- Water heater repair usually costs $190 to $880, about $530 typical.
- A repair visit for a tank water heater: a valve, element, thermostat or igniter.
What water heater repair costs
Most homeowners pay $190 to $880 for water heater repair, and $530 is a typical price. A repair visit for a tank water heater: a valve, element, thermostat or igniter.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Low end | $190 |
| Typical | $530 |
| High end | $880 |
Sources: Fixr and HomeAdvisor, combined as shown below. Local wages shift the typical price from about $457 in Arkansas to $652 in Hawaii.
What drives the price
- The part. Heating elements, thermostats, igniters and relief valves are common fixes.
- Tank or tankless. Tankless repairs can need specialists.
- Age. A leaking tank cannot be repaired. Old tanks are usually replaced.
Extra costs to plan for
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tank flush | $200 | HomeAdvisor |
| Valves or anode rods | $150 to $200 | HomeAdvisor |
Ask whether each of these is in the quote. Two bids for the same water heater repair can be far apart only because one includes them.
Water heater repair cost by state
These state figures are Koira estimates. The labor share of the national price, about 60%, moves with each state's median wage for construction and extraction workers; materials stay at the national price. Use them to sanity-check a water heater repair quote.
| State | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $168 | $467 | $776 |
| Alaska | $221 | $616 | $1,023 |
| Arizona | $187 | $522 | $867 |
| Arkansas | $164 | $457 | $759 |
| California | $213 | $595 | $988 |
| Colorado | $193 | $539 | $895 |
| Connecticut | $213 | $595 | $987 |
| Delaware | $190 | $529 | $878 |
| District of Columbia | $210 | $586 | $974 |
| Florida | $170 | $476 | $790 |
| Georgia | $171 | $478 | $794 |
| Hawaii | $234 | $652 | $1,083 |
| Idaho | $184 | $512 | $850 |
| Illinois | $230 | $642 | $1,066 |
| Indiana | $194 | $542 | $900 |
| Iowa | $190 | $530 | $879 |
| Kansas | $181 | $506 | $839 |
| Kentucky | $178 | $496 | $823 |
| Louisiana | $172 | $479 | $795 |
| Maine | $191 | $534 | $887 |
| Maryland | $191 | $532 | $883 |
| Massachusetts | $224 | $626 | $1,039 |
| Michigan | $193 | $539 | $895 |
| Minnesota | $215 | $600 | $996 |
| Mississippi | $166 | $462 | $767 |
| Missouri | $194 | $542 | $899 |
| Montana | $193 | $538 | $893 |
| Nebraska | $179 | $499 | $829 |
| Nevada | $194 | $542 | $899 |
| New Hampshire | $191 | $533 | $885 |
| New Jersey | $217 | $604 | $1,003 |
| New Mexico | $172 | $478 | $794 |
| New York | $211 | $588 | $976 |
| North Carolina | $171 | $476 | $790 |
| North Dakota | $193 | $539 | $894 |
| Ohio | $195 | $544 | $903 |
| Oklahoma | $169 | $472 | $783 |
| Oregon | $203 | $565 | $938 |
| Pennsylvania | $192 | $535 | $889 |
| Rhode Island | $197 | $549 | $911 |
| South Carolina | $171 | $477 | $791 |
| South Dakota | $172 | $480 | $796 |
| Tennessee | $173 | $482 | $800 |
| Texas | $170 | $475 | $788 |
| Utah | $185 | $517 | $859 |
| Vermont | $190 | $531 | $882 |
| Virginia | $184 | $513 | $853 |
| Washington | $221 | $615 | $1,021 |
| West Virginia | $186 | $520 | $863 |
| Wisconsin | $198 | $552 | $916 |
| Wyoming | $190 | $531 | $882 |
Cities inside a state can run well above or below the state figure.
How we got these numbers
| Guide | Range | Average | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixr | $150 to $750 | $450 | Counted |
| HomeAdvisor | $228 to $1,017 | $616 | Counted |
| Bob Vila | $221 to $964 | $591 | Shown, not counted: it repeats another guide's figures |
How the water heater repair range is combined: low end from the middle of the guides' lows, high end from the middle of their highs, typical from the middle of their averages (a range's midpoint where no average is given). Figures read on each guide's page on October 9, 2026.
Labor share used: 60%. Most repairs are a plumber's visit with a small part. Koira's assumption. State factor: the state's median hourly wage for construction and extraction workers over the national $28.63 (BLS, May 2025), kept between 0.7 and 1.4.
For contractors: price this job in Koira
Plumbing calls come in when something is leaking, so a fast answer and a clear price for the fix and the parts matter most.
Koira's free Office plan turns a water heater repair quote into a clean estimate the customer approves on their phone, then into an invoice they can pay. Price this job in Koira, free.
Sources: Fixr, water heater repair cost; HomeAdvisor, water heater repair cost; Bob Vila, water heater repair cost; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national files). Prices checked October 9, 2026. More for your trade: how the trade runs on Koira.