How much for new water heater installed?
My daughter is going to replace her gas water heater and I am wandering what sort of ballpark for prices she should expect. She will be purchasing a 40 gallon.
19 Replies
2mo
Water heater itself was $1k, but I went with a Bradford White over something you can get at Lowe's or HD (definitely recommend the upgrade to Bradford White if the cost premium doesn't make you cringe). Add another $200-300 in parts, but that was a little inflated because I had to completely re-plumb the gas line to the furnace and water heater. It quickly became clear when the house was built, they placed the furnace and water heater, then ran the gas lines to them both. The water heater absolutely would not leave the room without moving the gas lines.
I shudder to think what a professional install would have been since a job that should probably take 90 minutes took four hours.
** Edited by Tafkam Hokie at 5/4/2026, 4:22:24 PM
(In response to this post by chemhokie)
2mo
quotes, from companies that I have either current or past service contracts with was ~$4,200 and the other closer to $6,000.
Lowes or Home Depot was about $2,500
A local plumbing company ended up around $2,200, but for a lesser known name brand (Richmond, which is made by one of the big guys).
(In response to this post by chemhokie)
2mo
(In response to this post by chemhokie)
2mo
off of Prices Fork. We go to a lot of sporting events.
would love to meet up sometime in the future
(In response to this post by santafe)
2mo
Hokie sports and other things. We would love it if you could make it sometime. @laphroaig is in charge of setting up the gatherings, he makes the announcement on the subscribers board usually about a week or so before the gathering. Look forward to seeing you there. They are usually on Thursday evenings, so maybe before a football game in the Fall.
(In response to this post by Chesapeake_Hokie)
2mo
I've done, and each time I looked at tankless options. The savings in ongoing operating costs just wasn't worth the extra upfront expense.
And that's before taking into account what @PWR2LZ mentions below.
(In response to this post by HOKIE)
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PWR2LZ
2mo
(NOTE: Ai generated from google):
EXPANSION TANKS:
Based on 2026 guidelines, expansion tanks are mandatory on gas water heaters within closed-loop systems—typically featuring check valves, pressure-reducing valves, or backflow preventers—to prevent thermal expansion damage.
DIRECT VENT
Direct vent gas water heaters are specifically designed to draw all combustion air directly from the outside, meaning they are not required to be installed in a ventilated enclosure and do not pull air from the living space. Plumbing codes, such as the International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) and Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), require that the intake and exhaust be properly installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and specific termination clearances.
** Edited by PWR2LZ at 5/4/2026, 12:28:07 PM
(In response to this post by chemhokie)
2mo
the direct vent is not. Tankless would solve the expansion tank, but likely require direct vent.
(In response to this post by PWR2LZ)
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PWR2LZ
2mo
buying a tankless heater: The lifetime costs of yearly maintenance flushing to descale a tankless heater. This past winter I paid my plumber around $450 to flush my tankless unit for like 90 minutes. That procedure is recommended once a year. Now granted its cheaper if you can DIY by purchasing a descaling kit, HOWEVER my plumber informed me that installing a housewide water soften might be cheaper over the long term. Now I’m an architect- and I try to be up on things- but a water softener was not something I considered when I initially renovated my house. Not to complicate your daughter’s purchase, but I just wanted to share that issue. Good luck!
** Edited by PWR2LZ at 5/4/2026, 9:25:45 PM
(In response to this post by chemhokie)
2mo
In CA is located in garage and distance to master bedroom shower is substantial. Plus CA mandates low flow showerheads and the flow through the tankless heater determines gas burner output. To get even A reasonable shower I had too go into the dip switches in the heater and override the output temp set. Also had to run shower and sink to get enough flow to eventually get some hot water in the shower. Eventually had my bro send me a shower head from NC with a higher flow rate than what is allowed to be sold in CA. And yearly maintenance is the minimum!
(In response to this post by PWR2LZ)
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PWR2LZ
2mo
but those low-flow fixtures are at cross purposes to your heater. CA doesn’t have a “water shortage” issue, they don’t have any desalination plants to harvest the Pacific. But that would entail having a discussion that would get me thrown in the TSL hoosegow!
(In response to this post by DonHo-kieHi)
2mo
on about light pollution and how much power that wastes.
(In response to this post by PWR2LZ)
2mo
(In response to this post by chemhokie)