And ballpark price for 40gal gas. I'm almost afraid to ask. Thanks.

do it yourself... its very easy... just drain the thing, undo the input line, detach the output, and voila'.... its done..roll it out to the curb...

install is reversing the above directions.

Where is it located? No way I would fight one in an attic. And I would want to be able to lean back on the plumber if it leaks.

Make sure you fill it before turning the power on if its electric.

Holmans plumbing

$1400-$1600

Ed Philips did mine about 4 or 5 years ago. It was a size increase from 40 to 50 gallons, and fixing some sub-standard work done when previous owners did a DIY install.

Don't remember the cost, but the guy they send out for the estimate had done work on the house when it was built in the 80s, and was able to tell me some stuff.

Also, I'm not sure, but I surmise that the fact that I was a previous/existing customer got me bumped up the list when a pipe let go during the Feb freeze.

For a routine job like that, I would go with whomever can show up first.

We had a water heater replaced a few years ago. Our go-to, Wilson Plumbing, was too busy to get to us quickly, but they recommended Orta Plumbing. We used them and were happy with the work.

Last one I bought for a rental was from Lowe's. Paid extra for installation. Lowe's guys always come through on jobs like that. They can pick it up at the store and take away the old one too.

ETA figure at least 300-400 including parts and trouble involved. Obviously, if it's simple.

studioone said:

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do it yourself... its very easy... just drain the thing, undo the input line, detach the output, and voila'.... its done..roll it out to the curb...

install is reversing the above directions.

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Done this four times in the 35 years of home ownership; twice in BCS. Last replacement was in CS, in the garage. Piece of cake.

Just got a quote from one of the larger plumbers in town for $1800. Wow

Orta did ours in 2014 for a little over $1,000. It's in the attic. Times have changed.

Yes they certainly have.

Will someone explain to me the reasoning behind putting the water heater in the attic? I've lived all over the U.S., and Texas is the only place I've ever seen that done. Everywhere else is either in the garage or utility room/closet. Once the utility room was also the laundry room, a pass through to the garage.

It's a stupid move for sure. I would never buy a house with that feature. Or I'd move it to a different location instant Unit ASAP.

I think it's to save space. I see it a lot in condos. But yeah it's going to increase labor costs considerably if you have one up there.

A Compass Plumbing. The guy is out of Brenham, but he comes over whenever somebody calls. No clue if things have started slowing down for him yet. I know after February he was having to turn away work into April.

https://acompassplumbing.com/

Langenator said:

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Will someone explain to me the reasoning behind putting the water heater in the attic? I've lived all over the U.S., and Texas is the only place I've ever seen that done. Everywhere else is either in the garage or utility room/closet. Once the utility room was also the laundry room, a pass through to the garage.

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Saves square footage in living area, easier distribution thanks to location, and it's very efficient in the heat of Texas summers.

I grew up in houses with attic water heaters and it was a common concern and major hassle to replace. If tankless is in the budget, I'd switch to that asap!

Just wanted to update this thread. I got estimates from local plumbing companies for $1800 and up. I'm not gonna say who the companies were. As someone suggested above, a neighbor with plumbing skills helped me replace the water heater for $600. Yeah that's $1200 less. Be mindful out there.