Does Home Depot Install Water Heaters For Free?

Home Depot does install water heaters but it’s not for free. They charge between $1,000 – $3,000 for a water heater install which includes permits, installation materials, and removal of the old water heater. Water heaters run on either gas or electric and come in two basic designs: tank and tankless. Changing fuel source or switching from a tank to a tankless water heater, or vice versa, can increase installation costs.

The Home Depot works with local licensed and insured plumbers that do the consultation and installation. If you live within 30 miles of a Home Depot store they’ll schedule an in-home consultation to help you choose the right water heater based on your budget, fuel source and water usage. Once you select a water heater they’ll schedule installation. In some cases they can send someone to meet you and replace the water heating in the same day.

A typical water heater installation takes about 2-3 hours when it’s a tank to tank switch. If it’s a conversion from tank to tankless or tankless to tank it takes longer. In my experience this is usually a 4-5 hour job. But a tankless to tankless switch only take between 1-3 hours. The reason why tank water heaters take more time to install is the tank. They take a lot of time to fill up with water and drain.

After the new water heater is installed, the plumber will remove and dispose of the old heater.

There are several factors that effect how much Home Depot charges to install a water heater which we’ll discuss throughout the article.

How Much Does Home Depot Charge To Install A Water Heater?

The Home Depot charges between $1,000 – $3,000 to install a new water heater. This includes permits, installation materials and removal of the old tank. A typical water heater install takes about 2-3 hours when it’s a tank to tank replacement. A tank to tankless or tankless to tank replacement takes around 4-5 hours. The fastest installation is tankless to tankless which only takes between 1-3 hours.

If you live within 30 minutes of a Home Depot store, they’ll send someone to your home for a consultation. At the meeting, the plumber will help you pick the right water heater for your home. This is based on the tank style you want, fuel source, water usage and budget.

You can also get an estimate over the phone by calling 1-800-HOME-DEPOT.

In some cases, Home Depot can do a consultation and water heater install in the same day.

A Home Depot water heater installation includes:

The water heater
Permits
Installation materials
Installation labor by a local, licensed and insured plumber
Removal of the old unit
Cleanup

Note: The Home Depot offers same-day installation at no extra charge if you call early enough.

What’s Included With Home Depot’s Water Heater Installation?

When you hire Home Depot to install your water heater, there are several steps that take place from the time you call to a completed install.This includes the initial consultation by a licensed and insured plumber, installation of the water heater, cleanup and removal of the old unit.

A Home Depot water heater installation consists of:

Delivery of your new water heater and disposal of the old unit
Disconnect and removal of the existing water heater
Installation of the new water heater in the same area
Connecting your new water heater to existing code-approved venting, electrical, gas and water supply lines (if upgrades need to be made to meet new code, additional charges may apply)
Leak and cycle test your new water heater
Final inspection and walk through that includes instructions for care, plus a test to ensure proper operation
Final clean up of all installation related debris

Consultation

When you call Home Depot and ask about installing a new water heater, they’ll send a licensed and insured plumber to your home for a consultation. You can also do a consultation right in the store if you prefer.

At the meeting, the plumber will recommend a water heater based on the size of your home, water usage, budget, type of heater and fuel source.

Home Depot water heater installation costs between $1,000 – $3,000 on average. But it can cost more if you’re converting the fuel source or switching tank styles. Every job is a little different. The plumber can answer your questions and give you an exact quote at the meeting.

During the consultation, you’ll need to provide as much information as possible about your existing unit, including:

Size of the water heater
Where it’s located
Whether runs on gas or electric
Whether it’s a tank or tankless unit

The plumber will recommend a water heater model that best suits your needs and will explain pricing and financing options.

An installation appointment will be scheduled once you decide to move forward. In some cases this can even happen in the same day.

Preparing For Installation

There are a few things you can do to prepare your home for the water heater installation.

Use your phone or digital camera to take clear pictures of the following areas. Then, send the pics to your service provider as soon as possible:

Vents
Electrical outlets
Connection points
Surrounding areas

Next, make sure the installation area is clean. Remove any debris or clutter from the area.

