How we calculate your estimate
Four steps, in this order. And a straight answer on what a form can't see.
1. It picks a base range from the unit type
Tank, tankless and heat pump units sit in different price bands, and the gap between them is bigger than any other single input. Base ranges come from HomeGuide's January 2026 installed-cost tables and NerdWallet's 2026 guide: $500–$1,900 for a 30-gallon tank up to $1,200–$4,000 at 80 gallons, $1,400–$5,600 for tankless, $2,000–$4,600 for heat pump units.
2. It adjusts for size and fuel
Capacity in gallons for tank units, and gas versus electric — which changes the unit price and the installation work behind it. Tankless and heat pump selections hide the tank-size question, because it doesn't apply.
3. It applies a regional multiplier from your ZIP
Labour varies more by region than anything else here, and it's roughly half the total. We adjust by the first digit of your ZIP: California and the Northeast price 20–35% above national, Texas and the Southeast 10–25% below, per PlumbingSniper's 2026 regional analysis. It's a broad regional adjustment, not a city-level one.
Skip the ZIP and we show you the national range and label it national. A national number pretending to be a local one is worse than no number.
4. It flags emergency pricing separately
Same-day and after-hours replacement carries a premium that has nothing to do with the equipment. We show it as its own line rather than folding it into the range, and route it to the emergency page where the numbers are broken out.
What it can't know
Whether your existing connections meet current code. Whether the new unit fits where the old one sat. Whether you need an expansion tank, an upsized gas line, a permit, new venting, or drywall put back. Any one of those adds several hundred dollars, and none are visible from a form.
How to use the number
Treat it as a bracket for checking a quote against, not as a quote. If a plumber's number lands far outside it, that's worth a question. It isn't proof of anything on its own — and the labour page covers which line items are legitimate.