Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN TARPON SPRINGS
Tarpon Springs Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓TARPON SPRINGS AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Tarpon Springs.
Yes, Tarpon Springs requires a city permit to replace a water heater; its exemption list doesn't include plumbing. It's a $75 small-job permit for one home inspection trip, according to the city's 2023-dated guide. Duke Energy supplies power, and the city makes most of its drinking water at its own reverse-osmosis plant.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Tarpon Springs Building Development Department
- Permit fee
- $75 for a residential small-job permit with one inspection trip ($90 for two). The 1.5% and 1% state surcharges ($2 minimum each) and a $1 technology fee on $500 to $5,000 jobs are added. This is from the city's Informational Guide, a March 2023 file that cites the 2020 Florida Building Code, so it may be out of date.
- Who gets the permit
- A licensed contractor, or an owner acting as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home they live in and aren't selling or renting out, with the city's Disclosure Statement. The application needs notarized signatures from the owner and the contractor.
- Electric utility
- Duke Energy Florida
- Gas utility
- Peoples Gas
- Water
- City of Tarpon Springs (Reverse Osmosis Water Facility treating brackish groundwater; supplemented with Pinellas County water on a limited, as-needed basis)
- Rebate worth checking
- Duke Energy Florida heat pump water heater rebate (Home Energy Improvement) (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1984 (median) · 81% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 7 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 Tarpon Springs averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Tarpon Springs
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$75 for a residential small-job permit with one inspection trip ($90 for two). The 1.5% and 1% state surcharges ($2 minimum each) and a $1 technology fee on $500 to $5,000 jobs are added. This is from the city's Informational Guide, a March 2023 file that cites the 2020 Florida Building Code, so it may be out of date.. City of Tarpon Springs Building Development Department fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price2 of the companies listed for Tarpon Springs post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Apex Plumbing, The Clean Plumbers. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Tarpon Springs average is shown.
What can change the price in Tarpon Springs?
The guide doesn't mention water heaters by name. Gas jobs also use the small-job fee, and flood-zone rules apply to plumbing and mechanical equipment below base flood elevation.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Tarpon Springs?
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 Tarpon Springs 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.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Tampa
Lists Tarpon Springs among the areas it serves. Based in Tampa.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised technicians as professional, hardworking and personable, and one described a smooth replacement of an 11-year-old tank.
Worth knowing Several Yelp reviewers said water heater replacement prices were excessive (one cited $4000, another $5670 for a tankless unit with no itemized bill provided after four requests); the company publicly offered a service manager contact in one 2018 case.
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
IERNA'S Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
Lists Tarpon Springs 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 Tarpon Springs 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 Tarpon Springs 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.
R.J. Kielty Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric
Lists Tarpon Springs among the areas it serves. Based in New Port Richey.
- 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.
The Clean Plumbers
Lists Tarpon Springs 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 Tarpon Springs 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) ↗.
See before-and-after replacement examples from independent companies →
HOMES IN TARPON SPRINGS
What Tarpon Springs homes are like.
1984Median year built
40%Built before 1980
81%Owner-occupied
4%Heat with utility gas
67%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1984. 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 Tarpon Springs.
Raising equipment in flood zones
The city's guide has separate rules for electrical, plumbing and mechanical equipment that sits below the Base Flood Elevation. They can apply to water heaters in flood-prone homes.
City of Tarpon Springs Building Development Informational Guide (file dated March 2023) ↗
City reverse-osmosis water
Tarpon Springs makes most of its own drinking water by reverse osmosis at a city plant and buys Pinellas County water only when needed. The latest posted report (2024) doesn't list hardness.
City of Tarpon Springs 2024 Consumer Confidence Annual Report ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Tarpon Springs homes.
Energy
- Electric: Duke Energy Florida (Duke serves Pinellas County, but service wasn't checked for individual Tarpon Springs addresses)
- Gas: Peoples Gas (Check your address with the ZIP code tool)
Duke Energy Florida service territory map ↗ · Peoples Gas: St. Petersburg appliance & sales providers ↗ · Peoples Gas ZIP Code Check ↗
Water
City of Tarpon Springs (Reverse Osmosis Water Facility treating brackish groundwater; supplemented with Pinellas County water on a limited, as-needed basis)
City of Tarpon Springs 2024 Consumer Confidence Annual Report ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Tarpon Springs homes.
For Duke Energy Florida and Peoples Gas customers in Tarpon Springs. 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 Tarpon Springs.
Permits and who issues them
The city's permit exemptions (Code Sec. 6-4.2) don't list any plumbing or water heater work, so a replacement needs a city permit. Small one-trade plumbing jobs with no plan review are billed as "small scope" (small-job) permits, priced by the number of inspection trips.
City of Tarpon Springs Building Development Department ↗ · City of Tarpon Springs Building Development Informational Guide (file dated March 2023) ↗
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 Tarpon Springs.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday | 3 mi | Required (county) | $45 | Duke Energy Florida |
| Palm Harbor | 5 mi | Required (county) | — | Duke Energy Florida |
| Elfers | 6 mi | Required (county) | $45 | Duke Energy Florida |
| East Lake | 6 mi | Required (county) | — | Duke Energy Florida |
| New Port Richey | 8 mi | Required | By job value (from $150) | Duke Energy Florida |
| Dunedin | 8 mi | Required | $75 | Duke Energy Florida |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Tarpon Springs water heater questions.
What does a water heater permit cost in Tarpon Springs?
The city's guide lists $75 for a residential small-job permit with one inspection trip, plus state surcharges. The guide is from 2023, so confirm the current fee.
City of Tarpon Springs Building Development Informational Guide (file dated March 2023) ↗
Can I do the work myself?
Yes, if you own and live in a one- or two-family home you aren't selling or renting out. Submit the city's Disclosure Statement to act as your own contractor.
City of Tarpon Springs Building Development Informational Guide (file dated March 2023) ↗
Where does Tarpon Springs' water come from?
Mostly from the city's reverse-osmosis plant, which treats brackish groundwater. Pinellas County water is used only as needed.
City of Tarpon Springs 2024 Consumer Confidence Annual Report ↗
More guides: Florida water heater replacement · All local guides