Sacramento Water Heater LineCall (916) 712-7030

Water Heater Repair and Replacement in Davis, CA

In Davis, a water heater that leaks, won't light or runs out of hot water fast is a job for a plumber. Call (916) 712-7030 and Sacramento Water Heater Line will connect you, free, with an independent local water heater plumber. Replacements need a permit from City of Davis Community Development and Sustainability Department, and you settle the price and scope directly with the plumber.

Call (916) 712-7030Free to call. Connects you with an independent local water heater plumber.

What Davis's homes mean for your water heater repair and replacement

With a median build year of 1983, Davis's homes sit in the middle of the Sacramento region's age range, and 21% were built in 2000 or later. If your water heater is in the garage, code requires gas burners at least 18 inches off the floor unless the unit is listed as flammable-vapor ignition resistant. When the tank is replaced, expect the water heater plumber to add or update the expansion tank, straps and relief-valve drain so the job passes inspection with City of Davis Community Development and Sustainability Department.

About Davis

Davis runs a Resale Program: residential properties must go through either a city resale inspection or self-certification before a sale, with 1-, 2- and 3-unit properties subject to the inspection process, to confirm minimum building, health and fire-safety standards.

Davis at a glance
Population66,978 (Census ACS 2020–2024)
Median year homes were built1983 (about 43 years old)
Homes built before 198045%
Homes built in 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied homes44%
CountyYolo County
Building permitsCity of Davis Community Development and Sustainability Department
Gas utilityPacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
Electric utilityPacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
Water supplierCity of Davis Public Works - Water Division
ZIP codes95616, 95618

Local rules, utilities and conditions in Davis

PG&E supplies natural gas in Davis. If you smell gas near your water heater, leave the house and call 911, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5000, and keep mops, brooms and laundry away from the heater, as PG&E advises. If PG&E is also your electric utility, it estimates a heat pump water heater costs $1,200 to $5,500 and saves about $118 a year when it replaces a gas unit. The statewide incentives many PG&E customers used are closed: TECH Clean California's single-family incentives were fully reserved in November 2025, and Golden State Rebates' retail offers have ended.

Your water comes from City of Davis Public Works - Water Division, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report lists the water's hardness. Sacramento-area 2025 reports range from soft lake water, about 13 to 27 mg/L for El Dorado Irrigation District, Folsom and Roseville's Folsom Lake supply, to well water above 200 mg/L in some systems. Harder water means more sediment in a tank and more scale in a tankless unit, so ask the water heater plumber how often to flush yours.

Plan on a building permit from City of Davis Community Development and Sustainability Department for a water heater replacement in Davis; HomeGuide notes most cities require one. The permit brings an inspection of the straps, relief-valve drain, venting, gas connection and expansion tank. It also settles who can do the work: the Contractors State License Board says any job that needs a permit requires a licensed contractor, even if it costs less than $1,000. Ask the plumber to pull the permit and show the fee on the estimate.

Davis is on the valley floor, where summers are hot. That matters if you are considering a heat pump water heater: ENERGY STAR says these units should be installed in spaces that stay between 40°F and 90°F year-round, with about 1,000 cubic feet of air around them, and they cool the space they sit in. Ask the water heater plumber whether your garage or utility room fits, and where the condensate line will drain.

Flood notes for Davis

The City says FEMA's current flood hazard areas south of I-80 stop at the west levee of the Yolo Bypass; FEMA's flood layer maps roughly 8% of the city as Special Flood Hazard Area.

Renting in Davis?

Only 44% of Davis homes are owner-occupied, so many residents rent. In California a broken water heater is generally the landlord's to fix: Civil Code section 1941.1 treats a rental as untenantable if it lacks a water supply capable of producing hot and cold running water, and Health and Safety Code section 19211 bars evicting a tenant on the grounds that eviction is needed to strap the water heater. Report the problem to your landlord in writing. State law also requires owners to install carbon monoxide alarms in units with gas appliances.

Neighborhoods in Davis

Calls are connected with providers who serve all of Davis, including:

  • Downtown Davis
  • Old North Davis
  • Mace Ranch
  • Wildhorse
  • Village Homes
  • Stonegate
  • Willowbank

Water heater plumber services in Davis

Need a water heater plumber in Davis?

One call connects you with an independent local water heater plumber. Calling is free; you agree on the price and the work directly with the provider.

