Water heater replacement cost in the US.
A standard 40–50 gallon tank, gas or electric, pulled out and a new one put in on the same connections. The tank is roughly half the money; the rest is labour, fittings and disposal.
The same wrench costs different money in different places, because the hand holding it does. Pick your city for the local band, the upsells and the script.
- 01Shut the cold inlet valve on top of the tank, then the gas cock or the breaker.
- 02If you smell gas at all, leave the house and call the gas utility before you call a plumber.
- 03Photograph the data plate on the side — model, serial, capacity, year. That is what prices the job.
Pro. Gas connections and combustion venting are not a first project, and most jurisdictions want a permit on the swap.
- A tankless conversion sold as the only option, which is a different job at two to four times the price.
- Full replacement when the failure is a $20 heating element or thermostat — one plumber-run consumer site documented a $7,000 quote for exactly that.
- An expansion tank, pan, or new shut-off billed at several hundred when the parts are under $60.
High-efficiency, tankless or difficult-access installs run $3,100–$7,000 and are a different job. If your quote is up there, it should say why on the page.
National band from published US cost guides, 2026 editions. Adjusted for this metro by scaling only the labour share of the job by the metro's median plumber wage against the national median of $34.70/hr (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Parts are not scaled.
Comparable quotes from this metro in our Price book: 0. This band is derived from national guides and local wage data, not from local quotes. We will say so on this page until it is not true.
If you think a figure here is wrong, write to pricebook@getitplumming.com with the quote. Corrections go into the next edition and we do not argue with an invoice.
Fixr puts a 40-gallon tank installed at about $1,650; HomeGuide's installed range is $600–$3,100. Both are 2026-data editions.
Got a number for this job? Have it read before you sign.
The band above is the national picture. Your Job is your house, your ZIP and your plumber’s line items. Run the free Triage — what to do in the next ten minutes and the band for your own ZIP — then decide whether the number needs reading line by line.
No card. No account. No phone number, ever.