Water Heater Replacement Cost Calculator
Homeowners who hired a professional to add or replace a water heater reported a median cost of $1,600 in 2026 prices; half of the jobs cost $1,000 to $2,600.
United States · hired a pro
$1,600median cost
Half of these jobs cost between $1,000 and $2,600.
1,547 real jobs from 2021 to 2023, in 2026 prices.
Is your water heater quote high or low?
| Cost of the job | Share of jobs |
|---|---|
| $500 or less | 8% |
| $750 or less | 15% |
| $1,000 or less | 28% |
| $1,500 or less | 50% |
| $2,000 or less | 65% |
| $2,500 or less | 74% |
| $3,000 or less | 81% |
| $4,000 or less | 90% |
| $6,000 or less | 95% |
The survey does not record the capacity of the water heater, whether it has a tank or is tankless, or the brand, so a higher quote is not necessarily too high.
Water heater replacement cost by home size
Size of the whole home, not of the job.
| Home size | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 750–999 sq ft | $1,700 | $1,000–$2,600 | 70 |
| 1,000–1,499 sq ft | $1,400 | $900–$2,300 | 321 |
| 1,500–1,999 sq ft | $1,400 | $1,000–$2,300 | 347 |
| 2,000–2,499 sq ft | $1,700 | $1,100–$2,700 | 284 |
| 2,500–2,999 sq ft | $1,800 | $1,100–$2,800 | 181 |
| 3,000–3,999 sq ft | $1,700 | $1,100–$3,200 | 179 |
| 4,000 sq ft or more | $2,300 | $1,100–$3,900 | 85 |
By home value
| Home value | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $200,000 | $1,200 | $790–$1,900 | 216 |
| $200,000–$349,999 | $1,400 | $960–$2,300 | 315 |
| $350,000–$599,999 | $1,700 | $1,000–$2,600 | 424 |
| $600,000 or more | $2,100 | $1,200–$3,900 | 501 |
Water heater replacement cost by region and metro area
| Region and division | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $1,800 | $1,100–$2,700 | 257 |
| New EnglandConnecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont | $1,900 | $1,400–$3,000 | 121 |
| Middle AtlanticNew Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania | $1,700 | $1,100–$2,600 | 136 |
| Midwest | $1,400 | $910–$2,300 | 311 |
| East North CentralIllinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin | $1,400 | $970–$2,300 | 247 |
| West North CentralIowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota | $1,400 | $790–$2,300 | 64 |
| South | $1,400 | $850–$2,300 | 529 |
| South AtlanticDelaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia | $1,400 | $900–$2,600 | 277 |
| East South CentralAlabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee | $1,300 | $770–$2,300 | 51 |
| West South CentralArkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas | $1,400 | $900–$2,300 | 201 |
| West | $1,700 | $1,100–$3,000 | 450 |
| MountainArizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming | $1,600 | $1,000–$2,700 | 136 |
| PacificAlaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington | $2,000 | $1,100–$3,400 | 314 |
By metro area
| Metro area | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $1,900 | $910–$2,800 | 48 |
| Boston | $1,900 | $1,200–$3,200 | 88 |
| Chicago | $1,700 | $1,100–$2,300 | 70 |
| Cincinnati | $1,800 | $1,000–$3,400 | 90 |
| Cleveland | $1,300 | $1,000–$1,800 | 73 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $2,000 | $1,100–$3,400 | 54 |
| Denver | $2,000 | $1,400–$3,400 | 115 |
| Detroit | $1,400 | $830–$1,900 | 65 |
| Houston | $1,400 | $900–$2,500 | 69 |
| Los Angeles | $1,700 | $1,000–$3,200 | 56 |
| Miami | $1,100 | $680–$1,700 | 39 |
| Milwaukee | $1,600 | $900–$2,700 | 102 |
| New Orleans | $1,400 | $910–$2,600 | 39 |
| New York | $2,300 | $1,400–$2,700 | 40 |
| Philadelphia | $1,400 | $1,100–$2,300 | 61 |
| Phoenix | $1,400 | $910–$2,300 | 86 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino | $1,900 | $1,300–$2,800 | 63 |
| San Francisco-Oakland | $2,300 | $1,500–$3,400 | 71 |
| Seattle | $2,300 | $1,400–$3,400 | 63 |
| Washington, DC | $2,300 | $1,100–$3,400 | 75 |
Water heater replacement cost by fuel
| Water heater | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric water heater | $1,300 | $790–$2,200 | 468 |
| Natural gas water heater | $1,700 | $1,100–$2,600 | 1,013 |
| Propane (LP gas) water heater | $1,900 | $1,200–$5,600 | 39 |
Water heater cost by type of unit: federal estimates
Estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for one unit of the size shown, not costs that homeowners reported.
| Type of unit and assumed size | Typical unit | High-efficiency unit |
|---|---|---|
| Gas water heater with a tank40 gallons | $840–$1,900 | $1,300–$3,600 |
| Electric water heater with a tank36 gallons | $570–$1,500 | $620–$1,600 |
| Heat pump water heater36 gallons | $990–$2,500 | $1,100–$2,800 |
| Gas tankless water heater199,000 Btu per hour | $1,200–$3,600 | $1,200–$3,700 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Updated Buildings Sector Appliance and Equipment Costs and Efficiencies", Appendix A; 2022 dollars multiplied by 1.14 for 2026 prices. More about these estimates
How homeowners paid for water heater replacements
| Paid mainly with | Share | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash from savings | 83% | $1,500 | $970–$2,500 | 1,265 |
| Cash-out refinance | 1% | too few jobs | 21 | |
| Home equity loan | 1% | too few jobs | 19 | |
| Insurance settlement | 2% | too few jobs | 23 | |
| Credit or store card | 9% | $1,700 | $1,000–$2,600 | 151 |
| Contractor financing | 1% | too few jobs | 19 | |
| Other | 2% | $1,500 | $840–$2,600 | 39 |
Water heater replacement: hiring a pro or doing it yourself
66% hired a professional; 34% did most of the work themselves.
| Who did most of the work | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hired a professional | $1,600 | $1,000–$2,600 | 1,547 |
| Did most of the work themselves | $790 | $560–$1,100 | 672 |
A do-it-yourself cost leaves out the household's own time.
How often homeowners add or replace a water heater
9.0% of owner-occupied homes had this job done in the two years before the survey, by a professional or by the household.
| Year the home was built | Share of homes | Homes surveyed |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 10.2% | 2,839 |
| 1940 to 1959 | 10.0% | 3,854 |
| 1960 to 1979 | 9.3% | 6,448 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 9.1% | 3,691 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 9.6% | 3,718 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 10.1% | 4,106 |
| 2010 or later | 4.1% | 2,690 |
Water heater replacement cost by year, as reported
| Year | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,500 | $1,000–$2,500 | 368 |
| 2022 | $1,200 | $800–$2,000 | 740 |
| 2023 | $1,500 | $850–$2,400 | 436 |
Not adjusted to 2026 prices; 2021 and 2023 are covered only in part. How the price adjustment works
What counts as a water heater replacement in this data
Counted:
- Adding or replacing a water heater. The survey's definition says "water heater tank".
Not counted:
- Built-in dishwashers and garbage disposals (a separate job in the survey).
- Routine minor work such as painting or decorating.
Survey category: "Added or replaced water heater". Costs the Census Bureau filled in (13% of the professional jobs) are left out.
Where these numbers come from
American Housing Survey 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau and HUD), in 2026 prices by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index for home improvements. Estimates by type of unit: U.S. Energy Information Administration. The calculations are our own; no agency has reviewed or endorsed them. Methodology · Data source