Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN ORLANDO
Orlando Water Heater
Replacement
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Replacing a water heater in Orlando.
Yes, inside Orlando city limits you need a permit from the city's Permitting Services Division. The 2026 residential plumbing/gas permit is $66.24 plus $7 per fixture and a 3% technology surcharge. OUC supplies both electricity and water to most of the city, and its Lower Floridan Aquifer water averages about 7 grains per gallon of hardness.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Orlando Permitting Services Division (Economic Development Department)
- Permit fee
- $66.24 plus $7 per fixture for a residential plumbing/gas permit, plus a 3% technology surcharge (residential fee schedule effective January 2026).
- Who gets the permit
- A Florida-licensed plumbing contractor, or the homeowner as an owner-builder under the Florida Statutes 489.103(7) exemption, for work on their own one- or two-family home that isn't for sale or rent.
- Electric utility
- Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)
- Gas utility
- Peoples Gas (TECO)
- Water
- Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) Water · about 129 ppm (7 gpg) average, per OUC's water FAQ (checked 2026); OUC's 2025 water quality report does not list hardness
- Rebate worth checking
- Peoples Gas residential water heating rebates (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1992 (median) · 40% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 12 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 Orlando averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Orlando
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$66.24 plus $7 per fixture for a residential plumbing/gas permit, plus a 3% technology surcharge (residential fee schedule effective January 2026).. City of Orlando Permitting Services Division (Economic Development Department) fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price2 of the companies listed for Orlando post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Brodway Plumbing, Osceola Air. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Orlando average is shown.
What can change the price in Orlando?
Orlando's residential fee schedule puts plumbing and gas under one permit type (PLM/GAS), so gas piping for a gas or tankless heater falls under it. Electrical work is billed separately. Work without a permit costs an extra 100% of the permit fee.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Orlando?
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 →
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Orlando
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Orlando.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback One Yelp reviewer (2019) praised on-time, knowledgeable help with a leaking water heater, and another said a relative's water heater install and a drain service went without issue.
Worth knowing Yelp reviewers alleged a promised refund after a Dec 2025 water heater job was still unpaid after 10 months, that a tankless unit said to need replacing was fixed by a reset, and that a water heater supply line left open during other work caused water damage; no company replies to these were visible.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Frank Gay Services
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Orlando.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback BBB reviewers praised water heater replacements finished within hours of the call, clean-up, and technicians who explained the equipment.
Worth knowing Two BBB complainants (2025, 2026) said Frank Gay had not obtained or closed out the county permit for a water heater install months later; the company said it was working on one and that the other customer declined access.
6 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Grace Plumbing
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Orlando.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback No water heater-specific praise was found in the sources checked.
Worth knowing A Yelp reviewer (Aug 2018) alleged the company quoted a $325 rebuild of an overheating water heater without inspecting it; the owner replied that the account was false and questioned whether the reviewer had called Grace.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
R.J. Kielty Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric (Orlando)
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Orlando.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback One BBB reviewer said the company responded quickly to install a water heater when theirs broke.
Worth knowing BBB reviewers alleged a hybrid water heater still under a 10-year warranty was replaced at their cost, an element repair failed to fix a heater that needed replacing, a different tank shape was installed than requested, and a short flush cost $300; the company said it refunded $478.62, $105 and $164.11 in three of those cases.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (Orlando)
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Orlando.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Brodway Plumbing
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Kissimmee.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
Published price: Installed prices (include permit, new unit, disposal, pan and expansion tank; existing unit must be on the ground in the garage): Rheem 50 gal Performance electric (6-yr) $1,649 ($1,399 + $250 permit); AO Smith 50 gal ProLine electric (8-yr) $1,749; Rheem 50 gal Professional Classic (10-yr) $1,849; Rheem 50 gal Gladiator (12-yr) $1,949; Rheem 50 gal Hybrid Heat Pump Performance Platinum (10-yr) $3,349; Rheem 80 gal commercial light duty electric $3,749. FAQ gives a general $1,500–$4,500+ range.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised prompt scheduling, fair pricing compared with other quotes, knowledgeable technicians who explained maintenance, and next-day repair of a malfunctioning new hybrid unit.
Worth knowing A BBB reviewer (Nov 2025) alleged they paid $300 for permitted work with no permit or inspection and that their water heater was never serviced; Brodway responded that it initially could not verify the reviewer, later said the customer had declined to pay until notified of lien rights, and disputed the claims.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised a same-day combined AC and hot water heater replacement at a lower bundled price and convenient water heater servicing.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
2 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc.
