Cost to Replace a Gas Water Heater – 2021

| Last Updated: August 23, 2021

National Average Improvement and Repair Cost

Pro

DIY

Hours:

5

6.5

Cost:

$ 720

$ 480

Would you do this project? According to our survey, 30% of respondents preferred DIY compared to hiring a pro.

The average price to Replace a Gas Water Heater noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself.

What’s the cost to replace a gas hot water heater? A plumber charges $720 to replace a gas hot water heater or do it yourself $480 and save 33 percent.

The behind-the-scene workhorse that keeps everyone happy in a household is the hot water heater, which supplies comfortable bathing, and clean dishes and clothes for everyone. When a gas-operated heater stops producing hot water, usually after a good service life of 10 years or more, a replacement unit is needed sooner, not later, to keep everyone happy and humming along.

A plumber will charge $720 to remove the old unit and replace it with a 40-gallon energy-efficient, gas, hot water heater. This includes the labor and material. If you have good plumbing and electric wiring skills and tools, you can make the swap for $480 and save more than half for your efforts.

Plan on spending a good six hours making the switch. But you’ll need to have your gas company or a licensed plumber make the final fuel connections. Check with your local building department to find out exactly what’s required.

No matter who makes the replacement, schedule in some time to clean and paint the area after the old tank is removed and before the new one is installed. Use a shop vacuum to clean out dust and dirt and give the walls and area a quick coat of paint if it’s needed.

The job involves disconnecting and removing the old unit and muscling it out of the house – no easy task when you have to get the brut through a narrow hallway or up a steep basement stairwell. In most cases, a plumber will remove the old unit, but if you do it yourself, you may have to pay your garbage service an extra fee to dispose of it.

Here’s Lowes instructions to Install a Gas Water Heater.

TIP: Once a year partially drain the tank to remove the sediment that builds up so the unit can work efficiently.

The bottom line: compare the price of a contractor’s bid to replace a gas hot water heater with what it costs to do it yourself and make your decision. 

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Welcome! We hope you’ll find the job costs of home improvement projects useful when you’re deciding whether to do a job yourself vs. hire a contractor. We’re the authors of 20 home improvement books, most notably Home Improvement for Dummies©, Bathroom Remodeling for Dummies©, Carpentry for Dummies©, Plumbing for Dummies©, and Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies©. Our most recent book Fix It and Flip It is in its second edition. We’ve appeared as home improvement experts on television programs such as CNN, Dateline, the Today Show, HGTV and many others.