DIY Water Heater Installation in Canton, MA

What the state rule says, in plain terms

The regulation says plumbing or gas fitting work may not start until the Inspector issues a permit. Permits go to licensed individuals and never to apprentices. The inspector can require a rough-in inspection and a final inspection, and work generally cannot be covered until the required tests are done.

A permit is invalid if work does not start within 90 days. In a true emergency, a licensee may install, repair or turn on a fixture or gas appliance before the permit if testing is done and the inspector is notified, with regular inspection no later than the next working day. That is a rule for licensees, not a shortcut for an unlicensed person.

We do not decide who may do the job. The town does. Call the Canton Building Department with your address and exactly what you plan to do, and ask whom the permit would be issued to.

What the job involves from drain-down to first firing

Read this as the scope of the work, so you know what you are asking about at the building department or buying from a licensed plumber.

1. Shut off fuel or power

   For gas, close the appliance shutoff valve. For electric, switch off the dedicated 240-volt breaker and test the wires with a voltage tester before touching anything.

2. Close the cold supply and drain the tank

   Shut the cold inlet valve, open a hot tap upstairs to break the vacuum, then connect a garden hose to the drain valve and run it to a floor drain or outdoors.

3. Disconnect and remove the old unit

   Undo the water connectors, the relief valve discharge pipe and, on gas, the vent and gas connector. A 40 gallon tank can still hold sediment and weighs a lot even when drained. Use a hand truck.

4. Set, connect and test

   Set the new tank on a level base, connect new flexible water connectors with dielectric fittings, fit the temperature and pressure relief valve and its discharge pipe, and add an expansion tank where one is required.

5. Fill, check and fire

   Open the tap and cold inlet, let air out of the hot side until water runs steady, then check every joint for drips. Only then restore power or open the gas valve and light the burner.

Gas versus electric: the added hazards

Parts and tools on the list

Where each approach leaves you

Stop and call: gas, carbon monoxide and electricity

If you smell gas, do not touch a switch or light anything. Leave the house and call 911 or the gas utility from outside. A carbon monoxide alarm that sounds, or headaches and nausea when the heater runs, are reasons to leave and call 911 too.

Never energize an electric element in an empty tank. The element burns out in seconds. And hot water scalds quickly, so set the thermostat deliberately and let a licensed plumber check the temperature at the tap.

What drives the cost of a water heater installation

Price depends on tank size or type, whether it is gas or electric, the vent or electrical work needed, haul-away of the old unit, and the permit and inspection steps. Moving a heater to a new location raises it further.

A clear price comes from a call, and you hear it before work starts.

Related services and nearby towns

Our water heater installation service is done by licensed plumbers and covers the permit steps, venting, gas and electrical connections, and water heater replacement covers sizing and removing the old unit. If you have no hot water right now, call (617) 752-0573 and dispatch will ask whether the unit is gas or electric.

This post describes Canton's process, so if the heater is in Norwood or Sharon, ask that town's own building department about permit steps before work starts.