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Winter Springs.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback A BBB reviewer praised the technician who installed their hot water heater as providing excellent service.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Orlando
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Sanford.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Republished Google reviewers praised quick replacements with haul-away and clean-up, clear explanations and fair pricing, and after-hours response during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked; the accounts found were selected and republished by the company.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Brightwater Plumbing
Lists Orlando among the areas it serves. Based in Winter Garden.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Also listing Orlando: Cool Today - Cooling, Plumbing, Electrical (Orlando), Osceola Air.
Order: companies based in Orlando 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. DBPR license search (MyFloridaLicense) ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING ORLANDO
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN ORLANDO
What Orlando homes are like.
1992Median year built
33%Built before 1980
40%Owner-occupied
5%Heat with utility gas
41%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1992. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
92% of homes heat with electricity, which usually means an electric water heater. It’s worth getting a price on a heat pump model too.
Only 40% of homes are owner-occupied. Renters should ask the landlord or property manager; replacing the heater is usually the owner’s decision.
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 Orlando.
OUC water is from deep wells and moderately hard
OUC pumps from the Lower Floridan Aquifer and reports average hardness of 129 ppm (7 gpg). OUC stopped adding fluoride on July 1, 2025, under state law. Moderately hard water builds scale in tank heaters, so flushing once a year helps.
An emergency swap still needs a permit
Under Florida Building Code Sec. 105.2.1, if equipment has to be replaced in an emergency, you must submit the permit application by the next working business day.
Florida Building Code 2023, Building, Sec. 105.2.1 (UpCodes) ↗
Failed inspections cost $150
Orlando's 2026 residential schedule charges $150 to re-inspect after a failed inspection and $50 if you cancel an inspection with less than 24 hours' notice.
City of Orlando Permitting Development Fees - Residential (effective January 2026) ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Orlando homes.
Energy
- Electric: Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) (OUC's electric area covers the City of Orlando plus parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties (2020 PSC filing))
- Gas: Peoples Gas (TECO) (Peoples Gas lists Orlando as a community with a local operations center; most Florida homes use electric water heaters)
OUC petition to Florida PSC, Docket 20200107-EM (service area description) ↗ · Peoples Gas tariff Sheet 6.101, counties and communities served ↗
Water
Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) Water: about 129 ppm (7 gpg) average, per OUC's water FAQ (checked 2026); OUC's 2025 water quality report does not list hardness
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Orlando homes.
For Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and Peoples Gas (TECO) customers in Orlando. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Peoples Gas residential water heating rebates ↗ActiveNatural gas tank water heater: $350 gas-to-gas or $550 electric-to-gas ($400 / $650 for ENERGY STAR tanks).
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Florida rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Orlando.
Permits and who issues them
Replacing a water heater is plumbing work that needs a City of Orlando plumbing permit. The Florida Building Code's permit exemptions (Sec. 105.2) don't include water heaters, and an emergency replacement needs a permit application by the next business day. Apply on the city's online permit portal and pass the final inspection.
City of Orlando Permitting Services Division (Economic Development Department) ↗ · City of Orlando Permits & Inspections ↗ · City of Orlando Permitting Development Fees - Residential (effective January 2026) ↗ · Florida Building Code 2023, Building, Sec. 105.2 work exempt from permit (UpCodes) ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the DBPR license search (MyFloridaLicense) ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Florida licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Orlando.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Woods | 5 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Pine Castle | 8 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Conway | 8 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida, OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission) |
| Buenaventura Lakes | 8 mi | Required (county) | $25 | Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) |
| Southchase | 8 mi | Required (county) | $38, | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Alafaya | 9 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida, OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Orlando water heater questions.
How much is a water heater permit in Orlando?
The city's 2026 residential plumbing/gas permit is $66.24 plus $7 per fixture, plus a 3% technology surcharge. A failed inspection adds $150.
City of Orlando Permitting Development Fees - Residential (effective January 2026) ↗
Can I replace my own water heater in Orlando?
Yes, under Florida's owner-builder exemption, if it's your own one- or two-family home and you're not selling or renting it. You still need the permit and inspection. Otherwise, hire a Florida-licensed plumbing contractor.
How hard is Orlando's tap water?
Moderately hard. OUC reports average hardness of 129 ppm, about 7 grains per gallon.
More guides: Florida water heater replacement · All local guides