- A standard 50 gallon gas tank usually costs $700 to $2,700 installed, about $1,700 typical.
- Tankless runs about $1,750 to $3,950 installed, and more when it replaces a tank and needs a bigger gas line and new venting.
- Switching fuel is the expensive surprise: about $500 to $1,000 for gas to electric and $1,500 to $2,300 for electric to gas.
- Haul-away, an expansion tank and the permit are often extra. Ask for each by name.
How much does it cost to replace a water heater
Plumbers quote a water heater replacement as one installed price: the new unit, the labor to drain and disconnect the old one, set the new one, connect water and gas or power, vent it and test it. We combined five public cost guides for each type. The low is the middle of their lows, the high the middle of their highs, and the typical price the middle of their midpoints.
| Water heater | Installed | Typical | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas tank, 50 gal | $700 to $2,700 | $1,700 | Bob Vila, Today's Homeowner, HomeAdvisor |
| Electric tank, 50 gal | $600 to $3,500 | $2,050 | Bob Vila, Today's Homeowner, Fixr |
| Tankless | $1,750 to $3,950 | $2,850 | HomeAdvisor, Today's Homeowner, This Old House, Fixr |
| Heat pump (hybrid) | $1,200 to $3,500 | $2,350 | Bob Vila, Today's Homeowner, This Old House |
The electric tank range looks high next to gas because two of the guides include high-efficiency electric models in it. Fixr's figure for a plain electric tank is lower, $800 to $1,500, with $1,000 average. As whole jobs, Today's Homeowner says most people pay $882 to $1,807, about $1,327 on average, and This Old House puts a basic tank at about $1,200 with installation.
Water heater cost by tank size
Bigger tanks cost more to buy, and the biggest are harder to move into a basement or closet. HomeAdvisor and Today's Homeowner print the same size table, which the calculator uses to scale a tank's price against a 50 gallon one.
| Tank | Household | Installed (HomeAdvisor, Today's Homeowner) | Gas tank, typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 gal | 1 to 2 people | $700 to $2,100 | $1,442 |
| 40 gal | 2 to 3 people | $800 to $2,300 | $1,597 |
| 50 gal | 3 to 4 people | $800 to $2,500 | $1,700 |
| 75 gal | 5 or more | $1,100 to $4,000 | $2,627 |
| 80 gal | Large homes | $1,300 to $7,500 | $4,533 |
Size the tank by how many people shower in the morning rush, not by the size of the house. If you are running out of hot water today, the next size up or a tankless unit is the fix. If the house has emptied out, a smaller tank costs less to buy and to keep hot.
Check the space before you upsize. A 75 or 80 gallon tank is taller and wider than a 50, weighs far more when full, and may not fit through a closet door or under a stair. Gas tanks also need clearance for air and the vent. Your plumber will measure, but knowing the height and diameter of the old unit, printed on its label, helps you shop. Today's Homeowner's size table pairs 30 gallons with one or two people, 40 with two or three, and 50 with three or four.
Tank vs tankless vs heat pump
- Tank. The cheapest to buy and install, and the simplest to swap like for like. Today's Homeowner gives tanks a 6 to 15 year life. Some heat is always lost keeping the tank hot.
- Tankless. Heats water as it flows, so it never runs out and loses no standby heat. Today's Homeowner gives about 20 years. It costs more, and replacing a gas tank with gas tankless usually means a bigger gas line and new venting, which This Old House puts at $500 to $1,000 each.
- Heat pump (hybrid). An electric tank with a small heat pump on top that pulls heat from the air around it. It uses much less electricity than a plain electric tank but needs space and air around it, and it cools the room it is in.
Running cost matters as much as the install. Fixr puts a 50 gallon electric tank at about $60 a month to run against about $30 for gas. Bob Vila notes a tax credit of 30% of the project cost, up to $600, for gas water heaters rated Energy Star Most Efficient; credits and rebates change, so check what applies the year you buy.
