Hot water heater install cost?

[Barkleymut]

My Mother in Law called my wife on Sunday night and said she wasn't getting any hot water. She is pretty well off and told my wife she was going to call a plumber to see what was up. I have zero idea what happened but he charged her $1400 for a new electric hot water heater. I am the ONLY handyman in the family and would have gladly done the job, since I just replaced our electric water heater last year and it was pretty darn easy.

The only things I heard about he job were that some of the pipes needed to be replaced (doubt it, but I am not a plumber!) and he told her that the unit was undersized for her house. Here is where he loses ALL credibility. It is a 2900 sq foot home that has 1 Person living in it. And I know that it was a 50 gallon tank that he replaced! My home with 2 adults and 2 kids is fine with a 50 gallon water heater. I have no idea if he put in a bigger heater or what.....

I honestly don't care that much because she has plenty of money, but is it common practice to rip off people like this? I know from buying a heater last year that a 40 gallon which would have been more than enough for her costs about $300 and it takes WAY under 2 hours. I really doubt the pipes were of any concern. So does under 2 hours of labor cost $1100? What am I missing?

 

[FL_Rob]

You're missing nothing.The van pulls into a nice neighborhood,plummer see's a nice house with a nice car in the drive.. looks around and decides what he deserves from this job.Christmas is coming.

 

[skyactiv]

I'm assuming your mother in-law got ripped off, it happens.

 

[AandPDan]

It wasn't one of those "heat pump" water heaters was it?

 

[shinyWheels]

On the high side. She probably could have gotten better rates shopping around but I paid about $1k for a gas water heater installed. Not sure which is more gas vs electric.

 

[bullwinkle]

Gas is usually more than electric. Even a 40 gallon is way more than enough for 1 person-she definitely got ripped off.

 

[djb]

She got charged the going price.

Which is full list price (yes, lots of profit in that price) and a few hours of labor regardless of how much time it took.

It would take you a few hours to pick out a replacement water heater, buy it, transport it. Perhaps only 30 minutes to install. Then an hour or more to discard it. They aren't taking much time for the buying and discarding, but charging for their efficiency.

 

[ram_man]

I had to do some new pipes when I did mine. Its a money making business she probably didn't get screwed it's probably a regular deal up sell where they can ect.

 

[aa1986]

Yes she paid too much. But that's the way most things are if you don't shop around and want something instantly.

 

[fdcg27]

Electric water heaters are cheap and easy to replace.
Oil changes are cheap and easy too.
Price out a change using PP, PU or M1 with a known-good filter at any dealer.
I can do M1 with a Fram Ultra for about fifteen bucks, or the same filter with PP or PU for about five bucks using oils and filters from my stash.
The dealer isn't going to stock free or cheap after stacked deals and rebates oil and filters.
I can replace a fifty gallon water heater for well under five hundred dollars, but that would be with me picking it up, doing the install and getting rid of the old unit. Getting rid of the old unit is no problem and the plumber probably made a few bucks scrapping it.
The plumber isn't going to spend time online finding the best deal on a water heater nor is he going to pick up and deliver it for free.
He'll buy the thing from his regualr supplier, tack on a markup and then charge for the miles to deliver along with labor to install.
Did your MOL get screwed?
Only if you would have done all of the work for her at no charge.
When you have to hire work, you pay for it.

 

[Barkleymut]

Thanks all, maybe I should be an unlicensed plumber....just advertise that I install electric water heaters for $900 installed! $550 two times a day would be nice!

 

[HTSS_TR]

Some years ago I bought a floor sample 40 gallon gas water heater from Sears for less than $300 installed and haul away the leaky old unit, but they delivered and installed a brand new one in box.

The installation was less than 15-20 minutes. My family of 4 can't use all the hot water from the 40 gallon tank when I set the thermostat at 130-140F in Winter and 120F in Summer. For a larger family of 6-7 or more a 50-60 gallon water heater is needed.

 

[mcrn]

Its probably all the permit fees....I got a quote like this one time too.

 

[aa1986]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I set the thermostat at 130-140F in Winter


You'll save money setting it lower in winter.

 

[Bud]

If you do the install yourself, you can bypass bringing everything up to code. I have installed many a water heater myself, both electric and gas, and they are easy unless in the attic like many here in Texas. Now, a friend bought a new one through Lowe's, and it could not be installed unless everything was brought up to code. His house was 20 years old. With the labor a new 50 gal. gas water heater installed and brought up to code was 1100.00. This was a couple of years ago.

 

[JTK]

Yeah that's HIGH, but it may be the going rate. You made me just pull the paperwork from the commercial outfit I had replace my main water shut-off (in the basement) this past spring. They've got this supposed up-front pricing policy with prices listed on their paperwork. "Install customer supplied water heater = $328". I'm not sure what they'd charge if they supplied the water heater, but I'm guessing it would be at least 2x the big box price, so say $400-500 for a standard 40g heater, + 330. $830 tops?

 

[abycat]

We put 33.3 gallon ones in the townhomes. They are either electric or gas. depending on which townhouse. They are about 400$. Just a couple lines to it and that's about it. About an hour to remove the old one and install the new one. I would charge 750 if the tank cost 400-450. That includes disposal of the old one.

 

[Dallas69]

My gas water heater went out last spring
I have American Home Shield insurance so I called them and they sent out a plumber
The unit was covered but bringing it up to code-running a drain out the wall to the outside,replacing a gas line,blah blah blah
He wanted 950.00 to install and bringing up to code-this is all labor since the unit was covered by insurance mind you
I said no thanks and bought one myself for 350.00 and paid a buddy 100.00 to install
This is why plumbers get a bad rap

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: Dallas69

This is why plumbers get a bad rap


Because they are running a business and not a charity, and need to make a profit?

 

[Wolf359]

I have a regular plumber I call all the time. He charges me anywhere from $120-$200 depending on how badly he needs the money. Mind you, for that $120, he goes to Home Depot, gets the water heater and installs it and sometimes that also includes parts like a new shut off valve. This is for gas too which is a bit more complex, you usually have to make sure you've got the vacuum breaker in there and the flue pipes screwed in and the furnace cement for the chimney connection. She should have called Home Depot, I think they charge anywhere from $300-$500 to install a water heater and that may also include the permit. Also one thing that most DIY people forget is the pipe for the relief value, supposed to be about 6 inches above the ground, lots of times they don't even put it in.

I use to use another plumber who charged around $200 for labor to put in a water heater, but the last time he put one in, he wanted to charge me $1000 as he told me that it was the new flat rate price that most other plumbers charged. I argued with him and he agreed to use the old pricing which came out to about $600 including the water heater.

Now I just replace the anode rod after about 4-5 years and don't change out water heaters as frequently as before.