Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN MALDEN
Malden Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓MALDEN AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Malden.
Malden's fees are simple: a water heater is $50, gas or electric. A licensed plumber or gas fitter files online, and Inspectional Services, on the third floor of 215 Pleasant Street, inspects. In Malden's older homes, the bigger question is often the pipe feeding the heater, because the city is still finding and replacing lead service lines.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Malden Inspectional Services
- Permit fee
- $50 for an electric water heater and $50 for a gas water heater. Work started without a permit costs triple. The page has no date.
- Who gets the permit
- Malden says only licensed electricians and plumbing contractors can apply for electrical and plumbing/gas permits online. Massachusetts issues plumbing and gas permits only to licensed people.
- Electric utility
- National Grid
- Gas utility
- National Grid
- Water
- City of Malden, supplied by MWRA · Soft: MWRA water is about 16 mg/L (about 1 grain per gallon).
- Rebate worth checking
- Mass Save heat pump water heater rebate (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1950 (median) · 41% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 7 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 Malden averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Malden
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$50 for an electric water heater and $50 for a gas water heater. Work started without a permit costs triple. The page has no date.. City of Malden Inspectional Services fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price1 of the companies listed for Malden post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Cranney Home Services. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Malden average is shown.
What can change the price in Malden?
Each extra gas fixture is $50. A gas re-test is $50, and a re-inspection is $50.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Malden?
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 →
128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric
Lists Malden among the areas it serves. Based in Wakefield.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback The reviewer praised a prompt next-day estimate and a technician who explained options, pricing and scheduling.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Ace Hardware Home Services (Boston office)
Lists Malden among the areas it serves. Based in Billerica.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised a same-day emergency tankless installation and punctual, well-explained maintenance that included a hot water heater.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
2 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Belanger & Sons LLC
Lists Malden among the areas it serves. Based in Wilmington.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised owner Steve's fast response, next-day or same-day replacements of leaking or failing heaters, and follow-up after installation.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Cranney Home Services
Lists Malden among the areas it serves. Based in Danvers.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Offer: $100 Off water heater install (see offer details on site). No installed prices published.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback One Yelp reviewer (2024) praised a technician arriving within 30 minutes and courteous staff who explained everything up front on a water heater repair.
Worth knowing Yelp reviewers alleged high quotes for water heater replacement (e.g.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Rich Mathews & Son Plumbing (Boston Water Heaters)
Lists Malden among the areas it serves. Based in Lynnfield.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised quick response, reasonable pricing, permits filed, venting brought to code and tidy installations.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Sila Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical (Greater Boston)
Lists Malden among the areas it serves. Based in Stoneham.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised a free control adjustment and flat-rate flush (2026), a clear diagnosis of a leaking Bosch tankless unit (2026), and professional water heater and boiler replacements.
Worth knowing Yelp reviewers alleged replacement quotes ($5,400 in 2019; at least $12,000 in 2024) for problems others fixed for $350 and $750, and one (Jan 2026) said National Grid found a significant gas leak at a newly installed water heater's joint the day after installation; no company responses were visible on these.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Dry Air Systems
Lists Malden among the areas it serves. Based in Newburyport.
- 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 Malden 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. Massachusetts eLIPSE license lookup ↗.
See before-and-after replacement examples from independent companies →
HOMES IN MALDEN
What Malden homes are like.
1950Median year built
71%Built before 1980
41%Owner-occupied
62%Heat with utility gas
31%Single-family homes
About 71% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
62% of homes heat with utility gas, so gas water heaters with existing venting are common here.
Only 41% of homes are owner-occupied. Renters should ask the landlord or property manager; replacing the heater is usually the owner’s decision.
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 Malden.
Lead pipe inventory and free testing
Malden's Engineering Department and its consultant, Fuss & O'Neill, are checking every customer's service pipe for lead. The city offers free lead tests of your drinking water and free checks of the service line into your home (781-397-7040, or request 'Water - Lead Service Inspection' online). Malden's 2023 90th-percentile lead result was 14.8 ppb, just under the 15 ppb action level.
City of Malden: Find Out if You Have Lead Service Lines ↗ · MWRA: Malden Community Letter 2023 ↗
Illegal basement apartments
Malden's plumbing/gas fee schedule has separate $400 lines for removing the plumbing or the gas from an illegal apartment. If your water heater is in a basement unit that was never permitted, expect the inspector to look at more than the heater.
ISD hours and inspections
Inspectional Services is at 215 Pleasant Street, 3rd floor, Room 330 (781-397-7030). It's open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and closed Fridays. If a water heater inspection fails, the re-inspection is another $50.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Malden homes.
Water
City of Malden, supplied by MWRA: Soft: MWRA water is about 16 mg/L (about 1 grain per gallon).
MWRA 2025 Annual Water Quality Test Results - Full Service communities ↗ · MWRA: FAQ about MWRA tap water (hardness ~16 mg/L, ~1 gpg) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Malden homes.
For National Grid customers in Malden. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Mass Save heat pump water heater rebate ↗Active$750 for an ENERGY STAR heat pump water heater (UEF 3.30, or 2.20 for 120-volt plug-in units), or $1,500 for a split-system model, when replacing an existing electric, propane, natural gas or oil water heater.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Massachusetts rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Malden.
Permits and who issues them
Malden's plumbing/gas fee schedule lists electric and gas water heaters as permitted items. Licensed plumbers and gas fitters apply on the city's online permit system, and ISD (215 Pleasant St., 781-397-7030) schedules inspections.
We found no separate Malden contractor license. Plumbers and gas fitters need state licenses.
City of Malden Inspectional Services ↗ · City of Malden Inspectional Services ↗ · Malden Plumbing / Gas Permit Fees ↗ · Malden online permitting (Citizen Access Portal) ↗ · 248 CMR 3.05 Permits and Inspections (LII) ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the Massachusetts eLIPSE license lookup ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Massachusetts licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Malden.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everett | 2 mi | Required | — | National Grid |
| Melrose | 2 mi | Required | $40 | National Grid |
| Medford | 3 mi | Required | $25 | Eversource, National Grid |
| Chelsea | 3 mi | Required | — | Eversource |
| Somerville | 3 mi | Required | $60 | Eversource (NSTAR Electric) |
| Revere | 4 mi | Required | $50 | National Grid (Massachusetts Electric) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Malden water heater questions.
Can Malden check whether my house has a lead water line before I re-pipe the water heater?
Yes. The Engineering Department (781-397-7040) offers free service line checks and free lead water tests, and the city posts a lead service map.
Is Malden's Inspectional Services open on Fridays?
No. ISD is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8-5 and Tuesday 8-7, and closed Friday. Licensed plumbers and gas fitters file permits online.
Malden Plumbing / Gas Permit Fees (contact and hours) ↗ · City of Malden Inspectional Services ↗
More guides: Massachusetts water heater replacement · All local guides