Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN FEDERAL WAY
Federal Way Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓FEDERAL WAY AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Federal Way.
Federal Way issues its own plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits and charges by the value of the job. The lowest tier is $89.54 plus an automation fee of at least $43. PSE supplies gas and electricity. Lakehaven Water & Sewer District mixes well water with Green River water, which is noticeably harder than Seattle's.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · City of Federal Way Permit Center (Community Development)
- Who gets the permit
- The city has a Property Owner Electrical Work Permit Affidavit for owners doing their own electrical work. State law lets owners do their own plumbing on property they own; anyone else must be an L&I-certified plumber.
- Electric utility
- Puget Sound Energy
- Gas utility
- Puget Sound Energy
- Water
- Lakehaven Water & Sewer District (its own wells blended with Green River surface water from the Regional Water Supply System) · In 2025, well water ranged from 14 to 146 mg/L, averaging 94.13 mg/L (moderately hard). The flow-weighted blend with surface water averaged 54.07 mg/L (slightly hard, about 3.2 gpg). Source: 2026 report on 2025 data.
- Rebate worth checking
- PSE heat pump water heater rebate (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1984 (median) · 55% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 13 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 Federal Way averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Federal Way
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local company’s advertised price2 of the companies listed for Federal Way 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 Federal Way average is shown.
What can change the price in Federal Way?
Federal Way issues its own electrical permits (Table B), so a new or changed circuit for an electric, heat pump or tankless unit goes through the city, not L&I. If plans need review, that adds 65% of the permit fee.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Federal Way?
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 Federal Way 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 Federal Way 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 Federal Way 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 Federal Way 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 Federal Way 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.
Green Planet Plumbing & Sewer
Lists Federal Way among the areas it serves. Based in Seattle.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback A customer praised a next-day estimate, quick scheduling and pleasant technicians for a hot water tank replacement.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Harts Plumbers, Electricians, & HVAC Technicians
Lists Federal Way 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 Federal Way 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.
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Tacoma
Lists Federal Way among the areas it serves. Based in Tacoma.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Heat pump
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
Water heater feedback A customer praised next-day service with a new hot water heater installed by 11am.
Worth knowing No water heater complaints found in the sources checked.
1 water heater review read, checked September 30, 2026.
Puget Sound Plumbing & Heating
Lists Federal Way 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.
Also listing Federal Way: Convenient Water Heaters & Plumbing, Home Comfort Alliance, Rainier View Plumbing & Rooter.
Order: companies based in Federal Way 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 FEDERAL WAY
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN FEDERAL WAY
What Federal Way homes are like.
1984Median year built
40%Built before 1980
55%Owner-occupied
39%Heat with utility gas
52%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1984. A first or second replacement is common in homes this age.
58% 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 Federal Way.
Harder water than neighbors on Seattle water
Lakehaven says hardness varies a lot from well to well, and hard water can leave scale in water heaters. Its 2025 blended average was 54 mg/L, well above the roughly 25 mg/L in cities on Seattle water, so flushing the tank matters more here.
Online submittals only
Any application that needs review has to be submitted electronically. The Permit Center is closed to the public on Wednesdays.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Federal Way homes.
Energy
- Electric: Puget Sound Energy
- Gas: Puget Sound Energy
City of Federal Way – Utility tax rebate program (gas and electric provided by PSE) ↗
Water
Lakehaven Water & Sewer District (its own wells blended with Green River surface water from the Regional Water Supply System): In 2025, well water ranged from 14 to 146 mg/L, averaging 94.13 mg/L (moderately hard). The flow-weighted blend with surface water averaged 54.07 mg/L (slightly hard, about 3.2 gpg). Source: 2026 report on 2025 data.
Lakehaven Water & Sewer District Annual Water Quality Report (2025 data) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Federal Way homes.
For Puget Sound Energy customers in Federal Way. 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 Federal Way.
Permits and who issues them
Federal Way's list of home projects that don't need a permit doesn't include replacing a water heater; it only covers replacing small parts and fixing leaks. Apply for residential plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits online at MyBuildingPermit.com, and the city inspects.
City of Federal Way Permit Center (Community Development) ↗ · City of Federal Way – Permit Center ↗ · City of Federal Way – Residential permit exemptions ↗ · City of Federal Way – Building permits (applications and handouts) ↗ · Washington L&I – About the plumber certification program ↗
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 Federal Way.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 5 mi | Required | $67.10 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Auburn | 6 mi | Required | $43 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Tacoma | 7 mi | Required | By job value (from $180) | Tacoma Power |
| Sumner | 8 mi | Required | $20 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Kent | 8 mi | Required | — | Puget Sound Energy |
| SeaTac | 9 mi | Required | $110 | Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Federal Way water heater questions.
Is water heater replacement exempt from permits in Federal Way?
No. The home exemption list covers only replacing small parts and fixing leaks, not replacing the whole appliance.
How is the permit fee calculated?
By the value of the work. Under the Feb 2026 bulletin, jobs up to $1,000 are $89.54 (Table A), plus $6.57 for each extra $100 up to $2,000. Add an automation fee of $43 or 5%, whichever is more.
How hard is Federal Way's water?
Lakehaven's 2025 blended average was 54.07 mg/L (slightly hard), and individual wells ranged from 14 to 146 mg/L.
More guides: Washington water heater replacement · All local guides