Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN SPANISH LAKE
Spanish Lake Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓SPANISH LAKE AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Spanish Lake.
Spanish Lake is unincorporated, so a water heater replacement needs a $47 St. Louis County plumbing permit. Utilities are Ameren Missouri (power), Spire (gas) and Missouri American Water. It's the one unincorporated north county community where renters outnumber owners: only about 49% of homes are owner-occupied, and many people live in apartment complexes built from the late 1960s on. So a failed water heater is often the landlord's job, and tenants call St. Louis County code enforcement when hot water or heat is missing.
Spanish Lake is an unincorporated community in St. Louis County, so county offices handle permits.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works (Code Enforcement) – unincorporated St. Louis County
- Permit fee
- $47 total for replacing a home water heater, with the county's regular $47 processing fee waived (Sec. 1100.200, Ord. 29445, adopted Nov. 5, 2025).
- Who gets the permit
- St. Louis County issues these permits only to bonded, insured master plumbers or master water heater replacement specialists holding a county license. The exception is a homeowner permit for one water heater, open to an owner living in a detached single-family house or an immediate family member living with them; that person must do the work and may need to prove their skill.
- Electric utility
- Ameren Missouri
- Gas utility
- Spire
- Water
- Missouri American Water (St. Louis County system) · Total hardness 82–164 ppm (about 5–10 gpg) from Missouri River plants and 60–150 ppm (about 3.5–9 gpg) from Meramec River plants, per Missouri American Water's 2025 report; the report says the water is lime-softened; exact plant for Spanish Lake not stated
- Rebate worth checking
- Missouri IRA Home Energy Rebates (HOMES and HEAR) (Not launched)
- Typical home
- Built 1969 (median) · 49% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 1 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 Spanish Lake averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Spanish Lake
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$47 total for replacing a home water heater, with the county's regular $47 processing fee waived (Sec. 1100.200, Ord. 29445, adopted Nov. 5, 2025).. St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works (Code Enforcement) – unincorporated St. Louis County fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised priceNone of the local company websites we checked list a full installed price.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Spanish Lake average is shown.
What can change the price in Spanish Lake?
Heaters over 120 gallons (or over 40 kW or 140,000 BTU) aren't covered by the home replacement rules and are charged as mechanical permits. Gas piping is under the county Mechanical/Fuel Gas Code; a new circuit needs its own county electrical permit.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Spanish Lake?
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 →
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (St. Louis)
Lists Spanish Lake among the areas it serves. Based in 2671 Washington Ave, St Louis, MO 63103 (local branch of 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.
Order: companies based in Spanish Lake 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. Missouri has no statewide plumbing license (check your city or county) ↗.
See before-and-after replacement examples from independent companies →
HOMES IN SPANISH LAKE
What Spanish Lake homes are like.
1969Median year built
84%Built before 1980
49%Owner-occupied
76%Heat with utility gas
73%Single-family homes
About 84% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
76% of homes heat with utility gas, so gas water heaters with existing venting are common here.
Only 49% 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 Spanish Lake.
Mostly renters
Census estimates (ACS 2020-2024) show 49.2% of Spanish Lake homes are owner-occupied and 73.4% are single-family. The median home was built in 1969, 84% were built before 1980, and about 76% heat with utility gas. Apartments often have smaller gas or electric heaters in closets instead of the basement.
Census Reporter: ACS 2024 5-year, year structure built (St. Louis metro places) ↗
County housing code enforcement
Because Spanish Lake is unincorporated, St. Louis County enforces housing codes directly. In November 2025 the county condemned 12 buildings at the Trinity Park Apartments in Spanish Lake after repeated complaints about missing furnaces, mold and structural damage. Tenants without working hot water or heat can report it to the county.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Spanish Lake homes.
Energy
- Electric: Ameren Missouri (Ameren Missouri serves the St. Louis area; we didn't check a map for individual addresses)
- Gas: Spire (Spire's Eastern Missouri area; we didn't check a map for individual addresses)
Ameren – service territory overview ↗ · Spire – About Spire (Eastern Missouri service area) ↗
Water
Missouri American Water (St. Louis County system): Total hardness 82–164 ppm (about 5–10 gpg) from Missouri River plants and 60–150 ppm (about 3.5–9 gpg) from Meramec River plants, per Missouri American Water's 2025 report; the report says the water is lime-softened; exact plant for Spanish Lake not stated
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Spanish Lake homes.
For Ameren Missouri and Spire customers in Spanish Lake. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Missouri IRA Home Energy Rebates (HOMES and HEAR) ↗Not launchedMissouri expects about $76 million for HOMES and $75 million for electrification and appliance rebates.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Missouri rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Spanish Lake.
Permits and who issues them
Unincorporated Spanish Lake uses St. Louis County's No-Plan Plumbing Permit for any new or replacement water heater up to 120 gallons. It's purchased online on the county's Accela Permitting Portal, where no plans or staff contact are needed; the county inspects the job when it's finished.
You need a St. Louis County license (master or journeyman) to work as a plumber or water heater replacement specialist. A business can only advertise water heater replacement if an owner or employee is licensed.
St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works (Code Enforcement) – unincorporated St. Louis County ↗ · St. Louis County – No-Plan Plumbing Permits ↗ · St. Louis County Code Ch. 1100, Sec. 1100.200 Plumbing Inspection and Permit Fees (Ord. 29445, Nov. 5, 2025) ↗ · St. Louis County Plumbing Code, Ch. 1103 (2015 UPC with county amendments) ↗ · St. Louis County – Municipality Contract Matrix (code enforcement by county, PDF) ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the Missouri has no statewide plumbing license (check your city or county) ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Missouri licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Spanish Lake.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellefontaine Neighbors | 3 mi | Required | $47 | Ameren Missouri |
| Old Jamestown | 5 mi | Required (county) | $47 | Ameren Missouri |
| Jennings | 5 mi | Required | — | Ameren Missouri |
| Ferguson | 5 mi | Required | — | Ameren Missouri |
| Florissant | 6 mi | Required | $95 | Ameren Missouri |
| Hazelwood | 10 mi | Required | $47 | Ameren Missouri |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Spanish Lake water heater questions.
I rent in Spanish Lake and my water heater died. Who replaces it?
Usually the landlord, who must use a St. Louis County-licensed plumber or water heater specialist and get a county permit. If a rental is missing required equipment, St. Louis County, which enforces housing codes in unincorporated Spanish Lake, handles complaints.
First Alert 4: Trinity Park Apartments residents forced to vacate after county condemns units (Nov. 2025) ↗ · St. Louis County Code Ch. 1103 Plumbing Code ↗
How many Spanish Lake homes are rented?
About half. ACS 2020-2024 estimates put owner occupancy at 49.2%.
Census Reporter: ACS 2024 5-year, year structure built (St. Louis metro places) ↗
More guides: Missouri water heater replacement · All local guides