Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN ST. PETERSBURG
St. Petersburg Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓ST. PETERSBURG AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in St. Petersburg.
Yes, St. Petersburg requires a permit, and it's a $65 flat fee to change out a water heater in a single-family home, tank or tankless. Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity. City water, bought from Tampa Bay Water, tested at 158 mg/L hardness in the 2025 report.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of St. Petersburg Construction Services & Permitting
- Permit fee
- $65 for a single-family hot water heater changeout permit, tank or tankless (City Code Sec. 12-6, last amended Dec. 4, 2025).
- Who gets the permit
- The city suggests hiring a licensed contractor and links to the Pinellas County license search to check one. Homeowners can file permits for their own repairs at the Municipal Services Center.
- Electric utility
- Duke Energy Florida
- Gas utility
- Peoples Gas
- Water
- City of St. Petersburg Water Resources (water bought from Tampa Bay Water) · 158 mg/L (about 9 gpg), 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report
- Rebate worth checking
- Duke Energy Florida heat pump water heater rebate (Home Energy Improvement) (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1969 (median) · 63% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 8 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 St. Petersburg averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in St. Petersburg
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$65 for a single-family hot water heater changeout permit, tank or tankless (City Code Sec. 12-6, last amended Dec. 4, 2025).. City of St. Petersburg Construction Services & Permitting fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price3 of the companies listed for St. Petersburg post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Apex Plumbing, EVERYDAYPLUMBER.com, The Clean Plumbers. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no St. Petersburg average is shown.
What can change the price in St. Petersburg?
The permit list has separate changeout types for heaters with electric work, with gas work, and tankless heaters with plumbing, gas and electric work. A solar water heater is a separate $200 flat-fee permit.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in St. Petersburg?
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 →
Apex Plumbing
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Clearwater.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Tankless Water Heater Special: "Endless Hot Water As Low As $33/Month" (financing-style offer, terms apply, expires September 30, 2026). No installed prices published.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised quick response (one crew arrived within an hour), fair quotes compared with other companies, same-day replacement and clean, efficient work.
Worth knowing One Yelp reviewer (Jun 2022) said a 40-gallon water heater install quoted at $1700 became $2100; the owner replied he could not find the customer's name in his records and invited contact, and another reviewer (2025) said there were issues with an install that a manager then made right.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Cool Today - Cooling, Plumbing, Electrical (Tampa)
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Tampa.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback BBB reviewers praised quick response to a water heater problem, polite technicians and fast, clean water heater installation.
Worth knowing A Pinellas County customer complained to BBB (2024) that a 2023 water heater install lacked the required permit; after the complaint the company pulled the permit and the customer reported a passed final inspection.
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
DAM Plumbing and Drain
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Oldsmar.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised same-day response restoring hot water from a tankless heater, clean on-time installation and follow-up after a tankless replacement.
Worth knowing A Yelp reviewer (Sep 2026) said a tankless water heater installed by the company did not hold a consistent temperature, the plumber argued with them, and their working old unit was thrown away; the owner replied that the new heater was customer-supplied, that old equipment is disposed of unless customers ask otherwise, and that he had tried daily to reach the customer.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
EVERYDAYPLUMBER.com
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Tampa.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Coupon: $100 OFF Water Heater (residential service; cannot be combined; limited-time). No installed prices published.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised quick arrival (one within 45 minutes), accommodating evening appointments, tidy technicians and no-pressure water heater replacements.
Worth knowing Yelp reviewers alleged a 2015 technician pushed a $1400 water heater replacement then charged $150 for a temporary pipe boot, a 2019 visit charged about $160 without fixing a no-hot-water issue and a manager didn't call back, and a 2026 reviewer said pricing was only given once the tech was in the home; no company replies to these were visible.
6 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
IERNA'S Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Lutz.
- 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 2025) alleged a water heater installed for a family member had an undrained, improperly routed pressure relief line and that a promised manager callback did not come; an earlier manager reply on the same review promised outreach.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
McGill Plumbing & Water Treatment, Inc.
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Largo.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Angi reviewers praised same-day or next-day water heater replacements, fair prices compared with other quotes, tidy crews and a plumber who found a leaking pipe rather than replacing the tank.
