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How Much Does it Cost to Install a Tankless Water Heater in Vancouver?

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If you live in the Vancouver area, expect to pay anywhere from $3,999 to $7,999 to install a tankless water heater.

In the market for a tankless water heater? You’re probably comparing prices.

If you live in the Vancouver area, expect to pay anywhere from $3,999 to $7,999 to install a tankless water heater. You’ll most likely pay somewhere around $4,999.

Wondering what factors impact that price range? Your tankless water heater installation cost will depend on the:

  • Type (whole-home or point-of-use)
  • Brand
  • “Size” of the unit (flow rate)
  • Fuel type (gas or electric)
  • Plumber you hire

We’ll cover each factor in more detail.

Want a more accurate estimate to install a tankless water heater?

You can also learn more about our process and what to expect when you hire us.

Cost factor #1: Type

You have your choice of 2 types of tankless water heaters: whole-home and point-of-use. A single whole-home water heater will cost more to install than a single point-of-use unit.

What’s the difference?

  1. Whole-home units have a large enough flow rate (see section below) to heat water for all the appliances and fixtures in your entire home.
  2. Also called shower water heaters, point-of-use water units are installed near a single fixture or appliance and only heat water for that fixture or appliance.

Because point-of-use water heaters are smaller than whole-home units, they cost less to buy and install.

However, if you’re installing multiple point-of-use water heaters, you’ll pay more than you would for a single whole-home unit because the plumber will spend more time and labor installing each unit.

Cost factor #2: Brand

Your installation cost will also depend on which brand of tankless water heater you want installed. You’ll pay more for better-quality, well-known brands like:

  • Rheem
  • Takagi
  • Navien
  • Rinnai
  • Ecotemp
  • Bosch
  • Noritz
  • Stiebel Eltron

However, don’t let a higher price tag keep you from investing in a good unit. Better-quality units might cost more, but they’ll also perform better and last longer—saving you money in the long run.

Cost factor #3: Size

The larger the flow rate, the more the tankless water heater will cost to install.

Tankless water heaters are measured by their “flow rate,” or how many gallons per minute (gpm) of hot water the unit can provide. The higher the flow rate, the faster the water heater can heat your water.

Not sure what size tankless water heater you need for your Vancouver home?

You can get a pretty good estimate by adding up the flow rates (gpm) of all the appliances you think you’d need to use at the same time. Then, find a tankless water heater with a comparable flow rate.

To help you, here are the flow rates of common water appliances:

  • Bathroom faucet: 0.5–2.5 gpm
  • Showerhead: 1–3 gpm
  • Washing machine: 1.5–2 gpm
  • Dishwasher: 1–2.5 gpm

For example, if you wanted to run all of the appliances above, you’d need a tankless water heater with a flow rate of 4–10 gpm.

Cost factor #4: Fuel type

Gas tankless water heaters cost more to install than electric ones, but electric tankless water heaters cost more to operate.

Why? Well, gas rates are cheaper than electricity rates in Vancouver. However, you need to consider the additional costs you might encounter with both gas and electric units.

Additional costs you might see with a gas tankless water heater:

  • Gas installation: If your home doesn’t have access to natural gas, you’ll need to have gas lines installed in your home. That will likely cost several thousand dollars.
  • Gas line extension: If your home has gas, but there’s not a line near where the unit will be installed, you’ll need to pay for a plumber to extend a line.
  • Venting: Your plumber may need to cut into walls to accommodate venting lines, so the tankless water heater can expel its combustion gases.

Additional costs you might see with an electric tankless water heater:

  • Electrical panel upgrade: If your home’s electrical panel isn’t powerful enough to handle the additional load of the tankless water heater, you’ll need to pay to upgrade your electrical panel, which could cost thousands of dollars.

Whether you with go gas or electric, anticipate some cosmetic repairs after the installation. You might need to pay for things like putting up new drywall or re-tiling a shower.

Cost factor #5: Plumber

You’ll pay more for high-quality plumbers. However, high-quality plumbers do better work.

You’re better off going with a Vancouver plumber that knows what they’re doing, rather than with a cheap one that may do more harm than good. A cheap, inexperienced plumber may damage your plumbing or do a bad job installing your tankless water heater, which could result in expensive repairs down the road.

In short, you get what you pay for.

A good plumber will:

  • Have a valid plumbing and gasfitting license and guarantee their work
  • Be trained by the manufacturer to repair and maintain your specific system
  • Have good online reviews (check sites like Yelp, Google and the Better Business Bureau)
  • Give you a written price quote before any work begins

Need an installation quote from a Vancouver plumber?

We’ll send one of our trusted plumbers to you home to talk about your hot water needs. Then, they’ll answer any questions or concerns you have and give you the best tankless water heater options for your home.