Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN WELLESLEY
Wellesley Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓WELLESLEY AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Wellesley.
In Wellesley, a gas water heater needs only a gas permit, about $58 under the April 2025 fees. The town's own light plant pays up to $500 toward a heat pump water heater. Town well water is hard: 111-493 ppm in the 2024 report.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · Town of Wellesley Building Department (Plumbing & Gas Inspector)
- Permit fee
- Residential plumbing or gas permit: $50 filing fee plus $8 for each fixture, so about $58 for one water heater (effective April 1, 2025, approved by the Select Board Jan. 21, 2025). Work started without a permit costs triple.
- Who gets the permit
- Wellesley follows state rules: licensed plumbers get plumbing permits and licensed gas fitters get gas permits, never apprentices. We found no homeowner option.
- Electric utility
- Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP)
- Gas utility
- National Grid
- Water
- Wellesley Water & Sewer Division (town wells, with MWRA supplement) · Hard: 111-493 ppm (6.5-28.8 grains per gallon) in 2024, per the town's Consumer Confidence Report.
- Rebate worth checking
- WMLP heat pump water heater rebate (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1955 (median) · 84% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 10 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 Wellesley averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Wellesley
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeResidential plumbing or gas permit: $50 filing fee plus $8 for each fixture, so about $58 for one water heater (effective April 1, 2025, approved by the Select Board Jan. 21, 2025). Work started without a permit costs triple.. Town of Wellesley Building Department (Plumbing & Gas Inspector) fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price2 of the companies listed for Wellesley post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Landry Mechanical, Vaughan Plumbing & Heating. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Wellesley average is shown.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Wellesley?
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 Wellesley 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.
Accurate Baker Elman
Lists Wellesley among the areas it serves. Based in Franklin (second office in Newton).
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised quick same-day or next-day replacement of failed tanks, tidy installers and a tankless installation they said came in below competitors' quotes.
Worth knowing One Yelp reviewer (John H., 2019) complained about long booking waits and 'graduated scale' warranty pricing on a water heater replacement; no company response was visible.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Ace Hardware Home Services (Boston office)
Lists Wellesley 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.
ARS / Rescue Rooter (Boston)
Lists Wellesley among the areas it serves. Based in Stoughton.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback No water heater praise specific to the Boston branch was found in the sources checked.
Worth knowing A BBB reviewer (Wally S., July 2026) said a hybrid hot water system installed by the Stoughton, Mass.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Belanger & Sons LLC
Lists Wellesley 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.
Damaso Plumbing & Heating Inc
Lists Wellesley among the areas it serves. Based in Burlington.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised quick response in emergencies (including a blizzard), next-day tank replacement, fair pricing and follow-up to confirm the heater was working.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Landry Mechanical
Lists Wellesley among the areas it serves. Based in Millbury (Framingham location at 763 Waverly St unit 32).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Coupon: $75 off tank-type water heater installs or $125 off tankless water heater installs (present at time of sale; not combinable).
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised fast response (including weekend and next-day replacements), manufacturer-warranty coordination on tankless and hybrid units, and technicians who explained options.
Worth knowing A BBB reviewer (DR.
6 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Sila Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical (Greater Boston)
Lists Wellesley 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.
Vaughan Plumbing & Heating
Lists Wellesley among the areas it serves. Based in Boston (Hyde Park, 02136).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Coupon: $125 OFF water heater installation; also $45 off Navien heat & hot water full service with organic flush. No installed prices published.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised fast response, reasonable prices (one said nearly $5,000 below another quote), help with a manufacturer warranty replacement, and a no-charge return visit to check a new unit.
Worth knowing A Yelp reviewer (Dec 2016) said a hot water heater had the same issue the day after service and the company declined to return; the owner replied that the technician had given an estimate for further repairs that the customer declined.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Dry Air Systems
Lists Wellesley 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 Wellesley 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 ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING WELLESLEY
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN WELLESLEY
What Wellesley homes are like.
1955Median year built
72%Built before 1980
84%Owner-occupied
70%Heat with utility gas
85%Single-family homes
About 72% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
70% 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 Wellesley.
Some of the hardest water around
Wellesley's 2024 report lists hardness of 111-493 ppm (6.5-28.8 gpg), far harder than MWRA water. Controlling scale and checking the anode rod matter more here.
Gas heaters need just a gas permit
Wellesley's fee sheet says a gas hot water heater or gas boiler doesn't need a plumbing permit on top of the gas permit.
Wellesley Plumbing and Gas Permit Fees (effective 04/01/25) ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Wellesley homes.
Energy
- Electric: Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP)
- Gas: National Grid (Eversource also lists Wellesley as part of its gas area)
MassDOT Utility Contacts by Municipality: Wellesley ↗ · Eversource: Communities we serve ↗ · Wellesley Municipal Light Plant: Appliance rebates ↗
Water
Wellesley Water & Sewer Division (town wells, with MWRA supplement): Hard: 111-493 ppm (6.5-28.8 grains per gallon) in 2024, per the town's Consumer Confidence Report.
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Wellesley homes.
For Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) and National Grid customers in Wellesley. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- WMLP heat pump water heater rebate ↗ActiveENERGY STAR heat pump water heater: $250 if it replaces an electric water heater, $500 if it replaces oil or propane.
- 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 Wellesley.
Permits and who issues them
Wellesley's Plumbing & Gas Inspector issues permits; apply online. A gas hot water heater needs only a gas permit, with no separate plumbing permit. An electric unit needs a plumbing permit.
We found no Wellesley contractor license; the plumbers and gas fitters hold state licenses.
Town of Wellesley Building Department (Plumbing & Gas Inspector) ↗ · Town of Wellesley Building Department ↗ · Wellesley Plumbing and Gas Permit Fees (effective 04/01/25) ↗ · Wellesley Fee Schedule page ↗ · 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 Wellesley.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needham | 3 mi | Required | $100 | Eversource |
| Newton | 4 mi | Required | $20 | Eversource (NSTAR Electric) |
| Waltham | 6 mi | Required | $25 | Eversource (NSTAR Electric) |
| Dedham | 7 mi | Required | $40 | Eversource (NSTAR Electric) |
| Watertown | 7 mi | Required | $30 | Eversource |
| Brookline | 7 mi | Required | $20 | Eversource |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Wellesley water heater questions.
How much is a water heater permit in Wellesley?
$50 filing fee plus $8 for each fixture, on the gas permit (gas unit) or the plumbing permit (electric unit), effective April 1, 2025.
Wellesley Plumbing and Gas Permit Fees (effective 04/01/25) ↗
Is there a local heat pump water heater rebate?
Yes. WMLP pays $250 when you replace an electric water heater and $500 when you replace oil or propane. If you're replacing a gas heater, use Mass Save instead.
Is Wellesley water hard?
Yes. The 2024 report shows 111-493 ppm (6.5-28.8 gpg).
More guides: Massachusetts water heater replacement · All local guides