We charge $1595 for valve replacement and trim kit (Canada). Given this is a basic Moen. More on reddit.com

It's a pretty simple fix, just a rubber washer that needs to be changed out. Possibly a seat. Might as well do both sides because why not? Roto Rooter is gonna rape you on the pricing because that's how they roll. The guy coming out most likely isn't licensed but he'll be a half decent salesman and by next week you'll have a new shower valve. That's what he'll be aiming for anyways. It's a commission job.

I did a job today where we got called to give a second opinion on a quote from a big name rooter company to repair a broken sewer line. We ran the camera and it actually was broken (we've caught the rooter guys lying about this stuff more than once but they were honest this time).

I'm about to mention prices. I live in a really expensive market. Services are probably much cheaper where you live. Never mind, you live in the Bay Area. Good luck.

Still, the line was about two feet deep in fill. The rooter guys bid this repair at $4000. Holy shit. But that's a commission salesman for you. We blew them out of the water at $2500 and the owner went with us. But we only did $2500 because of the prior bid. If we were the first techs to bid I think we would've gone with $1500. A half day's work plus parts. We probably overcharged the guy by $1000 just because it was still $1500 cheaper than the rooter guys.

Plumbing is insanely marketed. The companies at the top of your Google search are easily paying 33% of their gross revenue to marketing. You'll get much better pricing from a local shop without the overhead, but they're harder to find because they aren't spending 1/3 of their gross on advertising.

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Delta with cartridge

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Newer shower valves are "pressure regulated" which means if the pressure drops in the hot water line because someone opened the kitchen faucet, the person in the shower won't get doused with cold water. Pressure regulated valves are required by the building code. The next level up is "temperature & pressure regulated." For more money you can set a max temp for the shower so kids and others cant accidentally scald themselves. There are also valves with built in thermometers and temp displays if you want to change batteries, etc... All modern shower valves consist of 3 parts. A valve body, a cartridge and a trim kit. The valve bodies are universal to the manufacturer's different cartridges. The cartridge is where the magic happens and the trim kit is where you can spend some money on shiny chrome or whatever. Often the cartridge and trim are sold together and the valve body is separate. There are two general types of valve bodies: with stops and without. "Stops" are screws that shut off the water flow so you can change/service the cartridge without shutting off the water to the whole house. For a few extra bucks, I think stops are worth it. If you have a tub, you need a diverter to switch between shower and tub. You have 3 choices: diverter on the spout, 3 piece diverter, valve and spout (2 separate valves and valve bodies) or a combo valve with water/temp handle and a diverter handle (1 valve body for 2 cartridges & 2 handles). The only part that usually wears out are the seals and springs in the cartridge. However, some brands don't sell service kits, they just sell cartridges and they are pricey. You can get some amazing deals on shower valves in the Amazon Warehouse on valves people bought and returned. Incredible deals like $100 for a $700 valve and trim kit. I like Delta valves for the simple reason that the service kits for the cartridges are available at any big box store for pretty cheap. Also, they are very durable and well made, especially if you step up from the entry level stuff sold at the big box stores. Plan on spending $200-$300+ on a good valve body, cartridge and trim kit. EDIT: thanks for all the upvotes! If you are replacing an old 3 handle shower valve (hot cold diverter) but not re-tiling, most of the valve makers sell a "remodel plate" that covers the 2 holes you won't be using. Sadly, there are no 3 handle pressure regulated valves (yet). If you aren't re-tiling but your showerhead is too low, all the big box home improvement stores carry an "s" shaped chrome pipe to replace the short one and raise the shower head about 10" for $20. Money well spent. Showerheads are a whole different topic. I prefer the wands on hoses because it makes cleaning the tub, dogs, window screens and kids a lot easier. More on reddit.com