There’s a lot of chatter in the plumbing industry about how the new steel tariffs are impacting the prices of plumbing fixtures. This viral Reddit post from a construction company estimator noted that in early May, Delta Faucet Company plans on raising prices by around 7.5% and Kohler by 15% to 18%.

In the post, he wrote that one of his supplier stated: “Our company has been in business for almost 30 years and we have never seen such drastic price changes across the board in such a short amount of time.”

In the post’s comments, a pipefitter noted that supplier Nibco said valve prices would go up by 40%. Other contractors wrote that customers were canceling projects and pushing back start dates because of the tariffs on steel and other materials, including wood, drywall and more.

“As someone who works on a daily basis with homeowners on kitchen and bath renovations, I can confirm that suppliers are already priming us for price adjustments coming in May,” says interior designer Alecia Taylor. “It’s not just high-end shower units or faucets that are being targeted; even basic plumbing fixtures and components are being affected.”

Master plumber and business owner Aaron Adams says he has been getting many questions from his customers about how the tariffs are impacting steel and other materials prices. “We have already received our first notices of price increases, and we’re confident that many more are coming,” he says. “While we’ll do our best to absorb as much of this cost as possible, at some point, our price will need to increase as well.”

The additional tariffs on steel, which are being put in place by the current Presidential administration, are impacting plumbing primarily because the U.S. gets much of its steel from Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Delta, Kohler and Nibco did not respond to Family Handyman’s request for comment, but numerous contractors verified the price hikes.

Plumbing distributor heavyweight Ferguson Enterprises told Family Handyman that while they strive to maintain competitive pricing for customers and find alternative products, “As Ferguson receives price increase notifications from our manufacturer partners, we immediately implement those price increases,” communications director Carey VonOhlen wrote in an email. “Every business in our industry is impacted by the current, constantly evolving tariff landscape, resulting in volatile pricing that changes day by day and hour by hour.

While these hikes will affect everything from new commercial construction projects to school updates and maintenance, it is low and middle-income households who will likely feel the impacts the most acutely, says George Carrillo, CEO of the Hispanic Construction Council.

“Even modest increases on everyday fixtures, like Peerless shower heads, can stretch tight budgets,” he says. Carrillo also voiced concern about contractors and small construction firms facing significant hurdles as these rising costs cut into their already slim margins and limit their ability to plan effectively. “With global economic policies continuing to influence material costs, this development may signal a long-term shift in pricing across the home improvement industry,” he said.

Beyond raising the price of plumbing — and nearly every other construction and home-improvement material — the tariffs have also destabilized the construction industry as a whole, say many contractors.

“What’s more concerning is that many large-scale projects, especially new builds and multi-unit developments, are being paused or re-evaluated,” says Taylor. “The unpredictability is creating a ripple effect for contractors and designers.”

Small business lender Ben Johnston said this problem is unlikely to reverse anytime soon, if at all. “Given the magnitude of these new tariffs, there is no question that housing will be more expensive to build, maintain and improve for Americans in the coming months,” he says. “We can expect these tariffs to both spur inflation and lower overall consumption, slowing the economy.”

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Karuna Eberl
A writer and indie film producer, Karuna Eberl covers the outdoors and nature side of DIY for Family Handyman, exploring wildlife, green living, travel, gardening and outdoor living, including swimming pools and testing portable power stations. She also writes FH’s Eleven Percent column about dynamic women in the construction workforce. Karuna an...
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Karuna Eberl