Three heater types and what each one changes
A like-for-like tank swap reuses the existing vent, gas line or outlet. A power-vent unit needs an electrical outlet for its fan, and a tankless unit often needs a larger gas line or a new circuit, which is where the price climbs.
A heat pump heater is the fourth type, and JEA, OUC and Duke Energy Florida each print a rebate for one.
A new water heater in Florida, priced by type
A standard tank swap runs $800 to $1,850 installed, standard tank heater, a power-vent tank $1,275 to $2,375 installed, power-vent tank, and tankless $1,200 to $3,150 installed, tankless. Each includes a typical Florida heater permit of $117 and is an estimate, not a quote. The standard row is widened to take in the prices two Florida companies publish.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, standard tank swap, not a quote | $800 to $1,850 installed, standard tank heater | A like-for-like tank heater swap on the existing vent, gas line and outlet. Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida plumber wage ratio (0.78) plus a typical permit fee ($117), then widened to take in the lowest and highest of the two Florida company prices for this job ($1,250 to $1,850). Four Florida plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: small sample (2), national estimate joined with the company range. |
| Estimated range, power-vent tank, not a quote | $1,275 to $2,375 installed, power-vent tank | A power-vent gas tank, which needs an outlet, a fan and a new vent run. A new chimney liner is quoted separately and is not in this row. Built from 5 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida plumber wage ratio (0.78) plus a typical permit fee ($117). Four Florida plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range, tankless conversion, not a quote | $1,200 to $3,150 installed, tankless | A tankless unit in place of the tank, with the venting, gas line and electrical work it usually needs. Built from 3 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida plumber wage ratio (0.78) plus a typical permit fee ($117). Four Florida plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Plumber wage, Florida mean | $26.94 an hour | BLS May 2025 mean hourly pay of a Florida plumber; the installer sets the rate on your bill. |
| Florida water heater permit, middle of city totals | $117 | Middle of the water heater permit totals on 10 Florida schedules; your city's own schedule sets the fee. |
Estimated ranges, one row per scope. Built from national published ranges (8 sources in all, 2 to 5 per row), adjusted by Florida's plumber wage ratio to the US (0.78, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. Four Florida plumbing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Keep repairing, or buy a new tank?
A tank leaking from its body is finished. For other faults, price the repair beside a replacement before deciding, and use the repair-or-replace tool.
- Water drips from a fitting or the relief valve.
- One part has failed and the tank is sound.
- Water leaks from the tank body.
- Repairs now approach the price of a new heater.
Heater permit charges in Florida cities
Jacksonville counts a hot water tank as one $11.00 fixture and sets a $60.00 minimum for any plumbing permit. Coral Springs lists $154.00 for a domestic water heater, Cape Coral's miscellaneous plumbing permit is $140.00, and Hernando County, which covers Spring Hill, prints $115.00 for residential plumbing.
St. Petersburg's 2017 schedule, which the city still links, prints $65.00 beside a list of hot water heater changeouts, so ask the department whether that amount still applies to yours. Tampa's one- and two-family plumbing permit is $120.00 on a schedule updated in 2023, and the 2.5 percent Florida Building Permit Surcharge (minimum $4.00) is not in that figure.
Who installs a heater here, and who files for the permit
A company that installs the heater for pay needs a DBPR certificate or registration (489.113(2)). An owner who pulls it personally under 489.103(7) must supervise the work, sign the statutory disclosure statement and can lose the permit if the terms are broken.
Gainesville's FAQ warns that a homeowner who pulls a permit becomes liable for all work done under it.
Heater faults to call about today
- The tank is leaking and shutting the cold supply does not stop it.
- You smell gas at the heater: get out and call 911 from outside.
- The ceiling under the heater is sagging, or water is near the panel.
- No hot water but a dry floor, while you compare prices.
- A heater that works but is near the age you planned to replace it.
Before you compare heater prices
- Copy the fuel, tank size and vent type from the data label so every company prices the same unit.
- Ask each company whether its price includes the permit, hauling the old tank and a new relief valve.
- Decide whether you want a like-for-like tank, because the other types change the vent, gas or electric work.
- Check whether your electric utility prints a heat pump water heater rebate before you buy.
The permit for a heater swap in Florida
Florida's permit statute puts the permit with the city or county building department, and the department posts its permit types online (553.79(1)(b)). Orlando's plumbing application lists repair/replace among its work types and asks for the contractor's license number.
Across 10 Florida fee schedules, the middle water heater permit total comes to $117. The exemption for work under $7,500 on a single-family home excludes plumbing and does not apply.
Before any work starts, ask for the company's plumbing contractor license number and search it on DBPR's license search.
Questions people ask
Does replacing a water heater need a permit in Florida?
City schedules list heater permits; yours sets the fee. Jacksonville, St. Petersburg and Coral Springs each print a water heater charge. The building department for your address confirms what it needs.
What does a new water heater cost in Florida?
$800 to $1,850 installed, standard tank heater for a tank, as a model figure. On the same model a power-vent tank comes to $1,275 to $2,375 installed, power-vent tank and a tankless unit to $1,200 to $3,150 installed, tankless, all of them estimates.
Is there a rebate for a heat pump water heater?
JEA, OUC and Duke Energy Florida print them. JEA prints $350 for heat pump heaters of 50 gallons or less for its electric customers, with applications by October 10, 2027, and OUC prints $500. Duke Energy Florida's June 2025 release says up to $800. Each amount is as the utility printed it.
Can I install my own water heater?
On a one- or two-family home you occupy, the owner-builder rule applies. Section 489.103(7) requires the owner to supervise onsite, sign the permit application and the disclosure statement, and not hand supervision to anyone without a certificate or registration.
Can I cancel a contract signed at my door?
A home solicitation sale can be cancelled until midnight of the third business day. Section 501.031 requires that notice in the agreement. Business days exclude Sundays and federal holidays (501.021).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (SOC 47-2152), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- PlumberMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 553.79 (2025), Permits; applications; issuance; inspections Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 553.79(1)(g) (2026) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Orlando: Plumbing/Gas Permit Application Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Peoples Gas: If You Smell Gas; Florida City Gas: Safety Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 501.031 (2025), Buyer's right to cancel; 501.021 definitions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- JEA, OUC, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric rebate pages Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Jacksonville.gov: City Fees (Sec. 320.409) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Coral Springs: Fee Schedule and User Fees Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Cape Coral: Miscellaneous Permit Fee Schedule Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Hernando County: Building Fee Resolution 2026-037 and schedule Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of St. Petersburg: Permitting Fee Schedule (PDF) Read Oct 24, 2026. Check this with the source itself before you rely on it.
- City of Tampa: Trade Permit Fee Schedule Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 489.127 (2025), Prohibitions; penalties Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Fla. Stat. 489.103 (2025), Exemptions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Gainesville: Building Common Questions Read Oct 24, 2026.