Cost data · Chesapeake
A water heater is the cheapest permitted job in Chesapeake's record and one of the most common: 161 plumbing permits (2020–2024) declared at a median of $1,100, the middle half between $700 and $2,000.
Chesapeake's median sits $400 below Virginia Beach's ($1,500) and its top quarter starts lower ($2,000 against $2,800). Both are low enough that the declared value often reads as the labour and the tank, without the extras that land on the invoice.
BidBro Editorial Team·Published ·Updated
As of . Cite as: BidBro, “How much does a water heater replacement cost in Chesapeake? 161 permits say $1,100,” https://www.bidbro.com/guides/chesapeake-water-heater-replacement-cost.
| City | Permits | Contractors who filed them | Middle 50% of declared values | Median | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake | 161 | 36 | $700 – $2,000 | $1,100 | January 2020 – July 2024 |
| Virginia Beach | 168 | 52 | $900 – $2,800 | $1,500 | February 2020 – July 2024 |
“Middle 50%” is the range the central half of permits fell inside. These are the permits linked to contractors in BidBro’s directory, as collected from public permit records by a third-party aggregator that keeps roughly the 20 most recent per contractor — not every permit the city issued.
Counted from the same Chesapeake permit records as the table, per contractor, and listed only where the contractor’s own trade categories name that work. The source keeps roughly the 20 most recent permits per contractor, so a busy firm’s count here understates its full record. A count of permits filed is not a rating or a recommendation — each profile lists the permits themselves.
Virginia DPOR lists 107 contractor licences carrying the Plumbing contractors classification held by businesses based in Chesapeake as of September 29, 2026, out of 1,293 Board for Contractors licences based in the city.
That is DPOR’s count of licences based in Chesapeake — not every pro who works here, and not a claim that the businesses listed on this page hold one. Before you hire, check the licence at DPOR’s licence lookup. Source: BidBro’s Hampton Roads licensed-contractor census of the DPOR regulant lists; licence classes explained in Virginia contractor licence classes.
On 161 Chesapeake water heater permits the median declared value was $1,100, with the middle half from $700 to $2,000. A standard tank swap sits near the median; tankless and heat-pump units sit above $2,000. Expect the quote to be somewhat above the declared value once haul-away and parts are added.
Yes — the 161 permits on this page are that permit. A replacement is plumbing work (and gas work for a gas unit) that the city inspects, mostly for the relief valve, venting and gas connection. The plumber pulls it as part of the job.
It costs more up front — tankless installs sit in the top quarter of this class, above $2,000 — and it saves space and standby energy. On a gas house it is a common upgrade; on an all-electric house it may need a larger circuit, which is a separate electrical permit.
From Chesapeake plumbing permits linked to the contractors in BidBro’s directory, collected from public permit records by a third-party aggregator that keeps roughly the 20 most recent per contractor; counted once per permit and published only at 30 or more permits.
The permit median is a reference point, not a quote. Post your project once and request bids from Chesapeake contractors, or start from the pages below:
Cost data and market snapshots from the BidBro editorial team.
