rough estimate hot water heater replacement

2,407 Views | 19 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by Willis
Shiner Bock
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AG
Live in OKC. 40gal gas heater in the garage, 7 years old, outside of 6 year warranty with a tank leak not repairable. A friend of a friend who's a plumber gave estimate $1000-1200 bucks, could replace today. Sound about right?
TexAg2001
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I have not paid someone to replace a water heater (have done it myself), but I imagine that sounds about right. The cost of the water heater alone is probably around $500 or higher depending on the manufacturer. Add other misc materials, labor and profit and $1,000 - $1,200 sounds about right.

If access to the water heater is easy, which it sounds like it is if it's in your garage and not in an attic, then replacing it is a pretty easy project for someone not afraid to mess with plumbing or gas and the replacement is comparable to the original and doesn't require much, if any, re-piping work.
jamesf
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I paid $1500 to replace mine a year ago (in Houston), so that sounds like a good price.
Shiner Bock
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thanks all. i dabble in some home maintenance, but gas lines is a pass for me, even if it's easy
Aggiewes
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I paid $1400 each to have 2 gas 50 gallon water heaters replaced a couple of summers ago. Sounds like you are in the right range.
txag2008
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Shiner Bock said:

thanks all. i dabble in some home maintenance, but gas lines is a pass for me, even if it's easy
There's a good chance your gas line looks something like this. It's typically just as easy as unscrewing the one end, applying pipe thread sealant, and reconnecting.

Dr. Venkman
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txag2008 said:

Shiner Bock said:

thanks all. i dabble in some home maintenance, but gas lines is a pass for me, even if it's easy
There's a good chance your gas line looks something like this. It's typically just as easy as unscrewing the one end, applying pipe thread sealant, and reconnecting.


Do not apply pipe thread sealant to flare fittings.
Whoop Delecto
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Picard
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Why are you heating hot water?

txag2008
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Valid point. I wasn't trying to give explicit instructions, just trying to show that it's not rocket science.
Shiner Bock
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Picard said:

Why are you heating hot water?


about as bad as my habitual misuse of could (couldn't) care less"
OldArmyBrent
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WhoopRAB said:

I've heard of plumbers installing a water heater without pulling a city permit. An inspector notices the old water heater by the curb. Homeowner gets a fine.

Not sure if there is any truth to that but I wouldn't leave the old one curbside for an extended period.



If anyone asks, I just decided to get rid of the old water heater. Didn't install a new one.
DriftwoodAg
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OldArmyBrent said:

WhoopRAB said:

I've heard of plumbers installing a water heater without pulling a city permit. An inspector notices the old water heater by the curb. Homeowner gets a fine.

Not sure if there is any truth to that but I wouldn't leave the old one curbside for an extended period.



If anyone asks, I just decided to get rid of the old water heater. Didn't install a new one.
put it in front of a neighbors house
jaggiemaggie
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Wait to put it out the afternoon before bulk trash pick up. Scrappers will pick it up
shihitemuslim
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The plumber will want to know where it is. If it is I the attic in the second floor it will cost more. Ours is the second floor attic and it was around $1800
Vernada
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Mine was $1800 but required loads of code upgrades.
Ikanizer
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You can buy a new one for <$600 at Home Depot. Installation should take a couple of hours. Anyone with a crescent wrench can do it. Those flexible gas fittings are very dependable.
Kenneth_2003
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Vernada said:

Mine was $1800 but required loads of code upgrades.
Not to derail... Unless an install/design was wrong or unsafe, I've never understood the idea that an appliance swap can trigger a giant and expensive update to bring this and that to modern code. Why aren't these things grandfathered to the code they were built to?
water turkey
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$1400 for 40 gallon in the attic, same day installation on a weekend
Vernada
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Kenneth_2003 said:

Vernada said:

Mine was $1800 but required loads of code upgrades.
Not to derail... Unless an install/design was wrong or unsafe, I've never understood the idea that an appliance swap can trigger a giant and expensive update to bring this and that to modern code. Why aren't these things grandfathered to the code they were built to?
City Inspectors gotta work too!

edit: I guess technically it is grandfathered in.... until it breaks and you pull a permit for the new one. ;-)
Willis
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I paid $1200 for a 50 gallon electric last October. I was planning to do it myself, but the lines were sweated on and I didn't feel comfortable attempting to sweat them off myself. When they installed the new one they put on threaded lines so when this one fails a decade or more from now I'll change it myself. Get in the habit of flushing the new one at least annually.
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