Data / Water Heater Permit Cost
How much does a water heater permit cost? (2026)
Across 41 U.S. cities in 24 states, the average water heater permit fee is $94 (median $75), ranging from $35 in Denver, CO to $290 in San Francisco, CA. These are government permit fees only, not total project cost, each verified from the city's published fee schedule.
$94
Average fee
$75
Median fee
$35
Lowest (CO)
$290
Highest (CA)
41
Cities tracked
Water Heater Permit Cost by state
Average water heater permit fee per state, ranked highest to lowest. Click a state for its tracked cities.
| State | Cities | Avg. Permit Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 1 | $169 |
| Washington | 1 | $164 |
| California | 5 | $163 |
| New York | 1 | $130 |
| Michigan | 1 | $117 |
| Ohio | 2 | $108 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | $104 |
| Florida | 4 | $96 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $85 |
| Texas | 4 | $80 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $78 |
| Missouri | 4 | $77 |
| Nevada | 1 | $77 |
| Iowa | 1 | $77 |
| Georgia | 1 | $75 |
| Utah | 1 | $75 |
| Oregon | 1 | $71 |
| Virginia | 1 | $64 |
| Tennessee | 2 | $62 |
| Idaho | 1 | $55 |
| Maryland | 1 | $52 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | $50 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $44 |
| Colorado | 1 | $35 |
Water Heater Permit Cost by city
Every fee links to its source city page.
| City | Permit Fee |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $290 |
| San Jose, CA | $198 |
| Tucson, AZ | $169 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $169 |
| Seattle, WA | $164 |
| Columbus, OH | $141 |
| San Diego, CA | $141 |
| Springfield, MO | $136 |
| Houston, TX | $131 |
| New York, NY | $130 |
| Tampa, FL | $124 |
| Miami, FL | $117 |
| Detroit, MI | $117 |
| Tulsa, OK | $101 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $98 |
| Sacramento, CA | $89 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $85 |
| Orlando, FL | $79 |
| Des Moines, IA | $77 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $77 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $75 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $75 |
| Nashville, TN | $75 |
| Atlanta, GA | $75 |
| Portland, OR | $71 |
| Austin, TX | $67 |
| City of St. Louis, MO | $65 |
| Richmond, VA | $64 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $64 |
| San Antonio, TX | $61 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $60 |
| Kansas City, MO | $58 |
| Boise, ID | $55 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $55 |
| Baltimore, MD | $52 |
| Boston, MA | $50 |
| Memphis, TN | $48 |
| St. Louis County, MO | $47 |
| Charleston, SC | $44 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $39 |
| Denver, CO | $35 |
Cite This Data
Olson, D. (2026). Water Heater Permit Cost by state. PermitCalculator. https://permitcalculator.com/data/water-heater-permit-cost/
APA format
Olson, David. "Water Heater Permit Cost by State." PermitCalculator, 2026, permitcalculator.com/data/water-heater-permit-cost.
MLA format
Olson, David. "Water Heater Permit Cost by State." PermitCalculator. Accessed October 1, 2026. https://permitcalculator.com/data/water-heater-permit-cost/.
Chicago format
Link credit for blogs (HTML)
Method: fees verified from each city's published fee schedule. See our methodology and press & data page. Permit fees are set by local government and change periodically.
Dataset compiled by David Olson, Creator of the Cost Index & Permit Dataset. Download the full dataset (CSV).
Water Heater Permit Cost FAQ
How much does a water heater permit cost?
Across 41 U.S. cities, the average water heater permit fee is $94 (median $75), from $35 in Denver, CO to $290 in San Francisco, CA. These are government permit fees only, each verified from the city's published fee schedule.
Which cities have the cheapest and most expensive water heater permit?
Denver, CO is the lowest at $35 and San Francisco, CA is the highest at $290 among the 41 cities tracked.
Is the water heater permit fee the same as the total project cost?
No. This is the government permit fee only. It does not include contractor labor, materials, or design, which are usually far larger than the permit itself.
Where does this water heater permit data come from?
Every fee is verified from the city's published permit fee schedule, not estimated or scraped. Each city in the table links to its official source.