We replace garbage disposals and dishwashers, run ice-maker lines to the fridge, hook up washers and plug-in dryers, and swap plug-in appliances, serving Cedar Mill, Beaverton, Bethany and the streets around them. Across the Portland area, putting in a disposal or dishwasher usually runs $200-$500 for labor, with $300 the common figure (market data, November 2026) . The full price list has every row.
Slava, who does these hookups himself, has 7 years of hands-on experience under sinks and behind machines.
What kitchen and laundry hookups can we do in one visit?
Most of these are short jobs, and two or three can share a trip:
- a disposal swapped for the same size, or for a bigger motor;
- a humming or jammed disposal freed and reset, and drips at its connections fixed;
- a dishwasher replaced in the opening the old one came out of;
- a water line run from a cold supply to the fridge's ice maker;
- a washer and a plug-in dryer connected to the boxes already in the wall;
- worn washer valves and recessed laundry boxes repaired;
- a plug-in fridge, range or countertop microwave swapped for the new one.
If the sink itself, the faucet or a stuck shut-off valve needs replacing, see faucet, toilet and sink repairs. Gas ranges and gas dryers are not ours to connect, and the old unit stays with you rather than leaving in our truck; what we don't do explains both . Owners turning over a rental between tenants have their own page for landlords and managers.
How much does a garbage disposal or dishwasher install cost around Portland?
| Job | Range | Typical | Usual time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garbage disposal installation or replacement | $200-$450 | $300 | about 2.5 hours |
| Disposal jam, reset or leak | $120-$300 | $200 | about 1.5 hours |
| Dishwasher installation or replacement | $200-$500 | $300 | about 3 hours |
| Refrigerator water line | $150-$400 | $250 | about 2 hours |
| Washer and dryer hookup, existing boxes | $120-$300 | $200 | about 1.5 hours |
| Laundry box and washer valve repair | $250-$800 | $450 | about 4 hours |
| Plug-in appliance swap | $120-$350 | $200 | about 1.5 hours |
Figures are per job and labor only, taken from Portland-area market data gathered in November 2026. The appliance and small parts (cord kit, supply line, drain hose, valves) are extra .
A first install where nothing was there before costs more than a swap, since it needs a drain connection and often an outlet. Hard-wired units, odd dishwasher openings and valves that won't turn all add time.
Can you install a garbage disposal yourself?
Yes, on your own house.
The usual snags: the new drain elbow doesn't line up with the old trap, and if the dishwasher drains into the disposal, the small plug inside the disposal's dishwasher inlet has to be knocked out, or the dishwasher has nowhere to drain .
Why does a garbage disposal hum, leak or keep tripping, and is it worth repairing?
A disposal that hums but doesn't spin is usually jammed. Shut off the power at the switch, then turn the hex socket on the bottom of the unit with the small wrench that came with it until the plate moves freely, and press the red reset button.
A unit that keeps tripping the reset after it's been cleared, or that leaks from the body itself, is usually worn out, and a new unit tends to make more sense than chasing the fault. Leaks at the sink flange, the drain elbow or the dishwasher hose connection are different: those joints can be resealed or tightened. If water stands in the sink while the disposal runs freely, the clog is further down the drain line, which is a drain job rather than a disposal problem .
What should you check before buying a new disposal or dishwasher?
Open the sink cabinet with a flashlight first. Is there an outlet, and does a wall switch control it? If the new disposal comes without a cord, it needs a cord kit to plug in.
Next, the motor size. Disposals come in 1/2, 3/4 and 1 HP, and the bigger ones are taller, so measure from the bottom of the sink to the trap below it . For a dishwasher, measure the width, height and depth of the opening; most built-ins are made for a 24-inch space. Check whether the old one plugs in or is wired into a junction box. Under the sink, try the shut-off valves gently. A lot of 1960s-80s homes on the west side still run on the valves they were built with, and after that long they can seize .
Photos of the open cabinet, the old unit's label and the outlet are usually enough for a price.
What can't go down a garbage disposal?
Grease is the big one. Clean Water Services asks people to pour cooking grease into a can, freeze it and put it in the trash, because grease poured down the drain sticks to the pipes and ends in clogs and overflows.
Run cold water while the unit grinds, as the manufacturer's install notes say .
Can you run a fridge water line or fix a leaking washer box?
A fridge line runs from the nearest cold supply to a dedicated valve, with a braided or copper line behind the fridge. Older setups sometimes used a saddle valve clamped onto a pipe, and those tend to drip over time .
A washer hookup means new hoses on the existing valves, a plug-in dryer connected, and the machine levelled. A gas dryer we leave to a gas fitter. Repairing a recessed washer box or worn valves is a bigger job: the box sits inside the wall, so the drywall has to come open, and that is why that row runs higher . While the dryer is pulled out, it's worth looking at the vent behind it; a crushed foil duct is worth spotting early, and the dryer vent page covers cleaning and rerouting.