Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN AUBURN
Auburn Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓AUBURN AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Auburn.
In Auburn, a residential over-the-counter plumbing permit for a water heater costs $43 plus $15 for each fixture under the 2026 fee schedule. Electrical permits come from Washington L&I. PSE supplies electricity and gas. City water comes from wells and springs, not a mountain reservoir.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Auburn Community Development – Building Services & Permitting
- Permit fee
- $43 residential over-the-counter plumbing application fee plus $15 for each fixture ($58 for one water heater), effective January 1, 2026.
- Who gets the permit
- A licensed contractor, or a homeowner doing plumbing in their own home (state law, RCW 18.106.150, doesn't require a plumbing license for that).
- Electric utility
- Puget Sound Energy
- Gas utility
- Puget Sound Energy
- Water
- City of Auburn Water Utility (deep wells and springs, including Coal Creek Springs) · The city's 2018 water quality report (old) describes the water as 'soft to moderately hard'; no numeric hardness was found in a current report.
- Rebate worth checking
- PSE heat pump water heater rebate (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1991 (median) · 61% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 11 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 Auburn averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Auburn
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$43 residential over-the-counter plumbing application fee plus $15 for each fixture ($58 for one water heater), effective January 1, 2026.. City of Auburn Community Development – Building Services & Permitting fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price2 of the companies listed for Auburn post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Bee's Plumbing & Heating, Harts Plumbers, Electricians, & HVAC Technicians. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Auburn average is shown.
What can change the price in Auburn?
Gas work goes on the mechanical permit (IFGC/NFPA 54): $43 residential over-the-counter application plus $15 for each fixture. Electrical work needs an L&I electrical permit. Work done without a permit costs an extra 100% of the application and permit fees.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Auburn?
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 →
Beacon Plumbing, Heating & Electric
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Seattle.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised quick response, same-day or next-day water heater replacement, and a technician willing to repair an 11-year-old tankless unit.
Worth knowing BBB complainants disputed a water heater replacement price paid under emergency conditions and a $2,000 deposit largely kept after a verbally cancelled water heater job (Beacon said its contract terms, including written cancellation, were clearly stated), and a Yelp reviewer called $5,700 for a 50-gallon gas tank double what he expected.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Bee's Plumbing & Heating
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Seattle.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Coupon: '$500-$800 OFF Water Heater Installation' ($500 off tank, $800 off tankless; not valid on dispatch fee; expires 9/30/2026). No base installed prices published.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised same-day response, clear explanation of options and quick tank and tankless installs.
Worth knowing Reviewers on BBB and Yelp said water heater prices were far above other quotes or not itemized (the company said on BBB it later sent an itemized invoice and wanted to make it right).
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Bob Larson Plumbing
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Tacoma.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Customers praised same-day water heater service, knowledgeable technicians and a clean tankless installation.
Worth knowing A reviewer on BBB and Yelp said elderly parents were charged $7,779.14 for a gas tank without an itemized invoice (the company said three estimates were presented, including a $4,025.85 basic option), and a BBB complainant's warrantied tankless heater kept shutting off until the complaint was marked resolved with the company fixing it.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Brennan Heating & Air Conditioning
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Seattle.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback No water heater-specific praise was found in the sources checked.
Worth knowing A BBB complainant said a gas tank was installed facing the wrong way, blocking access to controls (Brennan apologized and scheduled a return visit to rotate it), and Yelp reviewers described a delayed Costco-sourced install and a later diagnosis they disputed.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Fast Water Heater Co. (Washington)
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Woodinville.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised punctual, communicative technicians, quick scheduling and a competitively priced replacement.
Worth knowing BBB complainants and a Yelp reviewer said code items were sold as add-ons after a basic quote and that installs failed inspection or permits lingered; the company says it walks customers through a signed code checklist, and in several cases refunded charges or did the code work free.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Harts Plumbers, Electricians, & HVAC Technicians
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Tacoma.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
Published price: Promos (no base price): $100 off a standard water heater (or $39/month financing); $250 off a tankless water heater (or $199/month financing); 5% Heroes Discount up to $200.
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Yelp reviewers praised technicians who flushed water heaters and explained maintenance clearly.
