Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN GARDNER
Gardner Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓GARDNER AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Gardner.
A residential plumbing permit in Gardner is a flat $50 (2023 fee schedule). You can do the work yourself if you live in the home; a contractor you hire needs a Johnson County license. The city runs its own electric and water utilities. Water comes from Hillsdale Lake (130 mg/L hardness in 2025), and power costs about 10 cents per kWh.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Check with the city · City of Gardner Community Development (Building & Inspections)
- Permit fee
- Residential Plumbing Code Permit: $50 (Schedule of Fees dated July 1, 2023, Res. 2113).
- Who gets the permit
- Homeowners can work on their own homes if they live there and file a Statement of Homeowner Installation. Any contractor you hire must hold a Johnson County contractor's license.
- Electric utility
- City of Gardner Electric Utility
- Water
- City of Gardner (Hillsdale Lake surface water) · Total hardness 130 mg/L as CaCO3 (about 7.6 grains per gallon), collected 4/8/2025, in the 2026 Consumer Confidence Report covering 2025.
- Rebate worth checking
- Kansas Home Rebates (IRA HEAR and HOMES) (Not launched)
- Typical home
- Built 2003 (median) · 68% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 9 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 Gardner averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Gardner
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeResidential Plumbing Code Permit: $50 (Schedule of Fees dated July 1, 2023, Res. 2113).. City of Gardner Community Development (Building & Inspections) fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price2 of the companies listed for Gardner post water heater prices or specials on their websites: KC Water Heaters, Service Experts Kansas City. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Gardner average is shown.
What can change the price in Gardner?
Residential mechanical permits are also $50. Electrical-only and backflow prevention permits are separate types on the application.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Gardner?
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 →
A.B. May Heating, A/C, Plumbing & Electrical
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in 7100 E 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64129 (second office: 13839 S. Murlen Road, Unit H, Olathe, KS 66062).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Customers praised specific plumbers for efficient, clean water heater and tankless installs and for explaining the equipment and shutoffs.
Worth knowing BBB reviewers alleged high charges for relighting pilot lights and for member water heater replacements, and one 2026 BBB complaint said a member quote came to about $5,045 before credits for a 40-gallon replacement; A.B.
6 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Dragonfly Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in 3004 US-40, Suite C, Blue Springs, MO 64015 (second shop: 6500 W 110th St, Suite 101, Overland Park, KS 66211).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Testimonials praised quick estimates before work, prompt scheduling, and a technician who pursued a manufacturer warranty claim on his own time.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Hamilton Plumbing, Heating, A/C & Rooter
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in 8155 Lenexa Dr, Overland Park, KS 66214.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Customers praised a meticulous, polite plumber, same-day consultation and installation, and a quick emergency response to a leaking water heater.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
KC Water Heaters
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in Kansas City, KS 66106 (city/ZIP per Houzz profile; no street address on company site).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
Published price:
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback The one reviewer praised the owner as knowledgeable and fair, and a fast, easy water heater install with no sales pitch.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Snake 'n' Rooter Plumbing Company
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in 3370 NE Ralph Powell Rd, Lee's Summit, MO 64064.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback The one testimonial praised a technician who explained everything and stayed professional and upbeat through a long, complicated replacement.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked; the testimonial itself describes a replacement that took almost 7 hours because the first heater was too big and the right fittings had to be fetched.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Summit Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in 1455 Iron St., North Kansas City, MO 64116 (second office: 7331 W 80th St Suite B, Overland Park, KS 66204).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback The one reviewer called the company very professional for a tankless water heater, furnace and AC installation.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked; the reviewer said the job cost a lot.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Plumbline Plumbing
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in Overland Park, KS 66212 (no street address shown).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (Kansas City area / Olathe branch)
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in 803 S Clairborne Rd, Olathe, KS 66062 (local branch; Roto-Rooter is a national company).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Service Experts Kansas City
Lists Gardner among the areas it serves. Based in 9040 Cody Street, Overland Park, KS 66214 (local branch of national company).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price:
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Order: companies based in Gardner 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. Johnson County contractor license search (Kansas licensing is local) ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING GARDNER
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN GARDNER
What Gardner homes are like.
2003Median year built
15%Built before 1980
68%Owner-occupied
72%Heat with utility gas
77%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 2003. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
72% 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 Gardner.
City-owned electric rates
Gardner's city electric rate for homes is a $2.72 service charge plus $0.1017 per kWh (effective March 1, 2023). The power cost adjustment has been paused since then. This helps when you compare electric and heat pump water heaters with gas.
Lake water taste changes
Gardner's water comes from Hillsdale Lake. The city says algae blooms and the lake turning over can make the water taste or smell off in spring, summer and fall.
2018 codes
Gardner reviews and inspects work under the 2018 International Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas codes and the 2017 NEC, in effect since November 1, 2020 (Ordinance 2674).
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Gardner homes.
Energy
- Electric: City of Gardner Electric Utility (city-owned; serves most homes and businesses in Gardner)
Gardner Residential Accounts and Rates ↗ · Gardner Electric ↗
Water
City of Gardner (Hillsdale Lake surface water): Total hardness 130 mg/L as CaCO3 (about 7.6 grains per gallon), collected 4/8/2025, in the 2026 Consumer Confidence Report covering 2025.
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Gardner homes.
For City of Gardner Electric Utility customers in Gardner. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Kansas Home Rebates (IRA HEAR and HOMES) ↗Not launchedKansas was allocated $52.6 million for electrification and appliance rebates and $52.9 million for home efficiency rebates.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Kansas rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Gardner.
Permits and who issues them
Gardner's building permit application has 'Plumbing Or Sewer' and 'Mechanical Only' permit types, and the fee schedule lists a residential Plumbing Code Permit. Apply by email at buildingpermits@gardnerkansas.gov or at City Hall (120 E. Main St.). City pages don't mention water heater replacement by name.
Contractors and subcontractors need a Johnson County contractor's license (fence and irrigation contractors don't). The application asks for each trade contractor's license number and class.
City of Gardner Community Development (Building & Inspections) ↗ · Gardner Building & Inspections ↗ · Gardner Building Permit Application (rev. 03/13/25) ↗ · Gardner Schedule of Fees (July 1, 2023) ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the Johnson County contractor license search (Kansas licensing is local) ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Kansas licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Gardner.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olathe | 7 mi | Required | $50 | Evergy |
| Lenexa | 13 mi | Required | By job value (from $30) | Evergy |
| Overland Park | 14 mi | Required | $1 | Evergy |
| Shawnee | 16 mi | Required | By job value (from $20) | Evergy |
| Leawood | 17 mi | Required | — | Evergy |
| Merriam | 19 mi | Required | By job value (from $23.50) | Evergy |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Gardner water heater questions.
What does a residential plumbing permit cost in Gardner?
$50 for a residential Plumbing Code Permit, from the city's Schedule of Fees dated July 1, 2023.
Can I install a water heater myself in Gardner?
Yes, if you live in the home. File a Statement of Homeowner Installation with your permit application. A contractor you hire needs a Johnson County contractor's license.
Gardner Building & Inspections ↗ · Gardner Building Permit Application ↗
Who provides electricity in Gardner?
Gardner's own city electric utility serves most homes and businesses.
More guides: Kansas water heater replacement · All local guides