Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN LAKE FOREST
Lake Forest Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓LAKE FOREST AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Lake Forest.
Lake Forest doesn't say whether a water heater swap needs a permit, so call Community Development. A plumbing permit is $60 plus $5.50 for each fixture (2018 schedule), filed in the city's online portal. North Shore Gas and ComEd serve the city. The city treats its own Lake Michigan water with membrane filters and pipes it through about 168 miles of mains. In July 2026 it posted a lead notice, so check the pipe feeding an older house before replacing.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Check with the city · City of Lake Forest Community Development, Building Division
- Permit fee
- Plumbing permit: $60 base fee plus $5.50 for each fixture (fee schedule last updated Aug. 22, 2018)
- Electric utility
- ComEd
- Gas utility
- North Shore Gas
- Water
- City of Lake Forest Water Plant (Lake Michigan, ultrafiltration membranes)
- Rebate worth checking
- Illinois IRA Home Energy Rebates (HEAR and HOMES) (Not launched)
- Typical home
- Built 1976 (median) · 89% 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 Lake Forest averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Lake Forest
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feePlumbing permit: $60 base fee plus $5.50 for each fixture (fee schedule last updated Aug. 22, 2018). City of Lake Forest Community Development, Building Division fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price1 of the companies listed for Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest average is shown.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Lake Forest?
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 Lake Forest 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.
Four Seasons Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Sewer & Electric
Lists Lake Forest among the areas it serves. Based in 5701 W. 73 St., Chicago, IL 60638.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Customers praised fast, same-day water heater replacements and friendly, knowledgeable installers.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Pasquesi Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Sewer
Lists Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest 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.
ARS / Rescue Rooter (Illinois – Chicago area)
Lists Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest 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 LAKE FOREST
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN LAKE FOREST
What Lake Forest homes are like.
1976Median year built
54%Built before 1980
89%Owner-occupied
84%Heat with utility gas
83%Single-family homes
About 54% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
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 Lake Forest.
Lead level went over the limit in 2026
In Lake Forest's 2025 lead and copper testing, the 90th-percentile lead level was 28 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level. 14 sites were over, with single results as high as 44 ppb. The city posted the required public notice on July 13, 2026. It says lead isn't in its treated water or mains but can come from lead service lines, lead solder used before 1986, and brass fixtures.
City of Lake Forest 2025 Annual Water Quality Report ↗ · City of Lake Forest: Lead Service Line Replacement ↗
You own the whole service line
The city owns only the water main. The service line from the main to the house belongs to the homeowner, who pays to keep it up and replace it. Just under 300 properties are listed as having lead lines or lines of unknown material. Under Illinois law, a lead line that's repaired or upgraded must be fully replaced. You can ask the Water & Sewer Supervisor for a free check of your line by city staff.
The city filters its own lake water
The Lake Forest Water Plant pulls Lake Michigan water through 42-inch and 24-inch intakes. It made 1.290 billion gallons in 2025. Its 2025 report shows fluoride at 0.7 ppm but gives no hardness number.
City of Lake Forest: 2025 Annual Water Quality Report notice ↗ · City of Lake Forest: 2021 Annual Water Quality Report notice (intake pipelines) ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Lake Forest homes.
Water
City of Lake Forest Water Plant (Lake Michigan, ultrafiltration membranes)
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Lake Forest homes.
For ComEd and North Shore Gas customers in Lake Forest. 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 Lake Forest.
Permits and who issues them
Lake Forest asks you to apply online through its web portal. A complete application needs contractor information and technical details. Its list of home permits has checklists for HVAC, electric and sewer, but none just for water heaters.
City of Lake Forest Community Development, Building Division ↗ · Lake Forest – Building Permits ↗ · Lake Forest – Fee Schedule (last updated 08/22/2018) ↗
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 Lake Forest.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park | 4 mi | Required | — | ComEd |
| Deerfield | 5 mi | Check with city | — | ComEd |
| Vernon Hills | 5 mi | Required | $50 | ComEd |
| North Chicago | 6 mi | Check with city | — | ComEd |
| Libertyville | 7 mi | Check with city | $65 | ComEd |
| Buffalo Grove | 7 mi | Required | $65 | ComEd |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Lake Forest water heater questions.
Does Lake Forest's water have lead in it?
The city says there's none in its treated water or mains. But 2025 testing at home taps went over the lead action level (28 ppb at the 90th percentile), and it was traced to service lines and home plumbing. Look at the city's service line map before re-piping at the water heater.
City of Lake Forest: Lead Service Line Replacement ↗ · City of Lake Forest 2025 Annual Water Quality Report ↗
Who can tell me if my Lake Forest water heater job needs a permit?
The Community Development building division says to check with Carolynn Gaylord at (847) 810-3521. It prefers that you apply and book inspections in the city's web portal. Paying by credit card adds a 2.95% fee.
More guides: Illinois water heater replacement · All local guides