Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN DAMASCUS
Damascus, OR Water Heater
Replacement
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DAMASCUS AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Damascus.
You need a Clackamas County plumbing permit to replace a water heater in Damascus. It's a former city that has been unincorporated since the Oregon Supreme Court reinstated its disincorporation in 2020. About 95% of homes are detached houses, the median one built in 1978, and about a third heat with electricity, so an electric or heat pump water heater is often the starting point.
Damascus is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, so county offices handle permits.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · Clackamas County Building Codes Division
- Permit fee
- Clackamas County Building Division Fees, 2026/2027: water heater $31.75, but the minimum plumbing permit fee is $123, plus Oregon's 12% state surcharge (about $137.76).
- Who gets the permit
- The state says whoever does the work, homeowner or contractor, gets the permit. A company you hire needs a Construction Contractors Board license and the right state plumbing contractor license; licensed contractors can use state plumbing minor labels ($140 for 10) for water heater replacements. Clackamas County takes homeowner applications, with homeowner responsibility forms, by email or at its Oregon City lobby.
- Electric utility
- Portland General Electric
- Gas utility
- NW Natural
- Water
- Sunrise Water Authority (serves Happy Valley, Carver, Damascus and nearby unincorporated areas; mostly Clackamas River water from the CRW and NCCWC plants, plus Sunrise wells in the Damascus area at peak times)
- Rebate worth checking
- Energy Trust heat pump water heater incentive (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1978 (median) · 91% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 5 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 Damascus averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Damascus
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeClackamas County Building Division Fees, 2026/2027: water heater $31.75, but the minimum plumbing permit fee is $123, plus Oregon's 12% state surcharge (about $137.76).. Clackamas County Building Codes Division fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price2 of the companies listed for Damascus post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Cornel's Plumbing, Heating & Air, Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Portland. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Damascus average is shown.
What can change the price in Damascus?
Clackamas County also issues electrical permits (minimum fee $123 in 2026/2027), so a new circuit for a heat pump water heater needs its own county electrical permit.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Damascus?
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 →
Cornel's Plumbing, Heating & Air
Lists Damascus among the areas it serves. Based in Portland.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Coupons: 'Water Heater Installation – $250 Off' and 'Full Water Heater Inspection' $89 (reg. $149); both expire September 30, 2026; cannot be combined. No base installed prices published.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Testimonials praised a fast, polite replacement crew and a tankless service technician who explained the work and documented it with photos and video.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
2 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Fast Water Heater Co. (Oregon)
Lists Damascus among the areas it serves. Based in Troutdale (Oregon office; company HQ Woodinville, WA).
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Oregon reviewers praised same-day installs after a failure, punctual and kind installers, and prices and warranties they found reasonable.
Worth knowing A Portland reviewer said a $1,749 basic install rose to $3,000 with code items including a $500 leak detector the county said was not required, and another said the company wrongly claimed rebate eligibility, costing a $1,200 rebate.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Portland
Lists Damascus among the areas it serves. Based in Portland.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Coupon: '$200 Off Water Heater Installation' (valid toward qualifying water heater installation; expires 01/31/2027). No base installed prices published.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback A customer praised short-notice service that included replacing a corroded water heater part and a clean work area.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (Portland)
Lists Damascus among the areas it serves. Based in Portland.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised quick, friendly water heater replacement and troubleshooting, including a small extra fix done free.
Worth knowing No Portland-specific water heater complaints were found in the sources checked; national BBB complaints about Roto-Rooter water heater work could not be tied to this location.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Order: companies based in Damascus 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. Oregon CCB license search ↗.
See before-and-after replacement examples from independent companies →
HOMES IN DAMASCUS
What Damascus homes are like.
1978Median year built
57%Built before 1980
91%Owner-occupied
54%Heat with utility gas
96%Single-family homes
About 57% 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 Damascus.
Former city, now unincorporated
Damascus voters approved disincorporation in 2016. A 2019 appeals court ruling voided the vote, but the Oregon Supreme Court reinstated it on Sept. 3, 2020. The area is now unincorporated Clackamas County.
