Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN FORT COLLINS
Fort Collins Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓FORT COLLINS AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Fort Collins.
In Fort Collins, a water heater replacement is a fast-track permit: $65 per heater, plus city tax on the job's value. Contractors need a Fort Collins license; the Gas Piping trade license covers simple swaps that don't change the venting or water pipes. The city-owned Fort Collins Utilities supplies electricity and water.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Fort Collins Building Services
- Permit fee
- $65 building permit fee per water heater, plus city sales and use tax on the job's value (materials and labor)
- Who gets the permit
- A contractor licensed by the City of Fort Collins, or a homeowner doing their own work who turns in a Homeowner Affidavit. The city's licensing page allows a few exceptions for work on a single-family home the owner lives in.
- Electric utility
- Fort Collins Utilities
- Gas utility
- Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy
- Water
- Fort Collins Utilities (some areas are served by districts such as Fort Collins-Loveland Water District or ELCO)
- Rebate worth checking
- Efficiency Works – Heat Pump Water Heater Rebate (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1992 (median) · 52% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 5 that advertise water heater work
01 / TYPICAL PRICES
What a new water heater costs.
Know before you call.
Heat-pump tank
$2,500–$5,000Typical cost, including installation
Tankless
$2,400–$5,400Typical cost, including installation
AI equipment illustrations; models vary and images are not to scale. Typical national prices from Home Depot ↗, checked September 28, 2026. The source doesn’t say how many jobs the ranges are based on. These are not Fort Collins averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Fort Collins
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$65 building permit fee per water heater, plus city sales and use tax on the job's value (materials and labor). City of Fort Collins Building Services fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price1 of the companies listed for Fort Collins post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Plumbline Services Northern Colorado. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Fort Collins average is shown.
What can change the price in Fort Collins?
The Gas Piping license doesn't cover jobs that change the water pipes or venting. Those replacements need a contractor licensed for that bigger work.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Fort Collins?
Companies that advertise water heater replacement here, with what their water heater customers say.
Companies we found in our research. They are not Ember & Tank providers or partners. We show selected reviews, not a rating or every review. How we choose reviews →
Ace Hi Plumbing, Heating & Air
Lists Fort Collins among the areas it serves. Based in Loveland, CO area (no street address found on pages checked).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised professional, knowledgeable service on a tankless water heater and a prompt, reasonably priced water heater installation.
Worth knowing A 2019 Yelp reviewer said a water heater had an issue after Ace Hi removed and reinstalled it, that Ace Hi blamed an outlet an electrician found fine, and that the invoice could not be located; the owner replied on Yelp apologizing and describing a no-charge emergency visit.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Front Range Water Heater and Excavation
Lists Fort Collins among the areas it serves. Based in 1330 S Cleveland Avenue, Loveland, CO 80537.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised fast turnaround, reasonable quotes with no surprise costs, and a difficult replacement done with safer piping.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Plumbline Services Northern Colorado
Lists Fort Collins among the areas it serves. Based in 395 W 67th St, Loveland, CO 80538.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: $49 service fee for water heater repair, waived if customer chooses Plumbline to do the repair —
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback A Fort Collins customer praised quick arrival in cold weather and clear communication about water heater recommendations.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Jenny's Plumbing & Heating
Lists Fort Collins among the areas it serves. Based in Northern Colorado (site targets Fort Collins; no street address found on site — third-party listings show 406 S Lincoln St, Loveland, CO 80537).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Loveland Plumbing, LLC
Lists Fort Collins among the areas it serves. Based in 4358 Red Fox Court, Loveland, CO 80537.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Order: companies based in Fort Collins first, then companies whose water heater reviews we’ve read. Each group is alphabetical. These businesses are not our employees or vetted partners and do not receive requests from Ember & Tank. We haven’t checked their license, insurance or quality of work. Colorado DORA license lookup ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING FORT COLLINS
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN FORT COLLINS
What Fort Collins homes are like.
1992Median year built
31%Built before 1980
52%Owner-occupied
66%Heat with utility gas
60%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1992. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
66% of homes heat with utility gas, so gas water heaters with existing venting are common here.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2024 5-year ↗ (2020-2024). Heating fuel is what homes use to heat the house. It often, but not always, matches the water heater’s fuel.
LOCAL CONDITIONS
What’s different in Fort Collins.
New building codes from April 1, 2026
Fort Collins' building permits page says new building codes started April 1, 2026.