Keep your pets safely secured in another room of the house.

Measure your doors to find the best entry point for your tank water heater model.

Make sure there’s a clear path for the plumber to bring in the new water heater from the door to your heater’s location. If it’s a tank water heater the plumber will most likely be using a hand truck to carry it. But tankless heaters are smaller and can be carried in by hand.

During Installation

Here’s a list of what you can expect on the day of your water heater installation.

The service provider will call about an hour before the appointment to let you know the plumber is on the way.

Upon arrival, the plumber will present their Home Depot Service Provider badge, do an initial walkthrough and confirm the scope of work.

Once you agree to move forward installation can begin.

Installing a new water heater usually takes a few hours. But if problems arise, they may need to return the following day.

The exact amount of time it takes to install a new water heater depends on the type of tank you currently have, what’s being installed, location and the tank’s fuel source. If the tank is located in a tight or hard to reach space, expect things to take a bit longer. It also takes longer to convert fuel source or tank type.

Tank To Tank Installation: On average, replacing a gas or electric tank hot water heater with a similar model takes two to three hours. It takes 45 to 60 minutes to drain the tank, disconnect and remove the old water heater. Positioning the new unit takes approximately 30 minutes. Then it takes another 45 to 60 minutes to secure the new connection points and verify that all functions are working properly.
Tank To Tankless Installation Or Vice Versa: If you’re switching from a water tank to a tankless design, the installation takes about 3-5 hours. More time is required to install new power and water lines and air vents. Once that’s done, the tankless unit must be mounted and connected.
Tankless to Tankless Installation: This generally takes between 1-3 hours.

Post Installation

After your new water heater is installed, the plumber will clean up the area, remove your old water heater and provide information on how to maintain your new unit.

If you have questions about how to care for your new water heater, call Home Depot at 1-800-HOME-DEPOT.

What Factors Effect A Water Heaters Price

When you buy a water heater at Home Depot, there are several factors that can effect its price.

These include:

Size: Tank water heaters are sized in gallons ranging from 20 to 80. In general, the bigger the tank the more expensive it will be.
Energy Efficiency: Units with increased energy efficiency and upgraded features, like hybrid models, may also raise the unit’s price. However, government rebates may be available to help lower the price of a more energy efficient unit.
Upgrades & Changes: If upgrades or changes are required to create space for the new unit and/or bring the installation up to code, the overall installation cost will increase.
Design: In general, tankless water heaters cost more than tank units. They’re a more complex system that heats water on demand rather than storing it in a tank. For this reason they’re more expensive.
Fuel: Overall, electric water heaters cost a bit more than the same size model running on gas. However they tend to be more efficient and sometimes come with a government rebate that can offset the higher cost.
Code: When switching fuel sources or tank design, additional work may be required to bring the plumbing up to code.
Permit: The cost of the permit may vary by location.
Warranty: Units with a better or extended warranty generally cost more money.
Location: To keep the price as low as possible, you should install the new unit in the same place or next to the old one. By doing this you don’t have to run new electrical, plumbing or venting ducts.

Energy Efficiency & Money Saving

Home Depot sells energy efficient water heaters like ENERGY STAR™. Generally, the more energy efficient a water heater is, the higher the cost. However, over time that cost can be recouped by lower energy bills.

Tankless water heaters usually cost more upfront, but they’re more energy efficient because they only heater water when its needed. These units can significantly cut the cost of monthly utilities. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that in homes using 41 gallons or less of hot water, on-demand tankless units can conserve between 24% to 34% more energy than tank water heaters.

Government rebates are sometimes available for both tank and tankless high-efficiency water heaters. Ask Home Depot for more information on rebates when selecting your new water heater.

Warranties

When Home Depot installs a new water heater for you, the unit will come with a manufacturer’s warranty. And if you would like to extend this coverage, The Home Depot offers protection plans to further guarantee the quality of your unit and safety of your home. But buying an extended warranty would raise the cost of installation.

A manufacturer’s warranty is free and included with both tank and tankless water heaters. If you want to purchase an additional extended warranty from Home Depot, they’re available for both tank and tankless units.