Worth knowing An Angi reviewer (Dec 2022) said a five-year-old water heater McGill installed had to be replaced and they were charged $145 an hour to install the warranty unit; another (Aug 2017) said a gas on-demand heater needed several return visits.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Performance Air Conditioning, Electric & Plumbing
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Clearwater.
- 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 BBB reviewer (May 2025) said that after a late arrival and a $240 diagnostic deposit on an $870 quote to install a customer-supplied hot water heater, the company did not return calls to schedule the job; the company apologized and said it had escalated the matter.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
The Clean Plumbers
Lists St. Petersburg among the areas it serves. Based in Tampa.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Promotions: 5% off any water heater (tank, tankless, hybrid and lifetime); $250 off a water quality (filtration or softener) and water heater combo; waived service call fee for water heater estimates. Restrictions apply.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback BBB reviewers praised a leaking water heater fixed within hours of an after-hours call and a technician who tested every faucet after installing a new heater.
Worth knowing A BBB complainant (Nov 2024) said a water heater the company installed failed after about three years and the company pushed a costly replacement; the company said its labor warranty is one year and the manufacturer's six years, and the customer disputed its details.
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Order: companies based in St. Petersburg 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 ST. PETERSBURG
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN ST. PETERSBURG
What St. Petersburg homes are like.
1969Median year built
70%Built before 1980
63%Owner-occupied
6%Heat with utility gas
59%Single-family homes
About 70% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
91% 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 St. Petersburg.
The HB 803 exemption leaves out plumbing
St. Petersburg's permit page says the new single-family exemption only applies outside flood hazard areas and doesn't cover mechanical, electrical, plumbing or gas work. So a water heater changeout still needs a permit.
Flood-zone homes
The city tells flood-zone homeowners to check which storm repairs need permits, and suggests raising electrical outlets and HVAC equipment when rebuilding.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies St. Petersburg homes.
Energy
- Electric: Duke Energy Florida (Pinellas County's economic development office lists Duke Energy as the main power company; Oldsmar is on Tampa Electric)
- Gas: Peoples Gas (Peoples Gas lists a St. Petersburg service area; depending on the street, gas may not be available)
Pinellas County Economic Development – Utilities ↗ · Peoples Gas – St. Petersburg service area page ↗
Water
City of St. Petersburg Water Resources (water bought from Tampa Bay Water): 158 mg/L (about 9 gpg), 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report
St. Petersburg – Drinking Water ↗ · St. Petersburg 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report (PDF) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for St. Petersburg homes.
For Duke Energy Florida and Peoples Gas customers in St. Petersburg. 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 29, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Florida rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in St. Petersburg.
Permits and who issues them
St. Petersburg's fee code lists single-family 'hot water heater unit changeout' permits for tank and tankless heaters, with or without electric, gas and plumbing work. The city's HB 803 notice says plumbing, electrical, mechanical and gas work aren't exempt. Homeowners can file at the Municipal Services Center, One 4th St. N., Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
To check a contractor's local license, the city sends residents to the Pinellas County Licensing Board search.
City of St. Petersburg Construction Services & Permitting ↗ · St. Petersburg – Building Permits ↗ · St. Petersburg City Code Sec. 12-6 Fee schedule (Municode) ↗ · St. Petersburg – Fees ↗
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 St. Petersburg.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfport | 4 mi | Check with city | $109 | Duke Energy Florida |
| Lealman | 5 mi | Required (county) | — | Duke Energy Florida |
| West Lealman | 7 mi | Required (county) | — | Duke Energy Florida |
| Pinellas Park | 8 mi | Required | $75 | Duke Energy Florida |
| Bardmoor | 9 mi | Required (county) | — | Duke Energy Florida |
| Seminole | 10 mi | Check with city | By job value (from $50) | Duke Energy Florida |
COMMON QUESTIONS
St. Petersburg water heater questions.
How much is a water heater permit in St. Petersburg?
$65 for a single-family hot water heater changeout permit, tank or tankless, under City Code Sec. 12-6.
Does the new $7,500 permit exemption apply to a water heater?
No. The city says the exemption doesn't cover plumbing, electrical, mechanical or gas work.
How hard is St. Petersburg's water?
Moderately hard. The 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report lists 158 mg/L, about 9 grains per gallon.
More guides: Florida water heater replacement · All local guides