Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN HORNSBY BEND
Hornsby Bend Water Heater
Replacement
Take a photo of your old water heater to start a replacement quote.
Get a water heater quotePhotos optional. No payment or booking.
See what replacement costs ↓HORNSBY BEND AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Hornsby Bend.
Travis County has no permit for replacing a water heater in Hornsby Bend. It's unincorporated, and the county's development permits don't include plumbing or water heaters. State plumbing licensing still applies. Most of the area is in Austin Energy's service area.
Hornsby Bend is an unincorporated community in Travis County, so county offices handle permits.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Check with the city · No city authority; Travis County TNR Development Services handles development permits only
- Who gets the permit
- Texas law requires a licensed plumber, except that you can do plumbing on your own homestead.
- Electric utility
- Austin Energy
- Rebate worth checking
- Austin Energy heat pump water heater rebate (Active; limited funding)
- Typical home
- Built 2009 (median) · 73% 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 Hornsby Bend averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Hornsby Bend
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local company’s advertised priceNone of the local company websites we checked list a full installed price.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Hornsby Bend average is shown.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Hornsby Bend?
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 (Austin)
Lists Hornsby Bend among the areas it serves. Based in Austin.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised same-day repair, honest advice on what a replacement did and did not need, and a quick fix to a burst water heater pipe.
Worth knowing On Yelp, one customer said a $2,500 replacement bid was repaired elsewhere for $150; another said a tankless installation flooded the house, and that the Austin manager accepted responsibility and arranged drying and repairs.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 29, 2026.
Order: companies based in Hornsby Bend 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. Texas plumbing license lookup ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING HORNSBY BEND
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN HORNSBY BEND
What Hornsby Bend homes are like.
2009Median year built
9%Built before 1980
73%Owner-occupied
59%Heat with utility gas
97%Single-family homes
About 48% of homes were built since 2010, so many original water heaters are reaching the age when replacement planning makes sense.
59% 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 Hornsby Bend.
First check: city or county?
Travis County tells residents to use its Jurisdiction Web Map to check whether an address is in a city or in the unincorporated county before applying.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Hornsby Bend homes.
Energy
- Electric: Austin Energy (By our estimate from the City of Austin's official Austin Energy service map, about 89% of Hornsby Bend (using its 2020 Census boundary) is in Austin Energy's area, including all of the northern and central parts. A small southwest corner (ZIP 78725, near the Colorado River) is outside it, and we didn't confirm who serves it.)
Austin Energy: Service Area Map (437 sq mi, mostly Travis County; map image) ↗ · City of Austin open data: Austin Energy Service Area polygon (dataset w5fd-ctq4) ↗ · Texas Power to Choose API, ZIP 78725: no retail plans (not a competitive-choice area) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Hornsby Bend homes.
For Austin Energy customers in Hornsby Bend. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Austin Energy heat pump water heater rebate ↗Active; limited funding$1,000 for an ENERGY STAR heat pump water heater with an Energy Factor of 2.0 or higher and at least 40 gallons.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 29, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Texas rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Hornsby Bend.
Permits and who issues them
Hornsby Bend is unincorporated. Outside city limits, Travis County's development permits cover new homes, remodels, floodplain work and septic systems (OSSF). Its pages list no plumbing or water heater permit on its own. Remodel inspections by a licensed third-party inspector apply only when a professional builder adds square footage or work worth 50% or more of the home's value.
No city authority; Travis County TNR Development Services handles development permits only ↗ · Travis County Remodel/Renovation Permit ↗ · Travis County Permitting Center ↗ · Tex. Occ. Code §1301.051 (plumbing by owner in homestead) ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the Texas plumbing license lookup ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Texas licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Hornsby Bend.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manor | 8 mi | Required | — | Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, Oncor (delivery; retail electric provider chosen by customer) |
| Austin | 11 mi | Required | — | Austin Energy |
| Elgin | 14 mi | Required | $75 | Retail electric choice; Oncor delivery |
| Pflugerville | 14 mi | Required | $60 | Oncor (delivery; retail electric provider chosen by customer), Austin Energy |
| Wells Branch | 15 mi | Check with city (county) | — | Oncor (delivery; retail electric provider chosen by customer) |
| Bastrop | 19 mi | Required | $125 | Bastrop Power & Light (city-owned) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Hornsby Bend water heater questions.
Does Travis County issue water heater permits?
No. Its permit pages cover development, remodel, floodplain and septic permits, with no plumbing or water heater permit.
More guides: Texas water heater replacement · All local guides