What a New Water Heater Costs in Metro Vancouver (2025-2026)
A standard gas or electric tank water heater typically costs $2,000 to $3,500 installed in Metro Vancouver, a gas tankless unit $3,500 to $6,500, and a heat pump water heater $4,000 to $7,000.
From January 1, 2027, every replacement water heater in a detached house or duplex in the City of Vancouver must meet the city's highest efficiency standard, which in practice means a heat pump, hybrid or electric water heater rather than a standard gas tank or gas tankless unit. The City defines some exceptions, so check with the City. Outside the City of Vancouver, gas water heaters remain allowed.
What you will actually pay
Typical Metro Vancouver ranges for 2025-2026.
- Gas or electric tank, installed $2,000 to $3,500 Size, venting and seismic strapping
- Gas tankless, installed $3,500 to $6,500 New venting and often a larger gas line
- Heat pump water heater, installed $4,000 to $7,000 Dedicated circuit and space for the unit to breathe
What moves the price
Venting and fuel drive most of the difference. A tankless or high-efficiency gas unit usually cannot reuse the old chimney, and a tankless unit often needs a larger gas supply line. A heat pump water heater needs a dedicated circuit and enough room around it, and it cools and dehumidifies the space it sits in. Income-qualified households can get up to $3,500 toward a heat pump water heater through the CleanBC Energy Savings Program; there is no general rebate for a like-for-like gas tank.
Permits for this job
Replacing or removing gas equipment needs a gas permit. Six Metro Vancouver municipalities issue their own gas permits for most residential work: the City of Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver. Everywhere else in Metro Vancouver, including Surrey, West Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, Delta, the Langleys, White Rock and Pitt Meadows, the gas permit comes from Technical Safety BC. Gas work must be done by a gas fitter employed by a gas contractor licensed with Technical Safety BC. A heat pump water heater's new circuit needs an electrical permit. Seven Metro Vancouver municipalities issue their own electrical permits: the City of Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Maple Ridge. Everywhere else, including Richmond, the electrical permit comes from Technical Safety BC.
Before you sign
The quote should show
- The unit model and capacity (litres, or litres per minute for tankless)
- Venting, gas line sizing or the electrical circuit, as the type requires
- Expansion tank and seismic strapping
- Permits, removal and disposal of the old tank
- The warranty on the tank and on labour
Ask the contractor
- For gas work, the Technical Safety BC gas contractor licence number
- Whether the City of Vancouver 2027 rule applies to your home
- Whether a heat pump water heater fits the space you have
- Whether permits are in the price
- How long the old tank has been in and whether other plumbing needs attention
Quick answers
How long does a water heater last?
Roughly 10 to 15 years for a tank in Metro Vancouver. A leak at the bottom of the tank means replacement.
Is tankless worth it?
It saves space and gives endless hot water, but the gas savings are modest for most households and the install costs more. In the City of Vancouver, check the 2027 rule first.
Want this done at your place?
Tell us what you have now and what you want, and we'll get you a real quote from a local Metro Vancouver HVAC contractor. We send it out to local contractors for you. Free, no pressure.
HVAC IQ answers behind these figures
- Is a heat pump water heater a good fit for a Richmond house?
- Is a tankless water heater worth the extra cost in North Vancouver?
- How long does it take to replace a hot water tank in Maple Ridge?
- Does a heat pump water heater make the basement colder in a Dunbar house?
- Are there rebates for replacing an old gas water heater in Port Moody?
- Hot water smells like rotten eggs in our Abbotsford home, what causes that?