Tank Vs Tankless

Traditional water heaters are basically just a tank filled with stored water that’s heated by gas or electric power. They usually hold between 20-80 gallons of water. The water inside the tank is kept hot whether you use it or not which makes them less efficient than on demand hot water heaters. These units are cheaper to buy than tankless water heaters but operation and maintenance costs are usually higher.

Tankless water heaters are also fueled by either gas or electricity. But they don’t have a tank that stores water. They’re compact and only heat water on demand as it’s needed. This makes them more efficient than tank water heaters because they turn off when you don’t need hot water. Tankless water heaters are generally more expensive to buy and install, but they’re less costly to operate and maintain.

Gas Vs Electric

Is a gas or electric water heater more cost-efficient? The answer depends on your home.

Gas models are less expensive to operate at the moment because natural gas is fairly cheap. But your home needs an existing natural gas line. If you don’t have a gas line running to the house it would be expensive to install one. And gas has to be available at the street which isn’t always an option.

Generally, gas units are cheaper because they’re more popular and mass produced. There’s also more variety when choosing a model.

Electric water heaters are usually a little more expensive to buy. But they often come with advanced features like WiFi and smart controls.

Electric units are easier to install because they don’t require a gas line. But they can cost more to operate because electricity is more expensive than gas. However many homeowners that switch to an electric water heater also have solar which offsets the cost to run the heater.

When comparing a gas vs an electric water heater there’s no clear winner. They’re both very good designs with some pros and cons that we’ll discuss in another in depth article.

Will Home Depot Take Your Old Water Heater?

Yes, after installation of the new water heater is complete, Home Depot will haul away the old unit and dispose of it. The cost of removing and disposing of your old water heater is included in the total cost of installation.

Can You Get A Home Depot Water Heater Installation Estimate Without An In-Home Consultation?

Yes, Home Depot can give you an estimate over the phone instead of doing an in-home consultation. You need to give them as much information about the existing unit as possible like size, fuel type and what type of new unit you want.

However, a service provider will eventually need to inspect the site to confirm the job scope before installation. After the initial evaluation the estimate may change based on what the plumber finds.

Reasons To Install A New Water Heater

There are several reasons for installing a new water heater in your home.

Here are the most common:

Replacement

If your water heater is old or damaged, it may be time to replace it with something new. This is the most common reason why most people install a new water heater because on average, they only last about 8-10 years.

Upgrade

The second most common reason people install anew water heater is an upgrade. Newer model water heaters have upgraded systems like smart controls that you can monitor from your phone in case there’s a problem. Or you may just want something with more energy efficiency.

Upgrading your water heater may make you eligible for Government Rebates and incentives.

Change

The final reason why you may want to replace your water heater is changing the design or fuel source. many people switch from a gas to electric water heater because they’re more energy efficient or powering their home with solar. Another very common change is switching from a tank to a tankless unit.

These changes aren’t necessarily an upgrade but usually are.

Home Depot Does Not Install Water Heaters For Free

Home Depot does not install water heaters for free. If you have the skills, tools, and knowledge, you can install your own water heater for free. However, if you want Home Depot to do it for you, the job typically costs between $1,500 to $3,000 which includes the cost of the unit, install materials, removal and disposal of the old heater, permits and cleanup.

In my opinion it’s worth hiring a Pro to make sure the job is done right and to code.Home Depot works with local licensed and insured plumbers to do the job, and generally, the prices you’ll get from Home Depot for a water heater install are better than if you called a plumber yourself.

Summary: Does Home Depot Install Water Heaters For Free?

A typical water heater installation takes about 2-3 hours when it’s a tank to tank switch. If it’s a conversion from tank to tankless or tankless to tank it takes longer. In my experience this is usually a 4-5 hour job. But a tankless to tankless switch only take about an hour. The reason why tank water heaters take more time to install is the tank. They take a lot of time to fill up with water and drain.

After the new water heater is installed, the plumber will remove and dispose of the old heater.

If you have any questions or comments email any time.