Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN GRAHAM
Graham Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓GRAHAM AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Graham.
Graham is unincorporated Pierce County, so the county issues a flat $86 online water heater permit in 2026, and homeowners can do the work themselves. Depending on where you live, electricity comes from Tacoma Power, Puget Sound Energy or Ohop Mutual Light. PSE supplies gas, and many rural homes use private wells or small water systems.
Graham is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, so county offices handle permits.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · Pierce County Planning and Public Works (Development Center)
- Permit fee
- $86 in 2026 ($95 in 2027) for a residential water heater or furnace permit bought online, under Pierce County Code Table 17C.10-1-G.
- Who gets the permit
- Pierce County lets homeowners do their own plumbing and mechanical work (citing RCW 18.27.090 and RCW 18.106.150). If you hire someone, use an L&I-registered contractor with a certified plumber.
- Electric utility
- Tacoma Power, Puget Sound Energy and Ohop Mutual Light Company
- Gas utility
- Puget Sound Energy
- Water
- Mixed: the urban part is mainly served by Rainier View, the Southwood/Sound system or Firgrove Mutual Water; the rural area relies on about 20-25 Group A systems (e.g., Graham Hill Mutual), small Group B systems and private wells
- Rebate worth checking
- Tacoma Power hybrid water heater rebate (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1999 (median) · 82% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 8 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 Graham averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Graham
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit fee$86 in 2026 ($95 in 2027) for a residential water heater or furnace permit bought online, under Pierce County Code Table 17C.10-1-G.. Pierce County Planning and Public Works (Development Center) fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised price1 of the companies listed for Graham post water heater prices or specials on their websites: Harts Plumbers, Electricians, & HVAC Technicians. Each offer has its own conditions.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Graham average is shown.
What can change the price in Graham?
Adding or changing gas pipe, such as going from an electric to a gas water heater, takes a separate gas piping permit, available online. Tacoma Power issues electrical permits for the homes it serves, including part of Graham; L&I issues them everywhere else.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Graham?
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 →
Convenient Water Heaters & Plumbing
Lists Graham 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.
Brennan Heating & Air Conditioning
Lists Graham 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 Graham 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 Graham 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 Graham 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 Graham 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 Graham 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.
Home Comfort Alliance
Lists Graham 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.
Order: companies based in Graham 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 GRAHAM
Photos of water heater jobs from these companies.
HOMES IN GRAHAM
What Graham homes are like.
1999Median year built
15%Built before 1980
82%Owner-occupied
34%Heat with utility gas
84%Single-family homes
The median home was built in 1999. 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 Graham.
Your electric company decides who permits electrical work
The county's Graham plan splits electric service among Tacoma Power, PSE and Ohop Mutual Light. If Tacoma Power serves you, it issues electrical permits and inspects; otherwise L&I does. Check your power bill before planning a heat pump water heater or a new circuit.
Graham Community Plan ↗ · L&I city electrical permits (Tacoma Power note) ↗
Lots of private wells and small systems
Much of rural Graham is outside any Group A water service area. Homes there use their own wells or small Group B systems, so water quality, and how much scale builds up in a water heater, changes from house to house.
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Graham homes.
Energy
- Electric: Tacoma Power (Northwest Graham: about 194th to 257th St E, between Mountain Highway and Meridian)
- Electric: Puget Sound Energy (East Graham: about 194th to 352nd St E, between Meridian and Orville Road)
- Electric: Ohop Mutual Light Company (Southwest Graham: about 257th to 352nd St E, between Mountain Highway and Meridian)
- Gas: Puget Sound Energy (The county plan names PSE as Graham's natural gas supplier)
Pierce County Graham Community Plan (adopted 2006, effective 2007, as amended) ↗
Water
Mixed: the urban part is mainly served by Rainier View, the Southwood/Sound system or Firgrove Mutual Water; the rural area relies on about 20-25 Group A systems (e.g., Graham Hill Mutual), small Group B systems and private wells
Pierce County Graham Community Plan (domestic water section) ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Graham homes.
For Tacoma Power, Puget Sound Energy and Ohop Mutual Light Company customers in Graham. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Tacoma Power hybrid water heater rebate ↗Active$500 rebate when a Tacoma Power customer replaces a standard electric water heater with a BPA Tier 3 or 4 hybrid (heat pump) model, contractor or self-installed.
- 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 Graham.
Permits and who issues them
Graham isn't in a city, so Pierce County issues the permit. The county says a water heater replacement needs a mechanical or plumbing permit (IRC R105.1, UPC 103), and it issues residential water heater permits online with no plan review.
There's no county contractor license that we found. Contractors register with Washington L&I.
Pierce County Planning and Public Works (Development Center) ↗ · Pierce County Mechanical/Plumbing FAQs ↗ · Pierce County Code 17C.10.070 Fees ↗ · L&I: city electrical permits and Tacoma Power note ↗
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 Graham.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Plain | 4 mi | Required (county) | $86 | Tacoma Power |
| South Hill | 6 mi | Required (county) | $86 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Spanaway | 8 mi | Required (county) | $86 | Tacoma Power, Elmhurst Mutual Power & Light |
| Prairie Ridge | 10 mi | Required (county) | $86 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Puyallup | 10 mi | Required | $40 | Puget Sound Energy |
| Parkland | 11 mi | Required (county) | $58 | Parkland Light & Water Company, Tacoma Power |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Graham water heater questions.
Who issues water heater permits in Graham?
Pierce County Planning and Public Works. You get a residential water heater permit online, no review needed, for $86 in 2026.
Which electric company serves Graham?
It depends where you are. The county's Graham Community Plan shows Tacoma Power in the northwest, Puget Sound Energy east of Meridian, and Ohop Mutual Light Company in the southwest.
Can I replace my own water heater in Graham?
Yes. Pierce County lets homeowners do their own plumbing and mechanical work, but you still need a permit.
More guides: Washington water heater replacement · All local guides