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How Much Does a Water Heater Replacement Cost?

How much does it cost to replace a water heater? Price a 40-gallon gas or 36-gallon electric tank swap at plumber wages near you, parts and labor listed.

Check a contractor’s quote against the same estimate. · Electricity cost by state · Appliance electricity consumption

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Your numbers

What should a water heater replacement cost?

ZIP, the quantities you can actually measure, and a few named modifiers. The range is a CostAnswer estimate, not a market quantile.
Mapped to county with an approximate ZIP/ZCTA match, not a HUD USPS crosswalk.
heatersMost homes replace one tank. Gas is modeled as EIA’s typical 40-gallon tank; electric as the typical 36-gallon tank.

Equipment is EIA’s typical 40-gallon gas storage tank (2022 retail midpoint).

By state

Where labor costs more or less for a water heater replacement

These states have their own page because labor there costs noticeably more or less than the national figure. Material prices are the same everywhere.

Common questions

Questions before you call a contractor

How much does a water heater replacement cost?

Put your ZIP code and the size of the job into the form on this page. It prices the labor from what that trade earns in your area (BLS), adds what employers pay on top of wages, and lists every material and piece of equipment it counts.

The result is a range for planning, not a bid. If a key material has no published price yet, the range says so instead of guessing.

What is included in the water heater estimate?

Most homes replace one tank. Gas is modeled as EIA’s typical 40-gallon tank; electric as the typical 36-gallon tank.

The work is priced at plumbing wages. The options on the form change the hours or the materials; they do not pull an average price for your city.

Why is a contractor’s quote different?

A quote prices your house: how easy it is to reach, what your permit office charges, and how busy that company is. This page prices a standard version of the job from published wages and material costs.

Paste a written bid into Check a quote to see whether it sits low, in the middle or high against the same job.

Gas or electric — which tank does this model?

Gas uses EIA’s typical 40-gallon tank; electric uses the typical 36-gallon tank. Pick fuel on the form.

Tankless, heat-pump water heaters, and relocating the unit are not in this recipe.

How the estimate is worked out

  • Unit. Most homes replace one tank. Gas is modeled as EIA’s typical 40-gallon tank; electric as the typical 36-gallon tank.
  • Location. Your ZIP code is matched to a county for local wages. It is approximate: a ZIP that crosses county lines is matched to just one of them.
  • Range. A low-to-high range for planning. If a key material has no published price, the range is marked incomplete instead of guessed.