Water Heater Replacement in Peppertree

Square footage is the wrong measure. A 2,000 square foot house with two people and one with five need different tanks. The right size comes from the household's busiest hour, which a tank's first-hour rating measures; for most households a 40 or 50 gallon tank fits, and a replacement of that size is estimated at $1,600 to $2,800 installed.

For a standard tank, estimated totals commonly run from about $1,600 to $2,800 including the unit, the permit, the seismic straps and removal of the old heater. More if the size, fuel or location changes, and considerably more for tankless. Your figure is the one on the written quote.

For a standard 40 to 50 gallon tank in the same spot, an estimated $1,600 to $2,800 is the fair range here, including the permit, two seismic straps and removal of the old tank. A larger tank, a change of fuel, a new location or venting that has to be redone all move it up, and tankless conversions are a different figure altogether, estimated at $4,500 to $7,500 locally. The fair price for your house is the one on a written quote after the heater has been seen, with every one of those items listed.

Something is taking up or bypassing the tank's capacity. The usual causes are a broken dip tube, which lets incoming cold water mix at the top of the tank; a failed lower element on an electric heater, which leaves only the top section heating; heavy sediment in the bottom of a gas tank; or a tank that is simply too small for the household. Check first that the hot side is the only problem and that the valve above the heater is fully open. Most of these are repairs in the estimated $150 to $450 range; an undersized tank is not.