City of Fort Collins – Building Services: Building Permits ↗
Which license covers a swap
Fort Collins' Gas Piping trade license only covers a water heater replacement that doesn't change the water pipes or the vent. If the swap changes either one, the contractor needs a license for that work.
Efficiency Works rebates
Fort Collins Utilities electric customers can get Efficiency Works heat pump water heater rebates of up to $600 (replacing an electric heater) or $400 (replacing gas), plus up to $500 for a service panel upgrade done with a heat pump install (January 2026 amounts).
Efficiency Works – Retail products electric rebates (revised January 2026) ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Fort Collins homes.
Energy
- Electric: Fort Collins Utilities (Owned by the city)
- Gas: Xcel Energy (Inside city limits (county provider list, 2017))
- Gas: Black Hills Energy (Some Fort Collins customers outside city limits)
City of Fort Collins – Utilities (electric, water, wastewater, stormwater) ↗ · Larimer County – Utility service providers list (2017) ↗ · Black Hills Energy Colorado gas tariff – Territories Served (Fort Collins: customers outside city limits) ↗
Water
Fort Collins Utilities (some areas are served by districts such as Fort Collins-Loveland Water District or ELCO)
City of Fort Collins – Water Quality (2025 Water Quality Report) ↗ · Larimer County – Utility service providers list (2017) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Fort Collins homes.
For Fort Collins Utilities, Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy customers in Fort Collins. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Efficiency Works – Heat Pump Water Heater Rebate ↗ActiveUp to $600 for an ENERGY STAR heat pump water heater replacing an electric (or propane) water heater, or up to $400 when replacing a natural gas water heater (2026 rates).
- Efficiency Works – Service Panel Upgrade ↗Active$500 toward a service panel upgrade or circuit-sharing device needed to add electrification equipment such as a heat pump water heater.
- Xcel Energy heat pump water heater rebate ↗Active$750 for an Xcel customer who installs a qualifying heat pump water heater.
- Colorado heat pump tax credit ↗Active for 2026 installs$250 credit for an ENERGY STAR heat pump water heater installed in 2026, claimed by a state-registered contractor, who must pass at least $83 to you as an invoice discount.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Colorado rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Fort Collins.
Permits and who issues them
Fort Collins treats a water heater replacement as a fast-track permit with no full plan review. Email a Heating and Cooling Permit Application to buildingservices@fortcollins.gov, plus a Homeowner Affidavit if you're doing the work yourself. You can also handle permits and inspections on the city's Accela Citizen Access portal.
Yes. Every contractor working in Fort Collins needs a city license. The Gas Piping trade license covers replacing a water heater when the job doesn't change the water pipes or the vent. A new license is $300 and renewal is $225, and the ICC G33 Master Gas Pipe Fitter exam is required.
City of Fort Collins Building Services ↗ · City of Fort Collins – Building Permits (fast-track permits: water heater) ↗ · City of Fort Collins – Building Services: Building Permits ↗ · City of Fort Collins – Contractor Licensing ↗ · City of Fort Collins – Building Permit Process ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the Colorado DORA license lookup ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Colorado licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Fort Collins.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loveland | 9 mi | Required | — | Loveland Water and Power |
| Windsor | 9 mi | Check with city | Windsor charges SAFEbuil | Xcel Energy, Poudre Valley REA |
| Wellington | 11 mi | Required | $75 | Poudre Valley REA, Xcel Energy |
| Johnstown | 19 mi | Required | By job value (from $23.50) | Xcel Energy, United Power, Poudre Valley REA |
| Berthoud | 19 mi | Required | $150 | Xcel Energy, Poudre Valley REA |
| Longmont | 26 mi | Required | $40 | Longmont Power & Communications (LPC) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Fort Collins water heater questions.
How much is a water heater permit in Fort Collins?
$65 per water heater, plus sales and use tax on the job's value (materials and labor).
City of Fort Collins – Building Permits (fast-track permits: water heater) ↗
Can I do it myself?
Yes. If you do your own work, include a Homeowner Affidavit with the Heating and Cooling Permit Application.
City of Fort Collins – Building Permits (fast-track permits: water heater) ↗
What license does my installer need?
A City of Fort Collins contractor license. The Gas Piping trade license covers a water heater replacement when the job doesn't change the water pipes or the vent.
More guides: Colorado water heater replacement · All local guides