Check these three things before you open the box
Most failed toilet installs trace back to something the buyer could have measured in the store. Measure from the finished wall behind the toilet to the center of the closet bolts. Standard is 12 inches, and a toilet made for a different rough-in will sit crooked or leave a gap.
Look at the floor flange too. It should be solid, level with or just above the finished floor, and free of rust or cracks. Last, find a place to put the old toilet and the new one. Porcelain is heavy and slippery, and you want a clear path before the bowl is in your hands.
What you find and what it means
| What you find | What it means | Who should handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Rough-in measures 12 inches. | Matches most TOTO models. | Most careful homeowners. |
| Rough-in measures 10 or 14 inches. | You need a model made for that rough-in. | Check the spec sheet before buying. |
| Flange below the floor. | A standard seal may not compress right. | Add a spacer or a flange ring, or call. |
| Cracked or rusted flange. | The bowl will not anchor. | Plumber, the flange needs repair or replacement. |
| Soft or stained floor around the base. | Past leak, possible rot. | Plumber and a floor repair before setting. |
| No outlet near the toilet. | A washlet seat will need power. | Electrician or plumber, GFCI outlet required. |
Installing the toilet, step by step
This is the order a plumber works in. Skip nothing, and have towels and a bucket nearby.
Shut off water and remove the old toilet
Close the supply valve, flush, and hold the handle to drain the tank. Sponge out the rest, disconnect the supply line, remove the nuts and lift the toilet straight up. Stuff a rag in the flange opening to block gas.
Prepare the flange
Scrape off the old wax, check the flange for cracks and replace the closet bolts if they are bent or rusted. Set the new bolts in the slot with their heads facing up.
Set the bowl on a new seal
Place a new wax ring or a gasket seal as the instructions for your model call for, then lower the bowl straight down onto the bolts. Press down evenly. Do not rock it.
Bolt the bowl and fit the tank
Tighten the nuts a little at a time, alternating sides. Over-tightening cracks porcelain. Attach the tank to the bowl with the supplied bolts and gaskets, then connect the supply line, open the valve and check every joint for drips.
Water at the base of the toilet after installing?
Call our 24/7 line if a leak is spreading. We will tell you whether to shut the water off and when a plumber can reach you.
If you bought a washlet or an electric seat
A TOTO washlet seat adds two things the toilet alone does not need. One is a cold water supply through a T-fitting at the toilet valve, with a filter or small hose. The other is power, and the outlet near the toilet should be a GFCI type, because water and electricity share a small room.
If the bathroom has no outlet within reach, do not run an extension cord across the floor. Ask an electrician to add one. A plumber can install the supply side and mount the seat, but the wiring is a separate trade. The same goes for a seat that already stopped working, where we can look at the fittings and the supply side.
Maple Heights water and housing details that matter
Cleveland Water's 2025 Water Quality Report gives total hardness of 105 to 130 and an average of 117, which is moderately hard by common scales. That is enough to leave scale on fill valves, supply screens and the small spray nozzles on a washlet. Check the filter screen on the supply valve if flow slows after a few months.
About two thirds of Maple Heights homes were built before 1960, so original flanges and old shutoff valves are common. If the valve under your toilet will not turn, or leaks when you do turn it, replace it before you set the new bowl. Ask the Maple Heights Building Department whether your project needs a permit, since the answer depends on the scope.
Source type: Utility reportDIY or call a plumber
Reasonable to try yourself
- A straight swap on a sound flange with a 12-inch rough-in
- Two people available to lift the bowl
- A working shutoff valve and a dry, firm floor
- A basic gravity-flush TOTO model with no electronics
Call us
- The shutoff valve is stuck or seeping
- The flange is cracked, rusted or below the floor
- The floor around the base is soft or stained
- You bought a washlet and need new supply and power
- The old toilet was wobbling or leaking for months
Tests to run once the toilet is set
Flush the toilet three times and watch the base, the tank bolts and the supply connection. Dry each joint with a paper towel, then run your finger around it. A small drip shows up on tissue better than to the eye.
Rock the bowl gently with your hands. It should not shift. Then check how the tank fills and how the flush sounds. A fill valve that keeps running, or a flapper that does not seat, points to an adjustment and not a bad toilet. If something still seems wrong, our toilet repair team can look at it, and larger jobs like moving a drain fall under plumbing installation.
Nearby towns we also serve
We install and repair toilets in Bedford Heights, Garfield Heights and the rest of the area. Bedford Heights' Building Department lists a Plumbing and Sewer Installation form, so ask the city if your project involves new piping. For a straight fixture swap, a call to the local Building Department is usually enough to learn whether anything is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Plan on a few hours for a straight swap on a sound flange. A repair to the flange or floor adds time, and we will tell you before work begins.
Yes. A seal compresses once and does not reseal reliably after being removed. Replace it each time the bowl comes off the flange.
Many TOTO models are made for a 12-inch rough-in, but some are made for 10 or 14 inches. Check the spec sheet for your model and measure before you buy.
It needs power near the toilet, and a GFCI-protected outlet is the safe choice in a bathroom. If you do not have one, an electrician should add it.
Cleveland Water reports moderately hard water, which can build scale on fill valve screens and washlet nozzles. Cleaning the screens now and then keeps flow steady.
Only if the floor is firm. A soft spot means rot, and a new bowl will rock on it. Have a plumber check before you set anything.
If a toilet is leaking or has failed and water is spreading, call the 24/7 line. We can shut it off safely and set a new one when the area is dry.