Call (916) 712-7030

Davis questions

How much does it cost to replace a water heater in Davis?
National cost guides put a standard 40- to 50-gallon tank replacement at about $600 to $3,100 (HomeGuide, 2026), with an average near $1,334 (Angi, 2026). Those are national figures, not Davis quotes. Your price depends on the permit from City of Davis Community Development and Sustainability Department, code updates such as straps or an expansion tank, the fuel type and access to the tank. Call (916) 712-7030 to be connected with a local plumber for a quote.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Davis?
Plan on it. Most cities require a permit to replace a water heater, and in Davis the permit office is City of Davis Community Development and Sustainability Department. The Contractors State License Board says any job that needs a permit requires a licensed contractor, no matter the price, so ask the plumber to pull the permit and list the fee on the written estimate. The inspection checks straps, venting, the relief-valve drain and the expansion tank.
What rebates can Davis homeowners get for a heat pump water heater?
It depends on your electric utility, which in Davis is Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). SMUD customers can get up to $4,000 for a gas-to-electric switch and $1,000 for electric-to-electric. Roseville Electric offers $2,500 and $1,000. The federal 25C tax credit ended December 31, 2025, and TECH Clean California's single-family incentives are fully reserved, so confirm what is open before you buy.
What should I do if my water heater is leaking in Davis?
Close the cold-water valve at the top of the tank, then switch off the breaker for an electric unit or turn a gas unit's control to off. Move belongings away and keep clear of the relief valve, which can release scalding water. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911, then Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Once it is safe, call (916) 712-7030 to reach a local plumber.

Nearby cities

Ready to fix or replace your water heater in Davis? Call (916) 712-7030 to be connected with an independent local plumber; the line also takes calls from Woodland, West Sacramento and Sacramento. You agree on the price and timing directly with the plumber, so compare the quote with the ranges in our cost guide and ask what the permit and straps add.

Sources

  1. American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (tables B01003, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035) — U.S. Census Bureau
  2. Water heater installation: permits, timing, gas vs electric (FAQ) — HomeGuide
  3. New and Replacement Water Heater Installations: Selected excerpts from the California Plumbing Code — San Bernardino County Land Use Services, Building and Safety Division
  4. Thermal Expansion Tank Requirements for Water Heaters — City of Roseville Development Services, Building Division
  5. Health and Safety Code section 19211 (water heater seismic bracing) — State of California, via california.public.law
  6. Gas safety — PG&E
  7. Building Electrification: electric appliances and heat pumps — PG&E
  8. Incentives: incentive and rebate updates — TECH Clean California
  9. Golden State Rebates Program Update (retail rebate offerings have ended) — San Diego Gas & Electric
  10. 2025 Water Quality Report (Main System) — El Dorado Irrigation District
  11. 2025 Water Quality Report — City of Folsom
  12. 2025 Water Quality Report — City of Roseville Environmental Utilities
  13. 2025 Consumer Confidence Report — Elk Grove Water District
  14. Hardness of Water — U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School
  15. License Requirement for Minor Work Increases from $500 to $1,000 (CSLB #24-07, Dec. 31, 2024) — Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
  16. Water Heater (Residential or Commercial): Fees by Project — City of Sacramento Community Development
  17. Heat Pump Water Heaters — ENERGY STAR
  18. Civil Code section 1941.1 (untenantable dwellings) — State of California, via california.public.law
  19. Health and Safety Code section 17926 (carbon monoxide devices) — State of California, via california.public.law
  20. How much does water heater installation or replacement cost? (2026) — HomeGuide
  21. How Much Does Water Heater Replacement Cost? [2026 Data] — Angi
  22. Appliance rebates: heat pump water heater (rebate table, program requirements, median installation costs) — SMUD
  23. Heat Pump Water Heater rebate — Roseville Electric Utility, City of Roseville
  24. Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit — Internal Revenue Service
  25. CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones - Local Responsibility Areas, map dated March 24, 2025 (feature service)
  26. U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb - Incorporated Places and Census Designated Places (boundaries used for overlays)
  27. City of Davis - Community Development: Building Division (incl. Resale Program)
  28. City of Davis - FEMA Mapping Process
  29. City of Davis - Location and Topography
  30. City of Davis - Water Division
  31. FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer - Flood Hazard Zones (map service)
  32. PG&E Electric Service Area Maps - tariff sheet 34575-E (Nov 2014): ZIP codes served in all or part
  33. PG&E Gas Service Area Maps - tariff sheet 31641-G (Nov 2014): PG&E supplies gas in all or portions of listed ZIP codes
  34. USGS 3DEP Elevation Point Query Service (documentation)
  35. Valley Clean Energy - About Us (VCE buys electricity, PG&E delivers it)
  36. Valley Clean Energy - home (serves Davis, Woodland, Winters, unincorporated Yolo County)
  37. Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency
  38. Wikipedia - Davis, California
  39. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
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