Home Depot Water Heater Replacement Cost
Home Depot bundled water heater replacement runs $1,200 to $2,800 in 2026. The bundle is convenient, the labour warranty runs up to 3 years, and same-day installation is available Monday to Friday if you book before noon and live within 30 miles of a store. Here is what is in the bundle and what gets added later, plus the honest comparison to an independent licensed plumber.
The Home Depot bundle breakdown
| Unit | Bundle price | Includes | Common adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rheem Performance 40 gal electric | $1,200-$1,700 | Unit + install + haul-away | Expansion tank $80-$150 |
| Rheem Performance 50 gal electric | $1,300-$1,900 | Unit + install + haul-away | Expansion tank, drain pan |
| Rheem Performance 40 gal gas | $1,400-$2,100 | Unit + install + haul-away | Gas connector, sediment trap |
| Rheem Performance 50 gal gas | $1,500-$2,300 | Unit + install + haul-away | Gas connector, expansion tank |
| Rheem Performance Power Vent 50 gal | $2,200-$3,200 | Unit + install + haul-away | Vent kit if not standard |
| Rheem ProTerra HPWH 50 gal | $2,500-$3,800 | Unit + install + haul-away + ENERGY STAR cert | 240V circuit if not present |
| Rheem Performance Plus 50 gal (9 yr warranty) | $1,700-$2,500 | Unit + install + haul-away + longer warranty | Standard upgrades |
Home Depot does not publish a bundled installation price. These are our own installed-cost ranges, built from Home Depot's published unit prices plus the labour model set out on our labor cost guide; treat them as a budgeting range, not a quote. Service terms (same-day window, labour warranty, permits) checked against Home Depot's water heater installation page, September 2026. Actual prices vary by market and may be higher in NYC, San Francisco, Boston, and other high-labour-cost areas.
What is and is not in the Home Depot bundle
Included: the unit itself
Standard Rheem Performance series (HD's house brand). The Performance is the base tier, Performance Plus is the 9 year warranty tier, Performance Platinum is the 12 year tier with higher-grade components. ProTerra is the HPWH line.
Included: basic install labour
Drain the old unit, disconnect water and gas/electric, remove and dispose of the old unit, set the new unit in place, reconnect water (with new flex connectors), reconnect gas or electric, fill, leak test, commission. 2 to 4 hours of plumber time.
Included: standard fittings
New cold and hot flex connectors, new dielectric unions, new gas flex connector if gas, new T&P relief valve (sometimes itemised separately but typically bundled). Standard 3/4 inch fittings.
Included: haul-away
Old unit removed and disposed at permitted disposal facility. No additional charge in standard bundle.
Not included: expansion tank
If your install requires one and you don't have it, $80 to $200 added. Often required by code in closed-loop systems. The HD installer will quote on-site.
Not included: drain pan
Required by IRC P2801.6 where a leak from the tank would cause damage, which always includes attic installs. $100 to $300 added if needed and not present.
Not included: code upgrades discovered on-site
Gas line resize, electrical circuit upgrade, venting changes, drain line additions. These come as a same-day quote add and are negotiated before work proceeds.
Not included: permit fees (varies)
Home Depot states it obtains all required permits. The fee itself is set by your city or municipality and is passed through on the quote, typically $25 to $300 depending on jurisdiction.
HD bundle vs independent plumber: when each wins
The Home Depot bundle wins for homeowners who want the simplest path: one quote, one company, predictable financing options (HD offers in-store financing including 12 to 24 months no-interest on bundled installs over $1,000), and a national-brand warranty with a 6 or 9 year track to honour. The bundle also wins for replacements where the unit choice is the Rheem Performance series and the installation is a clean like-for-like swap without code upgrades.
An independent plumber wins for: evening, weekend and true emergency replacement (Home Depot's same-day window is weekdays only, before noon, within 30 miles of a store), specific brand preference (HD only offers Rheem; if you want AO Smith, Bradford White, or Bosch, go independent), complex installs with non-standard connections or location changes, and very tight budgets where a local mid-tier plumber undercuts the HD bundle by $200 to $500. The trade-off on independent: you manage the relationship and warranty service yourself, which is fine but not as turnkey as a national chain.
The honest recommendation: get 2 to 3 quotes always. Include Home Depot, the closest big-name plumber, and one local independent that a neighbour or friend has used. Compare bundle vs itemised; some HD quotes include adds that the independent quote does not, so apples-to-apples is important. For Lowe's comparison see Lowes replacement cost. For broader labour-cost guidance see labor cost guide.
The HD warranty and what it actually covers
Home Depot bundled installations come with two layers of warranty. First, the manufacturer warranty on the Rheem unit (6 years standard on Performance, 9 years on Performance Plus, 12 years on Performance Platinum). This covers parts and the tank but typically does not cover labour for warranty service. Second, the Home Depot Home Services installation warranty. Home Depot states that its water heater installations are backed by a labour warranty for up to 3 years, which is longer than the one year Lowe's offers on its installation work.
What this means in practice: if the unit fails within the manufacturer warranty period, HD coordinates the warranty claim with Rheem and dispatches a service plumber. The unit is repaired or replaced at no parts cost. Labour for warranty service is covered while the installation labour warranty is still running; after it lapses, labour on a warranty repair is normally yours to pay. Home Depot does not publish a price for extended labour coverage, so ask what it costs on your quote rather than budgeting a figure in advance. For the full warranty landscape see warranty cost.