Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN SOUTHCHASE
Southchase Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓SOUTHCHASE AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Southchase.
Southchase is unincorporated, so a water heater swap needs a $38 Orange County plumbing permit. This late-1980s and 1990s planned community off South Orange Blossom Trail and Wetherbee Road is one of the most owner-occupied, single-family places in south Orange County: nearly nine in ten homes are detached houses (Census estimates). Most replacements here are in 1990s garages.
Southchase is an unincorporated community in Orange County, so county offices handle permits.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · Orange County Division of Building Safety (unincorporated Orange County)
- Permit fee
- Stand-alone water heater permit: $38, from the Orange County Fee Directory (plumbing fees effective July 2025).
- Who gets the permit
- Either a licensed contractor or the homeowner. A homeowner acts as owner-builder under F.S. 489.103(7)(a) once they've filled out Orange County's Owner Builder Disclosure Statement (instructions are online).
- Electric utility
- Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)
- Gas utility
- Peoples Gas (TECO)
- Water
- Orange County Utilities, Southern Regional Water System (ozone treatment) · Not published by OCU; ozonated Floridan Aquifer groundwater
- Rebate worth checking
- Duke Energy Florida heat pump water heater rebate (Home Energy Improvement) (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1997 (median) · 82% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 2 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 Southchase averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Southchase
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeStand-alone water heater permit: $38, from the Orange County Fee Directory (plumbing fees effective July 2025).. Orange County Division of Building Safety (unincorporated Orange County) fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised priceNone of the local company websites we checked list a full installed price.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Southchase average is shown.
What can change the price in Southchase?
A swap may require an electrical permit as well, the county FAQ says, at $38 or more. Recording a Notice of Commencement is required for projects over $5,000.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Southchase?
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 →
All Pro Plumbing Services, Inc.
Lists Southchase among the areas it serves. Based in Heathrow.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback No water heater-specific praise was found in the sources checked.
Worth knowing Two Yelp reviewers raised water heater concerns: one said a hose repair was overpriced (2019) and another said a promised veteran discount on a water heater install was not given (2021); no company responses were visible.
2 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc.
Lists Southchase 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.
Order: companies based in Southchase 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 SOUTHCHASE
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN SOUTHCHASE
What Southchase homes are like.
1997Median year built
4%Built before 1980
82%Owner-occupied
5%Heat with utility gas
94%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1997. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
90% of homes heat with electricity, which usually means an electric water heater. It’s worth getting a price on a heat pump model too.
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 Southchase.
Detached 1990s houses, mostly owner-occupied
Census estimates put about 89% of Southchase's roughly 5,300 homes in detached houses, about 82% owner-occupied, with a typical build year in the late 1990s. Most tanks here have been replaced once already. The second swap is when worn shutoff valves, a missing expansion tank or a rusted drain pan tend to show up in the quote.
Ask: Does the quote include a new drain pan, shutoffs and a thermal expansion tank if the old ones are worn or missing?
Census Reporter – Southchase units-in-structure, tenure and year-built tables, ACS 2020–2024 ↗
Neighborhoods under one master association
Southchase is made up of several neighborhoods, including Arlington Park, Churchill Downs, The Downs and The Willows, under one master homeowners association with a clubhouse and pool. Outside changes, like a wall vent for a tankless heater, follow the association's rules, which differ from those in nearby Hunter's Creek or Meadow Woods.
Bex Realty – Southchase neighborhood overview (subdivisions and amenities) ↗
Ozone-treated water from the Southern Regional plant
Southchase is in Orange County Utilities' Southern Regional area. Its Floridan Aquifer wells feed a plant that uses ozone to break down hydrogen sulfide before adding chlorine. The system's 2025 tap testing showed copper at 0.60 ppm (90th percentile), higher than the Eastern system's 0.15 ppm but below the 1.3 ppm action level. It's a reminder to use proper dielectric or brass fittings where a new steel-tank heater meets copper pipes.
Orlando addresses, county permit
Southchase homes have Orlando mailing addresses, but no part of the community is in the City of Orlando, so the city's building department isn't involved. Southchase Lake and the nearby stormwater ponds drain to the Boggy Creek watershed, where the county has tested the 11-acre lake since 1991.
Wikipedia – Southchase, Florida (unincorporated CDP) ↗ · Orange County Water Atlas – Southchase Lake (Boggy Creek watershed) ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Southchase homes.
Energy
- Electric: Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) (Both serve unincorporated Orange County; we didn't confirm which serves Southchase, so check your bill)
- Gas: Peoples Gas (TECO) (Peoples Gas lists unincorporated Orange County; electric water heaters are far more common in Florida)
OUC petition to Florida PSC, Docket 20200107-EM (service area) ↗ · Florida PSC map: approximate investor-owned electric utility service areas (2024) ↗ · Peoples Gas tariff Sheet 6.101, counties and communities served ↗
Water
Orange County Utilities, Southern Regional Water System (ozone treatment): Not published by OCU; ozonated Floridan Aquifer groundwater
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Southchase homes.
For Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and Peoples Gas (TECO) customers in Southchase. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Duke Energy Florida heat pump water heater rebate (Home Energy Improvement) ↗Active$500 for a 50-gallon or $800 for an 80-gallon ENERGY STAR heat pump (hybrid) water heater with a UEF of at least 3.3.
- 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 Southchase.
Permits and who issues them
Per Orange County's permit FAQ, swapping a water heater calls for a plumbing permit and possibly an electrical permit too. You file the plumbing permit online in Fast Track. The work needs at least a final inspection.
State-licensed contractors can get permits here. Orange County also offers local competency cards for locally licensed trades; a first contractor or master certification costs $69.
Orange County Division of Building Safety (unincorporated Orange County) ↗ · Orange County: Do I need a permit? ↗ · Orange County: Plumbing Permit ↗ · Orange County Fee Directory (plumbing fees effective July 2025) ↗
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 Southchase.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunters Creek | 3 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida |
| Meadow Woods | 3 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Buenaventura Lakes | 4 mi | Required (county) | $25 | Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) |
| Pine Castle | 5 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Kissimmee | 6 mi | Required | — | Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) |
| Oak Ridge | 7 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Southchase water heater questions.
My Southchase address says Orlando. Does the city issue the permit?
No. Southchase is unincorporated even with an Orlando address, so Orange County's Division of Building Safety issues the $38 stand-alone water heater permit.
Wikipedia – Southchase, Florida (unincorporated CDP) ↗ · Orange County Fee Directory (PDF) ↗
Does my HOA need to approve a new water heater?
Replacing a heater in the same garage spot usually changes nothing visible. Switching to a tankless heater with a new wall vent or an outdoor unit is an outside change, so check the Southchase association's rules first.
Bex Realty – Southchase neighborhood overview (subdivisions and amenities) ↗
More guides: Florida water heater replacement · All local guides