Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN SCOTTDALE
Scottdale Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓SCOTTDALE AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Scottdale.
Scottdale is unincorporated, so DeKalb County issues water heater permits, at about $120 in all. It began as a company mill village around Scottdale Mills, a cotton mill open from 1901 to 1982, and the original worker houses had no indoor plumbing until the 1950s. Today old village streets sit beside apartments and newer infill. Fewer than half of homes are detached houses, and nearly half of households heat with electricity.
Scottdale is an unincorporated community in DeKalb County, so county offices handle permits.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · DeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability (Development Services), unincorporated DeKalb
- Permit fee
- $100 minimum plumbing permit fee plus a $20 technology fee, so about $120 for one water heater. The water heater line is $10, less than the minimum (fee schedule last updated 6/8/2026).
- Who gets the permit
- DeKalb's permit page says plumbing permits have to come from a licensed plumbing contractor. Whether a homeowner may pull one is still unconfirmed (see gaps).
- Electric utility
- Georgia Power and Snapping Shoals EMC or Walton EMC
- Gas utility
- Atlanta Gas Light (delivery)
- Water
- DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management
- Rebate worth checking
- Home Energy Improvement Program – Heat Pump Water Heater (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1986 (median) · 52% 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 Scottdale averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Scottdale
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$100 minimum plumbing permit fee plus a $20 technology fee, so about $120 for one water heater. The water heater line is $10, less than the minimum (fee schedule last updated 6/8/2026).. DeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability (Development Services), unincorporated DeKalb fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price1 of the companies listed for Scottdale post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Allgood Home Services (ARS/Rescue Rooter). Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Scottdale average is shown.
What can change the price in Scottdale?
Each gas line adds $25 to the plumbing permit. Electrical work needs its own electrical permit ($100 minimum plus $20 technology fee; the water heater line is $8). The HVAC schedule charges $25 for a vertical gas vent up to 100,000 BTU.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Scottdale?
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 →
Ace Hardware Home Services Atlanta (North Georgia)
Lists Scottdale among the areas it serves. Based in Marietta.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised a tankless job, a quick replacement of a leaking heater, and a technician who explained gas and electric options.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 29, 2026.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised a clean, well-explained water heater replacement and satisfactory tankless installations.
Worth knowing A BBB complainant said a spigot was disconnected during a water heater job and the company declined to fix it for free (unanswered).
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 29, 2026.
Allgood Home Services (ARS/Rescue Rooter)
Lists Scottdale among the areas it serves. Based in Norcross.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
Published price: Coupon: 'Save Up to $300 on a New Water Heater' (purchase and installation of qualifying water heater required; residential only; expires 09/30/2026).
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Order: companies based in Scottdale 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. Georgia plumbing license lookup (GOALS licensee search) ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING SCOTTDALE
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN SCOTTDALE
What Scottdale homes are like.
1986Median year built
43%Built before 1980
52%Owner-occupied
51%Heat with utility gas
56%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1986. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
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 Scottdale.
Re-inspection fees
DeKalb charges $25 for the first plumbing re-inspection, $50 for the second and $100 for the third and any after.
DeKalb County Development Services Fee Schedule (PDF, last updated 6/8/2026) ↗
A mill village retrofitted for plumbing
The DeKalb History Center says the Scottdale Mills Village was built about 1900 to 1915, south of the mill, between East Ponce de Leon Avenue and Longmeadow Drive. Electricity arrived in the 1930s; indoor plumbing and sewer came only in the 1950s. In the village houses still standing, water heaters were added decades later, often in tight spots. Before a swap, check clearances, venting and the condition of old supply pipes.
Apartments and electric heat
Census estimates for 2020–2024 put only about 45% of Scottdale's homes as single-family detached houses, with a median build year of 1986. About 51% of households heat with utility gas and 47% with electricity. If you rent or live in a condo, the landlord or association usually decides on water heater replacement.
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B25024 (via Census Reporter) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B25035 (via Census Reporter) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B25040 (via Census Reporter) ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Scottdale homes.
Energy
- Electric: Georgia Power (Georgia Power serves 155 of Georgia's 159 counties; service is assigned by address)
- Electric: Snapping Shoals EMC or Walton EMC (Both co-ops serve parts of DeKalb County; your bill shows which one)
- Gas: Atlanta Gas Light (delivery) (You buy gas from a certified marketer; not confirmed for Scottdale specifically)
Georgia PSC – Electric utilities (territory maps; Georgia Power serves 155 of 159 counties) ↗ · Snapping Shoals EMC – homepage (service counties) ↗ · Walton EMC – Residential Rebates ↗
Water
DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management
DeKalb County 2026 Water Quality Report (PDF) ↗ · DeKalb County releases 2026 drinking water quality report (news, June 26, 2026) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Scottdale homes.
For Georgia Power, Snapping Shoals EMC or Walton EMC and Atlanta Gas Light (delivery) customers in Scottdale. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Home Energy Improvement Program – Heat Pump Water Heater ↗ActiveUp to $800 back on a heat pump water heater; up to $500 for a combination heat pump water/space heating system and up to $250 for a solar water heater.
- Residential Water Heater Energy Efficiency Rebate ↗Active2026 program: $200 for a gas storage tank water heater at 0.82 UEF or higher, $200 for a condensing tank at 0.90 TE or higher, or $300 for a gas tankless at 0.87 UEF or higher, replacing an existing gas water heater below 0.82 UEF.
- Conversion Rebate – Water Heater ↗Active$400 for converting an electric or propane water heater to a natural gas tank water heater, or $500 for converting to a natural gas tankless water heater.
- Georgia Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) ↗ClosedGeorgia's IRA-funded HEAR point-of-sale rebates for heat pump water heaters and other electric appliances are not accepting new applications; project submissions are paused until further notice.
- Georgia Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) ↗ActiveWhole-home efficiency rebates sized by household income (AMI) and modeled energy savings; the site says households can get up to $16,000 combined across Georgia's home energy rebate programs.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 29, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Georgia rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Scottdale.
Permits and who issues them
Because Scottdale is unincorporated, DeKalb County issues the plumbing permit. The county fee schedule lists water heaters as a plumbing permit item. Apply through the county's e-Permitting portal and request inspections online.
DeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability (Development Services), unincorporated DeKalb ↗ · DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability – Permits, Plan Review & Inspections ↗ · DeKalb County Development Services Fee Schedule (PDF, last updated 6/8/2026) ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the Georgia plumbing license lookup (GOALS licensee search) ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Georgia licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Scottdale.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Decatur | 2 mi | Required (county) | $100 | Georgia Power |
| Clarkston | 2 mi | Required | — | Georgia Power |
| Decatur | 2 mi | Required | $60 | Georgia Power |
| Belvedere Park | 3 mi | Required (county) | $120 | Georgia Power, Snapping Shoals EMC or Walton EMC |
| Candler-McAfee | 5 mi | Required (county) | $100, | Georgia Power, Snapping Shoals EMC or Walton EMC |
| Tucker | 5 mi | Required | $50 | Georgia Power |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Scottdale water heater questions.
Who issues water heater permits in Scottdale?
DeKalb County, because Scottdale is unincorporated. A licensed plumbing contractor submits it, and it costs the $100 minimum plumbing fee plus a $20 technology fee.
I live in an old Scottdale mill house. Is there anything to watch for?
These houses were built before indoor plumbing, which came in the 1950s, so the water heater spot and pipes were added later. Expect extra attention to venting, clearances and old pipe connections.
More guides: Georgia water heater replacement · All local guides