Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN HIGHLAND PARK
Highland Park Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓HIGHLAND PARK AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Highland Park.
Yes, Highland Park requires a permit, and it has a checklist just for water heaters. Your plumber applies for a plumbing permit in the Civic Access Portal with their 055 license, a notarized letter of intent and the heater's spec sheet. A final inspection checks bonding and venting. Gas is from North Shore Gas and electricity from ComEd. The city treats its own Lake Michigan water (7.3–8.2 grains per gallon).
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Highland Park Community Development, Building Division
- Who gets the permit
- The checklist is written for a plumbing contractor with an IDPH 055 license and a notarized or sealed letter of intent. The property owner also signs an authorization.
- Electric utility
- ComEd
- Gas utility
- North Shore Gas
- Water
- City of Highland Park Water Production Division (treats its own Lake Michigan water) · 7.3–8.2 grains per gallon (about 125–140 ppm), per the city's Hardness Information page (undated); treatment does not change hardness
- Rebate worth checking
- Illinois IRA Home Energy Rebates (HEAR and HOMES) (Not launched)
- Typical home
- Built 1963 (median) · 84% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 6 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 Highland Park averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Highland Park
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local company’s advertised price1 of the companies listed for Highland Park post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Perfect Home Services. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Highland Park average is shown.
What can change the price in Highland Park?
Emergency repairs can start without a permit, as long as you apply the next business day (2024 IRC R105.2.1).
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Highland Park?
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 Highland Park 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.
Pasquesi Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Sewer
Lists Highland Park among the areas it serves. Based in 3218 Skokie Valley Rd., Highland Park, IL 60035.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised clear repair-or-replace options, on-time and careful installers, a hot water fix another company had missed, and phone help relighting a pilot.
Worth knowing One Yelp reviewer (2024) said they were charged almost $250 for a 5-10 minute diagnosis of a hot water problem caused by another contractor, with no work performed; no company response was captured.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Perfect Home Services
Lists Highland Park among the areas it serves. Based in 78 Eisenhower Lane N, Lombard, IL 60148.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: $49 Water Heater Flush and Safety Inspection coupon (listed as expiring Oct 31, 2026); no installed water heater prices published
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised quick same-day response, clear options and clean installs, including a replacement finished within five hours of the call.
Worth knowing On Yelp, one reviewer (2025) called a $4,000 bill for a standard tank replacement for their elderly mother predatory pricing, and another (2025) said a $60 diagnosis became $629 for a tankless unit and a $3,000 repair quote came with a week's wait; a 2018 reviewer said the installer left old vent work for them until the company returned, and the company apologized.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
VanDerBosch Plumbing Inc.
Lists Highland Park among the areas it serves. Based in 6928 N Greenview, Chicago, IL 60626 (second location in Roselle).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised tidy tankless installs, phone troubleshooting that fixed a tankless unit, an 80-gallon upsize planned and installed at a fair price, and a fair price on replacing a 1991 heater.
Worth knowing One Yelp reviewer (2012) said other plumbers later found the gas line and a mixed-metal water connection on their tankless install were done incorrectly, that the unit did not qualify for a federal credit they were told it would, and that calls went unanswered; no company response was captured.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
ARS / Rescue Rooter (Illinois – Chicago area)
Lists Highland Park among the areas it serves. Based in 731 District Drive, Itasca, IL 60143 (local branch of national ARS network).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Lifetime Plumbing
Lists Highland Park among the areas it serves. Based in Skokie, Illinois (no street address published).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Order: companies based in Highland Park 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 ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING HIGHLAND PARK
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN HIGHLAND PARK
What Highland Park homes are like.
1963Median year built
69%Built before 1980
84%Owner-occupied
85%Heat with utility gas
78%Single-family homes
About 69% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
85% 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 Highland Park.
Breaking dip tubes found by city lab
The city water plant has a Water Heater Alert page. It says white bits clogging faucet screens in homes with newer heaters came from plastic dip tubes breaking down. The page lists signs residents can check for.
You may need an HOA letter
If you have an HOA, the water heater permit checklist asks for a letter showing its approval.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Highland Park homes.
Energy
- Electric: ComEd
- Gas: North Shore Gas
City of Highland Park: North Shore Gas ↗ · City of Highland Park: ComEd ↗ · North Shore Gas tariff: municipalities served (effective 2019-09-30) ↗
Water
City of Highland Park Water Production Division (treats its own Lake Michigan water): 7.3–8.2 grains per gallon (about 125–140 ppm), per the city's Hardness Information page (undated); treatment does not change hardness
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Highland Park homes.
For ComEd and North Shore Gas customers in Highland Park. 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 Highland Park.
Permits and who issues them
Highland Park posts Plumbing Water Heater Permit Application Requirements (updated 06.17.26). Apply for a 'Plumbing Permit' in the Civic Access Portal. Upload the owner authorization form, the plumber's 055 license, a notarized or sealed letter of intent, the contractor's proposal with the full cost, and the heater's spec sheet. The final inspection checks pipe bonding (NEC 250.104) and venting. City Code §170.710(C) sets a fee for replacement water heaters in the Annual Fee Resolution.
Plumbing contractors send their 055 license and letter of intent with every permit. We couldn't confirm a separate city registration rule.
City of Highland Park Community Development, Building Division ↗ · City of Highland Park: Plumbing Water Heater Permit Application Requirements (updated 06.17.26) ↗ · City of Highland Park: Permit Applications & Requirements ↗ · Highland Park City Code §170.710 Plumbing Permit Fees (Municode) ↗
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 Highland Park.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deerfield | 2 mi | Check with city | — | ComEd |
| Northbrook | 4 mi | Required | — | ComEd |
| Lake Forest | 4 mi | Check with city | $60 | ComEd |
| Winnetka | 6 mi | Required | $90 | Winnetka Water & Electric (municipal utility) |
| Wheeling | 7 mi | Required | $61 | ComEd |
| Glenview | 7 mi | Not required (conditions apply) | — | ComEd |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Highland Park water heater questions.
Can a broken water heater be replaced before the permit comes through?
Yes. Emergency work can start without a permit if you apply the next business day.
Is Highland Park's water hard?
It's 7.3–8.2 grains per gallon (about 125–140 ppm). That's how hard Lake Michigan water is naturally, and the city's treatment doesn't change it.
Which company provides gas in Highland Park?
North Shore Gas supplies it.
More guides: Illinois water heater replacement · All local guides