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How much does it cost to replace a water heater?

United States: homeowner survey

Water heater jobs that American Housing Survey households paid a plumber or installer to do had a median of $1,300; the typical range (middle half of 1,522 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) was $850 to $2,000.

When the household fitted the heater itself: a median (671 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) of $700.

How measured: hired-out finished jobs, survey-weighted, not adjusted for inflation; do-it-yourself jobs the same way. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data read 16 October 2026.

These figures are estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data years 2021-2023, read 16 October 2026, for the United States. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.

Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 16 October 2026 Updated 2026-10-16

How much does water heater replacement cost?

The survey item is "Added or replaced water heater", one line for every kind of heater. It does not split tank from tankless, gas from electric, or the heater from the labour, so the range above spans all of them.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, read 16 October 2026.

This is a job many households handle on their own. Only 65 percent of the water heater jobs with a reported cost were hired out, a smaller share than roofing (87 percent) or central air (88 percent) in the same survey.

Timing matters for this job more than most. ENERGY STAR advises planning a replacement before the old heater fails, because an installer may need time to order the right model, especially for a heat pump unit.

Source: ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Heat Pump Water Heaters, read 16 October 2026.

Heat pump heaters behave differently from a plain tank once installed. ENERGY STAR says that in hot, humid months they help cool and dry the room they sit in, and that they may need yearly upkeep such as a filter change.

Source: ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA), Heat Pump Water Heaters, read 16 October 2026.

How much does water heater replacement cost in Florida?

Miami-Dade County lists the plumbing permits it issues. The county block counts residential plumbing permits whose description names a water heater, and 98 percent of them carried a declared value.

Source: Miami-Dade County building permits, read 16 October 2026.

Miami-Dade County, FL: declared value on building permits

On Miami-Dade County plumbing permits that name a water heater, applicants declared a median declared value on building permits of $1,000; the typical range (middle half of 118 Miami-Dade County permit data points, Miami-Dade County, FL, 2024-2026) was $500 to $1,930.

Declared permit values are what applicants reported to the county; final contract prices can differ.

How measured: residential permits with a declared value, untrimmed. Source: Miami-Dade County building permits, data read 16 October 2026.

These figures are estimates from Miami-Dade County building permits, data years 2024-2026, read 16 October 2026, for Miami-Dade County, FL. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.

A heater swapped without a permit, or filed under a broader plumbing description, is not in the county count, so this block describes permitted water heater work only.

Source: Miami-Dade County building permits, read 16 October 2026.

What changes the cost to replace a water heater?

Get written bids

Contractors who take part estimate from your photos and a written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices. InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Sources for the figures on this page