Water Heater Replacement in Washington, D.C.
Rowhouses, condos and detached homes in all eight wards, about 5 miles from our Arlington office. Every water heater replacement in D.C., gas or electric, needs a Department of Buildings permit, and only a licensed D.C. master tradesperson can apply for it. D.C. water is hard (139 mg/L on average in 2025). We price the heater, the permit and the install on one free, itemized estimate.
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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.
D.C. at a glance: what affects your water heater
A DOB permit on every replacement, hard Potomac water, and the oldest houses in the region.
- Permit
- Required for gas and electric water heaters. See D.C. permits.Source: D.C. Building Code 2017, section 105
- Water
- DC Water delivers Potomac water treated by the Washington Aqueduct. Hardness averaged 139 mg/L (8 grains per gallon) in 2025, hard on the USGS scale.Source: DC Water 2026 Water Quality Report (2025 data); USGS hardness scale
- Gas
- Washington Gas.Source: Washington Gas service territory
- Housing
- Median home built in 1958; 22% rowhouses and townhouses and 11% detached houses; 42% owner-occupied; 48% heat with utility gas.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year (tables B25034, B25035, B25003, B25024, B25040)
- Where the work is
- Water heater permits in 2025 came most often from ZIP codes 20003, 20002, 20011, 20001 and 20019, the rowhouse neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Near Northeast, Petworth, Shaw and east of the river.Source: D.C. Building Permits in 2025 (DOB, Open Data DC)
What that means for a replacement in D.C.
Many rowhouses keep the water heater in a basement or a closet with tight access, and older gas units often vent into a chimney shared with the furnace. We look at the access, the vent and the gas line before we price the job, and a liner or vent change is its own line.
In a historic district, a new vent on a street-facing wall can need historic-preservation review; our HPRB guide explains what needs approval.
In a condo or co-op, the building's rules on access, water shutoff and exterior vents apply, so tell us the building when you call.
D.C. runs its own heat pump water heater rebates through the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, larger when the heat pump replaces gas. Amounts and conditions are in our 2026 guide.
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 D.C.
All eight wards, including Capitol Hill, Petworth, Brookland, Columbia Heights, Shaw, Georgetown, Chevy Chase, Tenleytown, Anacostia and Congress Heights.
Other areas we install in
Water heater questions from D.C. homeowners
Get an itemized water heater estimate
Tell us what you have now and what you want next. The estimate is free and itemized.
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Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church and Loudoun