Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN HILLSBORO
Hillsboro Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓HILLSBORO AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Hillsboro.
You need a city plumbing permit to replace a water heater in Hillsboro. The fee schedule lists $35.40 per water heater plus Oregon's 12% state surcharge. PGE supplies electricity and NW Natural supplies gas. Hillsboro's Tualatin River water is soft, about 30 mg/L.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Hillsboro Building Division (Development & Permitting Center)
- Permit fee
- Building Division Fee Schedule: water heater $35.40 per plumbing permit item, plus a 12% state surcharge on all permit fees. The Rates & Fees page also lists a $64.90 minimum fee (plus 12% surcharge) for private utility permits; we couldn't confirm whether that minimum applies to a single water heater permit. The schedule has no date and seems to have been posted around late 2023.
- Who gets the permit
- Oregon's Building Codes Division puts the permit on the person doing the work, homeowner or contractor. Hired companies need a Construction Contractors Board license and the matching state plumbing contractor license; licensed contractors can use state plumbing minor labels ($140 for 10) on water heater replacements.
- Electric utility
- Portland General Electric
- Gas utility
- NW Natural
- Water
- Hillsboro Water (upper Tualatin River water treated by the Joint Water Commission; the Willamette Water Supply System is being added as a second source) · Soft: 30 mg/L (about 1.75 grains per gallon) on the Joint Water Commission's testing results page as of Sept. 28, 2026. The 2026 water quality report (2025 data) gives no hardness number.
- Rebate worth checking
- Energy Trust heat pump water heater incentive (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1997 (median) · 50% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 12 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 Hillsboro averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Hillsboro
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeBuilding Division Fee Schedule: water heater $35.40 per plumbing permit item, plus a 12% state surcharge on all permit fees. The Rates & Fees page also lists a $64.90 minimum fee (plus 12% surcharge) for private utility permits; we couldn't confirm whether that minimum applies to a single water heater permit. The schedule has no date and seems to have been posted around late 2023.. City of Hillsboro Building Division (Development & Permitting Center) fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price3 of the companies listed for Hillsboro post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Cornel's Plumbing, Heating & Air, Mr. Rooter Plumbing of West Portland, Rossco Plumbing. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Hillsboro average is shown.
What can change the price in Hillsboro?
Hillsboro issues its own electrical permits (a branch circuit without a service change is $64.90) and mechanical permits (gas piping $5.90 for the first four connections; a water heater flue vent $11.80).
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Hillsboro?
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 →
M T Dunn Plumbing
Lists Hillsboro among the areas it serves. Based in Hillsboro.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback A reviewer praised a water heater installation done quickly, professionally and cleanly.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Central Air Heating, Cooling & Plumbing
Lists Hillsboro among the areas it serves. Based in Portland.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Customers praised quick scheduling, clear explanations and a final water heater replacement cost that matched the quote.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
2 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Cornel's Plumbing, Heating & Air
Lists Hillsboro 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.
D&F Plumbing, Heating and Cooling
Lists Hillsboro among the areas it serves. Based in Portland.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback BBB reviewers praised same-day water heater replacements, clear explanations of options, and help diagnosing tankless parts under warranty.
Worth knowing One BBB reviewer said a technician left residue from water heater work across the basement floor without telling them and repeated cleanup requests went unanswered (the company apologized and said it would take the feedback into account).
4 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Fast Water Heater Co. (Oregon)
Lists Hillsboro 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.
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (Portland)
Lists Hillsboro 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
Water heater feedback Republished reviews praised quick scheduling, clear explanations of options, clean installs and competitive prices.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked; the accounts come from a company-curated reviews page.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
1-800-Plumber +Air of Portland
Lists Hillsboro among the areas it serves. Based in Beaverton.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of West Portland
Lists Hillsboro among the areas it serves.
- 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
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Rossco Plumbing
Lists Hillsboro among the areas it serves. Based in Battle Ground, WA.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Coupons: '$100 off Water Heater Installation or Replacement', '$100 off Tankless Water Heater Installation or Replacement', '$50 off Water Heater Repair', '$50 off Tankless Water Heater Repair' (one-time per home; not valid on trip charge/diagnostic fee; no expiration listed). No base installed prices published.
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Also listing Hillsboro: Sky Heating, AC, Plumbing & Electrical, Sun Glow Inc..
Order: companies based in Hillsboro 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 ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING HILLSBORO
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN HILLSBORO
What Hillsboro homes are like.
1997Median year built
24%Built before 1980
50%Owner-occupied
49%Heat with utility gas
59%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1997. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
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 Hillsboro.
Current code still applies to a swap
Oregon's code interpretation says a new water heater in an existing home has to meet today's requirements for earthquake strapping, raising it in a garage, the relief valve discharge, thermal expansion and combustion air. Older pipe sizing, a missing drip pan and existing water pressure over 80 psi can stay as they are.
New Willamette River supply
Hillsboro's 2026 water report says the Willamette Water Supply System is almost done and will start supplying treated Willamette River water. The upper Tualatin River stays the main source.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Hillsboro homes.
Energy
- Electric: Portland General Electric (The city says PGE supplies electricity to the region)
- Gas: NW Natural (Gas utility for Washington County)
City of Hillsboro – Infrastructure & utilities ↗ · Oregon Dept. of Energy – Washington County energy profile (2018) ↗
Water
Hillsboro Water (upper Tualatin River water treated by the Joint Water Commission; the Willamette Water Supply System is being added as a second source): Soft: 30 mg/L (about 1.75 grains per gallon) on the Joint Water Commission's testing results page as of Sept. 28, 2026. The 2026 water quality report (2025 data) gives no hardness number.
Hillsboro Water – 2026 In-Town Water Quality Report ↗ · Joint Water Commission – Testing results ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Hillsboro homes.
For Portland General Electric and NW Natural customers in Hillsboro. 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 Hillsboro.
Permits and who issues them
Hillsboro says replacing a water heater needs a plumbing permit. Apply on the city's online permit portal. The Development & Permitting Team takes walk-ins, calls and emails on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Civic Center, 150 E Main St.
City of Hillsboro Building Division (Development & Permitting Center) ↗ · City of Hillsboro – Property development, permits & construction ↗ · City of Hillsboro – Building Division Fee Schedule ↗ · City of Hillsboro – Rates & Fees ↗ · 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 Hillsboro.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aloha | 4 mi | Required (county) | $37 | Portland General Electric |
| Oak Hills | 5 mi | Required (county) | $37 | Portland General Electric |
| Bethany | 5 mi | Required (county) | $37, | Portland General Electric |
| Cornelius | 6 mi | Required | $13.90 | Portland General Electric |
| Cedar Mill | 7 mi | Required (county) | $37, | Portland General Electric |
| Beaverton | 7 mi | Required | $27.83 | Portland General Electric |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Hillsboro water heater questions.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Hillsboro?
Yes. The city says replacing a water heater needs a plumbing permit.
How much is the permit?
The Building Division schedule lists $35.40 for a water heater plus the 12% state surcharge. The city's rates page also shows a $64.90 minimum permit fee, so confirm the total when you apply.
Do I need a water softener in Hillsboro?
Probably not. Joint Water Commission water tested at 30 mg/L hardness (about 1.75 grains per gallon), which is soft.
More guides: Oregon water heater replacement · All local guides