The brand on the tank moves the unit price less than the type and size do. Bob Vila's unit-only ranges for common brands:
| Brand | Unit only (Bob Vila) |
|---|---|
| Kenmore | $350 to $1,000 |
| Whirlpool | $350 to $1,500 |
| Rheem | $400 to $2,300 |
| Bradford White | $400 to $3,000 |
| A. O. Smith | $400 to $3,500 |
The wide ranges span basic tanks to high-efficiency and commercial-grade models. Within a brand, compare the warranty length on the tank and the parts, since longer warranties usually come with the higher prices in the range.
Fuel switches, venting, permits and other costs
| Item | Typical price | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Gas to electric (new 240 V circuit) | $500 to $1,000 | Fixr, Bob Vila, Today's Homeowner |
| Electric to gas (gas line and venting) | $1,500 to $2,300 | This Old House |
| Tank to gas tankless (gas line and vent) | $1,000 to $2,000 | This Old House |
| Tank to electric tankless (electrical) | $300 to $800 | This Old House |
| Haul away the old unit | $100 to $400 | Bob Vila, This Old House |
| Expansion tank | $90 to $350 | HomeAdvisor, Today's Homeowner, This Old House |
| Permit | $25 to $300 | HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila, Today's Homeowner, This Old House |
| Power venting | $300 to $1,100 | Today's Homeowner, This Old House |
Each range combines the guides named. A gas connection can need its own permit: HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila put that at $50 to $300 more. This Old House adds $100 to $300 for freeze protection in a cold garage and $500 to $700 if the chimney needs a new liner.
A worked example: a 50 gallon gas tank
A family of four's 12-year-old gas water heater is leaking from the bottom. They want the same thing back: a 50 gallon gas tank, the old one hauled away, and a permit.
- Gas tank, installed. $700 / $1,700 / $2,700.
- Haul-away. $100 / $250 / $400.
- Permit. $25 / $163 / $300.
- Total. $825 to $3,400, with about $2,113 typical at the US average.
Switch the same job to tankless and the typical rises to about $4,763 with the gas line and venting work. Enter a ZIP in the calculator to scale the labor share to your state.
Location changes the bill more than most people expect. Bob Vila's city averages for a replacement, materials and labor, run from about $1,300 in Austin and Phoenix to $1,900 in Los Angeles and San Diego, with Chicago at $1,600, Dallas at $1,400, Philadelphia at $1,500 and New York City at $1,800. The calculator's ZIP adjustment works the same way, by scaling only the labor share of the price to your state's wages.
Signs it is time, and safety
Rust-colored hot water, rumbling or popping from the tank, water pooling at the base, or hot water that runs out sooner than it used to are the usual signs of a worn-out heater. A leak from the tank itself cannot be fixed. Replacing it before it fails lets you choose the unit and the day instead of paying for an emergency call with a flooded basement.
Not every problem means a new heater. HomeAdvisor puts a typical tank repair at $100 to $500, a tankless repair at $100 to $1,300, and a common fix like a faulty gas valve at $150 to $500. Thermostats, heating elements, anode rods, igniters and relief valves can all be replaced. A sensible way to decide: repair a young heater with a failed part, replace an old one, and always replace a tank that is leaking from the tank itself.
Maintenance stretches the life of whatever you have. Draining a few gallons from the bottom of a tank once a year flushes out sediment, and checking the anode rod every few years tells you whether the tank is still protected from rust. Tankless units in hard-water areas need descaling. This Old House notes some companies sell maintenance plans at $100 to $300 a year that cover a yearly visit.
How plumbers should price a water heater swap
- Quote the installed unit, then the extras. Like-for-like is one line. Code updates, venting, gas line work, expansion tanks, pans and haul-away each get their own.
- Offer good, better and best. A standard tank, a longer-warranty tank and a tankless or heat pump option on one estimate.
- Price access. An attic, a crawl space or a tight closet takes longer than a garage.
- Know your hourly cost. HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila put plumbers at $45 to $200 an hour. Our plumbing labor rate calculator shows what yours should be.
The "Save as an estimate" button above turns the result into lines. Send it from Koira and the customer can approve it and pay on their phone.
Last checked October 8, 2026. More for your trade: how plumbers run on Koira.