Water Heater Replacement in Falls Church, VA
The City of Falls Church is a few minutes from our Arlington office. It issues its own fuel-gas permit for a water heater replacement ($91.50 since July 1, 2026), and its water is Washington Aqueduct water at about 135 mg/L hardness. Falls Church mailing addresses outside the city (22041 to 22044) are Fairfax County, with Fairfax County's permit.
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- The water heaterBrand, model, fuel and size, so you can compare quotes like for like
- Drain, disconnect and remove the old unitLabor for the swap
- Haul-awayThe old heater leaves with us
- Thermal expansion tankWhere your water system needs one
- Relief valve discharge pipeRun down to just above the floor
- Drain panWhere a leak would damage the room
- Gas shutoff and sediment trapGas units only
- Vent connectorChecked and replaced if it is undersized or corroded
- Water connectionsShutoff valve and connectors
- Permit and inspectionWhere the job requires one
Lines your house does not need are left off, and each line that stays has its price beside it.
Falls Church at a glance: what affects your water heater
A city fuel-gas permit, hard Washington Aqueduct water, and houses that are mostly older than 1980.
- Permit
- City of Falls Church (ZIP 22046): a fuel-gas permit from Development Services, $91.50. Falls Church-addressed Fairfax County homes (22041, 22042, 22043, 22044) use Fairfax County's permit. See permits.Source: City of Falls Church, Permit Fees
- Water
- Fairfax Water, which bought the city's system in 2014, distributing Washington Aqueduct water from the Potomac. Hardness averaged about 135 mg/L across 2025 samples, "hard" on the USGS scale.Source: Fairfax Water, Washington Aqueduct service area analysis 2025; USGS hardness scale
- Gas and power
- Washington Gas; Dominion Energy Virginia.Source: City of Falls Church, New Resident Checklist
- Housing
- Median home built in 1971; 61% of homes built before 1980; 37% single-family detached; 53% owner-occupied; 51% heat with utility gas.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year (tables B25034, B25035, B25003, B25024, B25040)
- Historic district
- The Historic and Cultural Conservation District protects homes built in or before 1910 and certified properties; the Historic Architectural Review Board advises on exterior alterations.Source: City of Falls Church historic district
What that means for a replacement in Falls Church
Most Falls Church houses predate 1980, so the same checks apply as in Arlington: a gas water heater sharing a chimney with a furnace that has since been upgraded, relief valve piping that does not reach the floor, and no expansion tank where the water service has a pressure-reducing or check valve. Each is a line on the estimate when the house needs it.
Washington Aqueduct water at about 135 mg/L leaves sediment in tanks and scale in tankless heat exchangers, so draining and flushing matter.
Check which side of the city line you are on. Inside the city, the permit is the city's fuel-gas permit; with a Falls Church address in Fairfax County, it is the county's Household Appliance permit.
What a replacement includes
The heater, removal and haul-away of the old one, and whatever the house needs to run the new one safely and to code. Each numbered part is a numbered line on the estimate.
Where in Falls Church
The City of Falls Church (22046), including the Broad Street corridor, the West End, Winter Hill and Cherry Hill: about 4 miles and 11 minutes from our office without traffic. For Falls Church addresses in Fairfax County, see the Fairfax page.
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