How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Water Heater?

If your water heater is on the fritz and you wind up needing just a repair versus a total replacement, you’re in luck. The national average cost for water heater repairs is less than a third of what it would cost you for a total unit replacement. According to HomeServe data, the average water heater repair totals less than $400 compared with a replacement, which’ll run you almost $1,400 on average.

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Several variables will go into the calculation of what you’ll ultimately pay for your water heater repairs. First off, don’t forget to factor in an average $101 diagnostic fee — as the contractor you call almost certainly will charge you to show up and determine what’s wrong and how to fix it. Moreover, it’s likely that the problem will be the result of a combination of factors, which in turn will necessitate a combination of solutions carrying their own individual costs that, taken together, figure into the national average.

Water heater repair and replacement costs vary depending on where you live. For comparison, the national average for diagnosis is $101 and for repair is $359. The good news? We're seeing prices that are, on the national level, lower than when we first reported this data in 2021. National average diagnosis fees are up just $2 in four years, while average water heater repair costs are down 27%.

Read on for a rundown on the common causes of a water heater breakdown and their associated costs for repair, plus a state-by-state breakdown of average water heater repair costs to help you get an idea of what you should expect to pay where you live, all told.

For a broader look at water heater pricing, check out our cost guide covering pricing averages for both repair and replacement state by state. And for a deeper dive into what factors into how much you’ll pay to get your water heater replaced outright, go to our state-by-state replacement cost guide.

All figures are based on aggregated HomeServe data reported by our network of thousands of contractors across the nation. Where insufficient data was available to determine a verifiable average, we’ve noted so. Also note that HomeServe water heater data should generally be assumed to refer to conventional “tanked” models — the most common type — as opposed to tankless or “on-demand” models, which can cost roughly twice as much.

National Average Total Price for Water Heater Diagnosis, Repairs

• Diagnosis:

  $101

• Repair:

  $359

State by State Average Costs for Water Heater Diagnoses and Repairs

Find the average cost to diagnose and repair a water heater in your state, and compare that cost to other states, with the state-by-state breakdown below.

1. Alabama

• Diagnosis:

  $111

• Repair:

  $424

2. Alaska

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  Insufficient data

3. Arizona

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  Insufficient data

4. Arkansas

• Diagnosis:

  $109

• Repair:

  $362

5. California

• Diagnosis:

  $107

• Repair:

  $360

6. Colorado

• Diagnosis:

  $124

• Repair:

  $334

7. Connecticut

• Diagnosis:

  $110

• Repair:

  $361

8. Delaware

• Diagnosis:

  $92

• Repair:

  $359

9. District of Columbia

• Diagnosis:

  $97

• Repair:

  $439

10. Florida

• Diagnosis:

  $112

• Repair:

  $506

11. Georgia

• Diagnosis:

  $104

• Repair:

  $404

12. Hawaii

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  Insufficient data

13. Idaho

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  $215

14. Illinois

• Diagnosis:

  $91

• Repair:

  $341

15. Indiana

• Diagnosis:

  $97

• Repair:

  $362

16. Iowa

• Diagnosis:

  $85

• Repair:

  $261

17. Kansas

• Diagnosis:

  $91

• Repair:

  $279

18. Kentucky

• Diagnosis:

  $106

• Repair:

  $354

19. Louisiana

• Diagnosis:

  $114

• Repair:

  $334

20. Maine

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  Insufficient data

21. Maryland

• Diagnosis:

  $99

• Repair:

  $349

22. Massachusetts

• Diagnosis:

  $69

• Repair:

  $439

23. Michigan

• Diagnosis:

  $92

• Repair:

  $292

24. Minnesota

• Diagnosis:

  $111

• Repair:

  $396

25. Mississippi

• Diagnosis:

  $96

• Repair:

  $322

26. Missouri

• Diagnosis:

  $86

• Repair:

  $304

27. Montana

• Diagnosis:

  $100

• Repair:

  $400

28. Nebraska

• Diagnosis:

  $107

• Repair:

  $369

29. Nevada

• Diagnosis:

  $85

• Repair:

  $320

30. New Hampshire

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  $468

31. New Jersey

• Diagnosis:

  $105

• Repair:

  $351

32. New Mexico

• Diagnosis:

  $110

• Repair:

  $396

33. New York

• Diagnosis:

  $95

• Repair:

  $326

34. North Carolina

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient Data

• Repair:

  $380

35. North Dakota

• Diagnosis:

  $102

• Repair:

  $288

36. Ohio

• Diagnosis:

  $104

• Repair:

  $356

37. Oklahoma

• Diagnosis:

  $104

• Repair:

  $356

38. Oregon

• Diagnosis:

  $116

• Repair:

  $424

39. Pennsylvania

• Diagnosis:

  $87

• Repair:

  $374

40. Rhode Island

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  Insufficient data

41. South Carolina

• Diagnosis:

  $101

• Repair:

  $326

42. South Dakota

• Diagnosis:

  $112

• Repair:

  $410

43. Tennessee

• Diagnosis:

  $101

• Repair:

  $479

44. Texas

• Diagnosis:

  $95

• Repair:

  $282

45. Utah

• Diagnosis:

  $124

• Repair:

  $455

46. Vermont

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  Insufficient data

47. Virginia

• Diagnosis:

  $102

• Repair:

  $338

48. Washington

• Diagnosis:

  $104

• Repair:

  $306

49. West Virginia

• Diagnosis:

  $90

• Repair:

  $399

50. Wisconsin

• Diagnosis:

  $88

• Repair:

  $363

51. Wyoming

• Diagnosis:

  Insufficient data

• Repair:

  $317

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