Mostly detached homes from the 1970s on
Census estimates for 2020–2024 count about 95% of Damascus homes as single-family detached, with a median year built of 1978. About 54% of households heat with gas and 35% with electricity, so not every street has a gas line. Check with NW Natural before planning a fuel switch.
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B25024 (via Census Reporter) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B25035 (via Census Reporter) ↗ · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B25040 (via Census Reporter) ↗
Sunrise water, plus Damascus wells at peak times
Sunrise Water Authority serves Damascus, Happy Valley and nearby unincorporated areas. Its 2026 report says the water is mostly Clackamas River water treated at partner plants, with Sunrise's own Damascus-area wells used when demand peaks. So summer water may include more groundwater.
Sunrise Water Authority – 2026 Water Quality Report (2025 data) ↗
If your home is on a private well
Clackamas County Public Health says private wells aren't regulated and testing is up to the owner. It points to accredited labs and Oregon's law requiring well tests when a home is sold. If you're on a well, test for sediment and minerals before choosing a tank, anode or filter.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Damascus homes.
Energy
- Electric: Portland General Electric (Electric utility for Clackamas County)
- Gas: NW Natural (Gas utility for Clackamas County)
Oregon Dept. of Energy – Clackamas County energy profile (2018) ↗
Water
Sunrise Water Authority (serves Happy Valley, Carver, Damascus and nearby unincorporated areas; mostly Clackamas River water from the CRW and NCCWC plants, plus Sunrise wells in the Damascus area at peak times)
Sunrise Water Authority – 2026 Water Quality Report (2025 data) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Damascus homes.
For Portland General Electric and NW Natural customers in Damascus. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Energy Trust heat pump water heater incentive ↗Active$1,200 for a Tier 3 or higher heat pump water heater installed by a licensed contractor in an existing home, applied as an instant discount through the distributor.
- Energy Trust gas tankless water heater incentive ↗Active$400 for an ENERGY STAR gas tankless water heater that replaces an existing gas storage tank water heater.
- Oregon Home Energy Rebates (IRA HEAR and HOMES) ↗Not launchedOregon received over $113 million for the two federal rebate programs, but ODOE says no rebates are currently available and there is no application opening date.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Oregon rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Damascus.
Permits and who issues them
Clackamas County says you need a permit before changing or installing any plumbing, and Oregon's Building Codes Division lists water heater replacement as needing a plumbing permit. Apply online or at the Development Services Building, 150 Beavercreek Road, Oregon City. Damascus stopped being a city when its 2016 disincorporation vote took effect, so the county issues permits there.
Clackamas County Building Codes Division ↗ · Clackamas County – Plumbing permits ↗ · Clackamas County – Building Division Fees (2026/2027) ↗ · Clackamas County – Navigating the permit process ↗ · Oregon BCD – About Oregon residential building permits ↗ · Oregon BCD – Plumbing minor labels ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the Oregon CCB license search ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Oregon licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Damascus.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Valley | 3 mi | Required | $35, | Portland General Electric |
| Gresham | 5 mi | Required | $62, | Portland General Electric |
| Oatfield | 7 mi | Required (county) | $31.75 | Portland General Electric |
| Gladstone | 8 mi | Required | $31.75 | Portland General Electric |
| Troutdale | 8 mi | Required | $62, | Portland General Electric |
| Fairview | 8 mi | Required | — | Portland General Electric |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Damascus water heater questions.
Is Damascus water from wells?
Mostly not, for Sunrise Water Authority customers: it's mainly Clackamas River water, with Sunrise's Damascus-area wells added at peak times. Homes outside the Sunrise system may be on private wells, which owners must test themselves.
Sunrise Water Authority – 2026 Water Quality Report (2025 data) ↗ · Clackamas County – Drinking Water Program ↗
Is natural gas available everywhere in Damascus?
Not always. Census estimates show about a third of households heat with electricity. Check with NW Natural before switching an electric water heater to gas.
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year, table B25040 (via Census Reporter) ↗
More guides: Oregon water heater replacement · All local guides