Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN WILMINGTON
Wilmington Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓WILMINGTON AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Wilmington.
Wilmington charges plumbing and gas permits by job value: $50 for the first $1,000 plus $10 for each additional $1,000. A licensed plumber or gas fitter pulls them, and inspections happen between 4 and 6 p.m. Electricity comes from the Reading Municipal Light Department and gas from National Grid.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · Town of Wilmington Inspector of Buildings (Plumbing & Gas Inspector), 121 Glen Road
- Permit fee
- Home plumbing or gas permit: $50 for the first $1,000 of work value plus $10 for each additional $1,000 or part of $1,000. Home re-inspection: $25. The fee schedule has no date.
- Who gets the permit
- Wilmington gives plumbing permits to licensed plumbers and gas permits to licensed gas fitters only, never to apprentices, under state rules. We found no homeowner option.
- Electric utility
- Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD)
- Gas utility
- National Grid
- Water
- Wilmington Water Department (town wells, with partial MWRA supply)
- Rebate worth checking
- RMLD electric panel upgrade rebate (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1979 (median) · 88% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 8 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 Wilmington averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Wilmington
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeHome plumbing or gas permit: $50 for the first $1,000 of work value plus $10 for each additional $1,000 or part of $1,000. Home re-inspection: $25. The fee schedule has no date.. Town of Wilmington Inspector of Buildings (Plumbing & Gas Inspector), 121 Glen Road fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price1 of the companies listed for Wilmington 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 Wilmington average is shown.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Wilmington?
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 →
Belanger & Sons LLC
Lists Wilmington 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.
128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric
Lists Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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.
Cranney Home Services
Lists Wilmington 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.
Damaso Plumbing & Heating Inc
Lists Wilmington 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.
Rich Mathews & Son Plumbing (Boston Water Heaters)
Lists Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington 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 WILMINGTON
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN WILMINGTON
What Wilmington homes are like.
1979Median year built
51%Built before 1980
88%Owner-occupied
32%Heat with utility gas
88%Single-family homes
About 51% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
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 Wilmington.
Inspections in the late afternoon
Wilmington does plumbing and gas inspections between 4 and 6 p.m.
RMLD electric territory
Wilmington gets its electricity from the Reading Municipal Light Department, so RMLD programs apply instead of Mass Save electric rebates.
RMLD Residential Rebates (serves Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, Lynnfield Center) ↗ · MassDOT Utility Contacts by Municipality: Wilmington ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Wilmington homes.
Energy
- Electric: Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD)
- Gas: National Grid
MassDOT Utility Contacts by Municipality: Wilmington ↗ · RMLD Residential Rebates (serves Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, Lynnfield Center) ↗
Water
Wilmington Water Department (town wells, with partial MWRA supply)
MWRA 2025 Annual Water Quality Test Results - Partial Service communities ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Wilmington homes.
For Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) and National Grid customers in Wilmington. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- RMLD electric panel upgrade rebate ↗Active$500 when a home customer needs a bigger electrical panel for new electric load, like a heat pump.
- 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 Wilmington.
Permits and who issues them
Wilmington's Building Inspector's office issues plumbing and gas permits, charged by the value of the work. The fee schedule says plumbing and gas inspections are done between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.
We found no Wilmington contractor license; the state licenses the plumbers and gas fitters.
Town of Wilmington Inspector of Buildings (Plumbing & Gas Inspector), 121 Glen Road ↗ · Town of Wilmington Building Inspector Fee Schedule ↗ · 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 Wilmington.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 4 mi | Required | $50 | Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) |
| Burlington | 5 mi | Required | $45 | Eversource (NSTAR Electric) |
| Woburn | 5 mi | Required | — | Eversource |
| Wakefield | 7 mi | Required | $25 | Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (WMGLD) |
| Lynnfield | 7 mi | Required | $50 | Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD), Peabody Municipal Light Plant |
| Stoneham | 7 mi | Required | $50 | Eversource (NSTAR Electric) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Wilmington water heater questions.
How much is a water heater permit in Wilmington?
$50 for the first $1,000 of work value plus $10 for each additional $1,000, for each home plumbing or gas permit.
Who supplies electricity in Wilmington?
The Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD).
RMLD Residential Rebates (serves Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, Lynnfield Center) ↗
More guides: Massachusetts water heater replacement · All local guides