Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN UNIVERSITY
University Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓UNIVERSITY AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in University.
The University area around UCF is unincorporated, so a water heater swap needs a $38 Orange County plumbing permit. Power comes from Duke Energy or OUC, and water from Orange County Utilities. It's mostly renters: nearly nine in ten households rent, and only about one home in ten is a detached house (Census estimates). For most residents, a broken water heater is a maintenance request to the property manager, not a purchase.
University 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
- Permit fee
- The Orange County Fee Directory (pages marked effective July 2025) sets a stand-alone water heater plumbing permit at $38.
- Who gets the permit
- Contractors whose license covers the job. A homeowner can apply only for their main home, after signing an Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement and taking responsibility for meeting code.
- Electric utility
- Duke Energy Florida and OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission)
- Gas utility
- Peoples Gas (TECO) and Florida Public Utilities (FPU)
- Water
- Orange County Utilities, Eastern Regional Water System (UCF area on OCU's 2025 map); confirm on your bill · Not published by OCU; aerated Floridan Aquifer groundwater
- Rebate worth checking
- Duke Energy Florida heat pump water heater rebate (Home Energy Improvement) (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1986 (median) · 13% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 3 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 University averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in University
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeThe Orange County Fee Directory (pages marked effective July 2025) sets a stand-alone water heater plumbing permit at $38.. Orange County Division of Building Safety 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 University average is shown.
What can change the price in University?
Expect a possible electrical permit. Gas permits are based on job value, $64 for the first $1,000 and $6 for each $1,000 beyond. A recorded Notice of Commencement is needed for jobs over $5,000.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in University?
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 University 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.
Frank Gay Services
Lists University 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.
Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc.
Lists University 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 University 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 UNIVERSITY
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN UNIVERSITY
What University homes are like.
1986Median year built
32%Built before 1980
13%Owner-occupied
4%Heat with utility gas
15%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1986. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
94% 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 13% 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 University.
A student-housing district, not a subdivision
Census estimates for University show about 87% of households renting, roughly a third of homes in buildings with 5 to 19 units, and another quarter in complexes of 20 or more. New projects keep adding units where the landlord owns the heater, like The Plaza at University, which replaced the old University Shoppes in 2012 with housing for about 1,300 students, and the 2023–24 conversion of Quadrangle office space into up to 896 student beds.
Census Reporter – University CDP (Orange County) tenure and units-in-structure tables, ACS 2020–2024 ↗ · Wikipedia – University, Orange County, Florida (Plaza at University, Quadrangle conversion) ↗
Tenants: hot water is the landlord's job
Under Florida's landlord-tenant law, the landlord of an apartment building must keep hot water working unless the written lease says otherwise. On a UCF student lease, that means reporting the broken heater in writing and letting management schedule its licensed plumber and county permit, not buying a heater yourself.
Ask: Renters: request the repair through the management portal or in writing and keep a copy.
Florida Statutes §83.51 – landlord's obligation to maintain premises (hot water) ↗
Mobile homes near campus
About 7% of University's homes are mobile homes, more than in Alafaya. A manufactured home needs a water heater listed for that use under HUD's standard, with a drain pan piped outside and, for gas heaters, combustion air drawn from outdoors, not from the living space.
Census Reporter – University CDP (Orange County) tenure and units-in-structure tables, ACS 2020–2024 ↗ · 24 CFR 3280.707 – heat-producing appliances in manufactured homes ↗
Eastern Regional water around UCF
The UCF area is in Orange County Utilities' Eastern Regional service area on its 2025 map. That system's Floridan Aquifer well water is aerated to remove hydrogen sulfide, and its 2025 copper tests came in well under the action level, at 0.15 ppm (90th percentile).
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies University homes.
Energy
- Electric: Duke Energy Florida (Covers a lot of unincorporated Orange County; check by address)
- Electric: OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission) (Covers Orlando and some unincorporated Orange County next to it)
- Gas: Peoples Gas (TECO) (Unincorporated Orange County is listed)
- Gas: Florida Public Utilities (FPU) (Unincorporated Orange County is listed)
OUC – Water Services (service area description) ↗ · Wikipedia – Orlando Utilities Commission ↗ · Peoples Gas tariff Sheet 6.101, communities served (effective Jan. 1, 2026) ↗ · Florida Public Utilities natural gas tariff, communities served ↗ · Duke Energy Florida tariff Section V, communities served (2013 PSC filing) ↗
Water
Orange County Utilities, Eastern Regional Water System (UCF area on OCU's 2025 map); confirm on your bill: Not published by OCU; aerated Floridan Aquifer groundwater
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for University homes.
For Duke Energy Florida, OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission), Peoples Gas (TECO) and Florida Public Utilities (FPU) customers in University. 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 University.
Permits and who issues them
Replacing a water heater around UCF takes a plumbing permit and possibly an electrical permit, according to Orange County's 'Do I need a permit?' page. The county's Fast Track online system issues stand-alone plumbing permits for the swap. Plan on a final inspection.
Orange County Division of Building Safety ↗ · Orange County – Do I need a permit? ↗ · Orange County – Plumbing Permits ↗ · Orange County Fee Directory (PDF, plumbing page 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 University.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University | 0 mi | Required (county) | $130, | Tampa Electric (TECO) |
| Lake Magdalene | 3 mi | Required (county) | $130 | Tampa Electric (TECO) |
| Temple Terrace | 4 mi | Required | — | Tampa Electric (TECO) |
| Lutz | 5 mi | Required (county) | $130 | Tampa Electric (TECO) |
| Carrollwood | 5 mi | Required (county) | $130 | Tampa Electric (TECO) |
| Egypt Lake-Leto | 6 mi | Required (county) | $130 | Tampa Electric (TECO) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
University water heater questions.
I rent near UCF and my water heater died. Do I pay for it?
Usually not. In apartment buildings, Florida law makes working hot water the landlord's job unless your written lease says otherwise. Tell management and let them arrange the permitted replacement.
Florida Statutes §83.51 – landlord's obligation to maintain premises (hot water) ↗
Is the UCF area part of Orlando?
No. The area around UCF is an unincorporated community, so Orange County's Division of Building Safety issues plumbing permits there: $38 for a stand-alone water heater, according to the county fee directory.
Wikipedia – University, Orange County, Florida (Plaza at University, Quadrangle conversion) ↗ · Orange County Fee Directory (PDF) ↗
More guides: Florida water heater replacement · All local guides