Worth knowing BBB reviewers and complainants said technicians recommended whole-house repipes or new tanks for water heater problems that other plumbers fixed cheaply (Harts denied any fraudulent practice and offered manager follow-up), and one disputed $2,500 for a tankless flush and diagnosis that did not fix the issue.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Hunt's Services
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Milton.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised same-day emergency water heater replacements and a technician who also corrected code issues at a reasonable price.
Worth knowing BBB reviewers said a tankless flush ended in a paid replacement without the promised phone controller (Hunt's said a controller is typically an optional upgrade) and that a $10,000 boiler hot water tank replacement left them without hot water.
5 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Puget Sound Plumbing & Heating
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Burien.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback Reviewers praised fast response to a leaking water heater, fair pricing and dispatch updates on arrival times.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
3 water heater reviews read, checked September 30, 2026.
Convenient Water Heaters & Plumbing
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Graham.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Home Comfort Alliance
Lists Auburn among the areas it serves. Based in Sumner.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Also listing Auburn: Rainier View Plumbing & Rooter.
Order: companies based in Auburn 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. L&I Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business ↗.
FROM COMPANIES SERVING AUBURN
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN AUBURN
What Auburn homes are like.
1991Median year built
33%Built before 1980
61%Owner-occupied
39%Heat with utility gas
57%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1991. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
56% of homes heat with electricity, which usually means an electric water heater. It’s worth getting a price on a heat pump model too.
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 Auburn.
Fees waived for low-income homeowners
Auburn's Director can waive building, mechanical or plumbing permit fees for homeowners already in another city low-income program, like the housing repair program or the utility discount program. That works even when a contractor applies for you.
Well and spring water
Auburn gets its water from deep wells and springs, so it doesn't depend on the yearly snowpack. The 2018 report says the water is aerated to adjust pH before chlorine is added.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Auburn homes.
Energy
- Electric: Puget Sound Energy (PSE sells both electricity and gas in King and Pierce counties)
- Gas: Puget Sound Energy
Water
City of Auburn Water Utility (deep wells and springs, including Coal Creek Springs): The city's 2018 water quality report (old) describes the water as 'soft to moderately hard'; no numeric hardness was found in a current report.
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Auburn homes.
For Puget Sound Energy customers in Auburn. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- PSE heat pump water heater rebate ↗Active$1,000 back on a qualifying Tier 3 or Tier 4 heat pump water heater installed on or after January 1, 2026.
- Washington HEAR (Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates) ↗ActiveState-run program covering heat pump water heaters, heat pumps, induction cooking and electrical upgrades for households at or below 150% of Area Median Income.
- IRA Home Energy Rebates (HARP appliance rebates and HOMES) ↗Not launchedThe federally funded appliance (HARP) and whole-house (HOMES) rebates for households up to 150% AMI had not launched statewide.
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Washington rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Auburn.
Permits and who issues them
Auburn issues its own plumbing and mechanical permits under its 2026 fee schedule, with a lower 'Residential Over the Counter' application fee. Apply on MyBuildingPermit.com. Electrical permits in Auburn come from Washington L&I, not the city.
City of Auburn Community Development – Building Services & Permitting ↗ · Auburn Permits, Licenses & Inspections ↗ · City of Auburn 2026 Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026) ↗ · RCW 18.106.150 homeowner plumbing exemption ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the L&I Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Washington licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Auburn.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumner | 5 mi | Required | $20 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Kent | 6 mi | Required | — | Puget Sound Energy |
| Federal Way | 6 mi | Required | — | Puget Sound Energy |
| Covington | 6 mi | Required | $63 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Bonney Lake | 8 mi | Required | $100 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Des Moines | 8 mi | Required | $67.10 | Puget Sound Energy |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Auburn water heater questions.
How much is a water heater permit in Auburn?
$58 for a single water heater in 2026: the $43 residential over-the-counter plumbing application fee plus $15 for each fixture.
Who issues electrical permits in Auburn?
Washington L&I issues every electrical permit inside Auburn city limits.
What happens if I replace a water heater without a permit?
Auburn adds 100% to the normal application and permit fees for work done without a required permit.
More guides: Washington water heater replacement · All local guides