WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN GAGES LAKE

Gages Lake Water Heater
Replacement

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Written by Victoria StewartTechnical review by Phil Montoya, licensed plumber, September 30, 2026Updated September 30, 2026How we research

GAGES LAKE AT A GLANCE

Replacing a water heater in Gages Lake.

You don't need a full permit in Gages Lake. It's unincorporated, so Lake County handles it, and swapping in the same type of heater takes only a $35 county registration. A licensed plumber must do the work and put in a new T&P (temperature and pressure relief) valve. If the property has an open county code violation, you need a full permit. ComEd supplies power.

Gages Lake is an unincorporated community in Lake County, so county offices handle permits.

Permit to replace with the same type: No, for a qualifying same-type replacement
Permit fee: $35 registration fee to replace a water heater (Lake County Land Development Fee Schedule, in effect December 1, 2025). Fees go up at least 2% each fiscal year.
Electric utility: ComEd
Rebate worth checking: Illinois IRA Home Energy Rebates (HEAR and HOMES) (Not launched)
Typical home: Built 1984 (median) · 83% owner-occupied
Companies found: 1 that advertise water heater work

01 / TYPICAL PRICES

What a new water heater costs.
Know before you call.

Gas or electric tank

Storage tank

Conventional electric storage water heater illustration

$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation

Hybrid electric storage

Heat-pump tank

Hybrid heat-pump water heater with upper air grille illustration

$2,500–$5,000Typical cost, including installation

Gas or electric tankless

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 Gages Lake averages or guaranteed quotes.

Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →

What we know about prices in Gages Lake

National installer’s published range
The ranges above. Home Depot ↗
Local permit fee
$35 registration fee to replace a water heater (Lake County Land Development Fee Schedule, in effect December 1, 2025). Fees go up at least 2% each fiscal year.. Lake County Planning, Building and Development Department (unincorporated Lake County) fee source ↗
Local company’s advertised price
None of the local company websites we checked list a full installed price.
Measured local data
Not collected yet, so no Gages Lake average is shown.

How we label prices →

Yearly running cost at Illinois energy prices

$189 gas storage tank$130 gas tankless$684 electric storage tank$180 heat-pump tank

Estimated yearly energy cost for medium hot water use, based on Department of Energy test conditions. How we calculated this.

What can change the price in Gages Lake?

Registration only covers swapping in the same type of heater. Any other work, or any property with an active county code violation, needs a full permit. Under a full permit, the fee schedule charges $31 for each home water heater, and plumbing changes cost at least $98.

What affects installation cost →

02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND

Who replaces water heaters in Gages Lake?

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 →

Abt Electronics & Appliances – Plumbing Services

Lists Gages Lake among the areas it serves. Based in 1200 N. Milwaukee, Glenview, IL 60025.

Tank
Tankless

What the reviews say

Water heater feedback Reviewers praised Abt staff for following up until a multi-system project that included a tankless water heater was finished, and for handling an emergency water heater replacement.

Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.

2 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.

Full profile and reviews → Website ↗

Order: companies based in Gages Lake 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. IDPH plumber license verification ↗.

See before-and-after replacement examples from independent companies →

HOMES IN GAGES LAKE

What Gages Lake homes are like.

1984Median year built

41%Built before 1980

83%Owner-occupied

84%Heat with utility gas

87%Single-family homes

The median home was built in 1984. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.

84% of homes heat with utility gas, so gas water heaters with existing venting are common here.

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 Gages Lake.

A new T&P valve every time

Lake County's registration rules say every water heater replacement must include a new temperature and pressure relief valve.

Lake County – Registrations Instead of a Permit ↗

ENERGY & WATER

Who supplies Gages Lake homes.

Energy

Electric: ComEd

ComEd: Company Information (electric service across northern Illinois) ↗

REBATES & CREDITS

Rebates for Gages Lake homes.

For ComEd customers in Gages Lake. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.

Illinois IRA Home Energy Rebates (HEAR and HOMES) ↗Not launchedIllinois EPA says its HEAR application has not yet been processed by U.S.
Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.

Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Illinois rebates · How to check an incentive.

PERMITS & LICENSING

Permits and licenses in Gages Lake.

Permits and who issues them

In unincorporated Lake County, replacing a water heater with the same type takes a registration, not a full building permit. Register online through the county's ePortal or in person at the Central Permit Facility, 500 W. Winchester Rd., Libertyville. If the property has an active Lake County code violation, you need a full permit.

Lake County Planning, Building and Development Department (unincorporated Lake County) ↗ · Lake County – Registrations Instead of a Permit ↗ · Lake County Land Development Fee Schedule (eff. Dec. 1, 2025, PDF) ↗

Check the installer’s license

Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the IDPH plumber license verification ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Illinois licensing explained →

NEARBY CITIES

Compare places near Gages Lake.

Permit and utility comparison for nearby cities
City	Distance	Permit to replace	Fee	Electric
Gurnee	3 mi	Required	$40	ComEd
Grayslake	3 mi	Required	—	ComEd
Libertyville	5 mi	Check with city	$65	ComEd
Lindenhurst	5 mi	Required	—	ComEd
Round Lake Beach	5 mi	Check with city	—	ComEd
Mundelein	6 mi	Required	$75	ComEd

COMMON QUESTIONS

Gages Lake water heater questions.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Gages Lake?

Not a full permit. To swap in the same type, Lake County requires a $35 registration. The exception is a property with an active county code violation.

Lake County – Registrations Instead of a Permit ↗ · Lake County Land Development Fee Schedule (eff. Dec. 1, 2025, PDF) ↗

Can I install it myself?

No. Lake County's registration rules require an Illinois licensed plumbing contractor.