, tap into it, run new pipe through the wall, install the bib, and seal the penetration. Cost depends on how far the run is, what's in the way, and whether interior walls have to be opened to fish the pipe.
Shut off the water to the house and call a plumber. The split is sometimes at the bib body, sometimes a foot or more back inside the wall where the actual freeze happened. Drying out the wall cavity is part of the job if water got behind the drywall.
Five questions: (1) Is the new bib frost-free and brass? (2) Does the quote include a vacuum breaker? (3) Will you install or replace an indoor shutoff valve on the feed line? (4) Is this a like-for-like swap or are you running new pipe? (5) Who's repairing the wall (siding, drywall, stucco) after access?
Before you trust the total
A fair plumber should be able to tell you what failed, what they plan to do, what is included, and what could change the price. If two quotes describe different work, the cheaper number proves nothing.
01
A replacement quote should identify the frost-free fixture, interior connection, mounting and slope, vacuum breaker where required, wall access, testing, and finish-repair exclusions.
02
Finished ceilings, masonry or stucco, inaccessible connections, frozen split pipe, missing isolation, unusual wall depth, or a new hot-water branch can add scope.
03
Easy interior access and a finished ceiling or wall are different jobs. Ask where the pipe will be opened, who closes the finish, and whether freeze damage continues beyond the fixture.
