Tank leaking right now?
Close the cold-water valve above the heater. Set a gas unit’s control to OFF, or switch off an electric unit’s breaker. If an attic heater is leaking, watch the ceiling below. If you smell gas, get everyone out and call 911 and your gas utility from outside: most of Plano is on Atmos Energy (866-322-8667), and some homes are on CoServ Gas (844-330-0763). Then call us at (682) 284-0966 to plan the replacement.
A leaking tank body can’t be repaired, and an older heater that needs a major part is often better replaced. In Plano, a replacement is permitted work, so the new installation is inspected against the city’s current water heater requirements. That can mean a new pan and drain, a relief line rerouted to an approved spot, vent changes or a raised stand in the garage. We check all of that before you get a price.
Heater still repairable? See water heater repair in Plano. Considering tankless? See tankless water heaters in Plano.
Plano homes are on their second or third heater
The Census (ACS 2020–2024) counts about 117,700 homes in Plano, with a median build year of 1993. About 64% were built from 1970 through 1999. A house from those decades has likely had its water heater replaced at least once already, and each replacement has to fit the original closet, garage or attic space.
Plano replacements by home age
East Plano brick ranches
About 14% of homes. Many heaters sit in the garage, where a gas heater’s ignition source must be 18 inches off the floor unless it’s listed as flammable-vapor resistant.
Mid-city subdivisions
About 22% of homes. A closet heater in a small space needs high and low combustion air openings, and a larger replacement can change that math.
The biggest decade
About 29% of homes. Attic heaters are common, and the new one needs the walkway, service space and drained pan Plano requires.
West Plano and Legacy
About 31% of homes, including newer houses and apartments toward the Legacy West corridor. Original heaters from the 2000s are now well into replacement age.
Plano’s water heater requirements, applied to a replacement
City of Plano Building Inspections water heater requirements
- Access: located so the heater can be observed, serviced and replaced, with a 30-by-30-inch working space. In attics, Plano’s local amendment calls for an unobstructed passageway at least 30 inches high and 22 inches wide, no more than 20 feet long, with solid flooring at least 24 inches wide.
- Garage: an 18-inch stand or ignition source 18 inches above the floor, unless the heater is electric or listed as flammable-vapor resistant.
- Pan: a corrosion-resistant pan with a 3/4-inch drain to a visible location for installations above the first floor. The relief line may not drain into the pan.
- Relief valve: a temperature and pressure relief valve with a 3/4-inch drain that runs with fall to the outside, 6 to 24 inches above grade, or to a floor or mop sink.
- Valve and insulation: a readily accessible cold-water shutoff, and insulation on the first 5 feet of hot and cold pipe.
- Gas units: combustion air in confined spaces; a double-wall Type B vent with 1 inch of clearance and at least 5 feet of vertical vent; an exposed vent connector; an accessible valve and no more than 3 feet of flexible connector.
- Tankless: installed to the manufacturer’s instructions and the fuel gas code, with a gas load calculation on the jobsite at the first inspection.
Plano’s “When is a Permit Required?” list includes water heaters, replacing or adding. Staggs Plumbing is registered with the City of Plano as a plumbing contractor and pulls that permit itself. Questions about the rules go to Building Inspections, 1520 K Avenue, Suite 140, 972-941-7140.
Choosing the replacement
| Choice | Consider it when | Plano detail |
|---|---|---|
| Same tank, same place | It worked well and fits the space | Bring the pan, relief line, insulation and venting up to Plano’s requirements |
| Larger tank | You run out of hot water | Check the closet size, combustion air and gas supply first |
| Move it out of the attic | You want easier access and less leak risk | New vent, gas and drain routing at the new location |
| Tankless | You want continuous hot water | Plano requires a gas load calculation at the first inspection |
Plano water and your new heater
Plano buys all of its treated water from the North Texas Municipal Water District. The city’s 2025 water quality report lists total hardness of 96 to 200 ppm for water from NTMWD’s Wylie plant and 96 to 144 ppm from its Leonard plant, roughly 5.6 to 11.7 grains per gallon. Either way, minerals settle in a tank, so a new heater lasts longer when it’s flushed periodically, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Tankless units need descaling for the same reason.
How a Plano replacement goes
Inspect
We check the old heater, its location, access, venting, drains, gas or electrical, and what Plano would require for the new one.
Written price
You get upfront written pricing for each option before work starts, including the permit and code items.
Replace
We remove and haul away the old heater, install the new one to Plano’s requirements, and test it.
Inspection
The replacement is permitted with the City of Plano and inspected.
Replacing a heater in Plano? Start here.
Helpful to have:
- The heater’s location: attic, garage or closet.
- The data plate with size, fuel and age.
- Your gas utility: Atmos Energy or CoServ Gas.
- What you want next: the same size, larger, or tankless.
- Call (682) 284-0966 and we’ll price each option in writing.
Plano neighborhoods we serve
We replace water heaters across Plano, ZIP codes 75023, 75024, 75025, 75074, 75075, 75093 and 75094: the brick ranches of east Plano, the 1980s and 90s neighborhoods in the middle of the city, and newer homes and apartments toward the Legacy West corridor.
Our headquarters is at 740 F Avenue, Suite 302, in Plano.
Plano water heater replacement FAQ
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Plano?
Yes. The City of Plano lists water heaters, replacing or adding, among projects that require a permit, and the work is inspected. We pull the permit.
Does my replacement need a pan?
If the heater is above the first floor, such as in an attic, Plano requires a corrosion-resistant pan with a 3/4-inch drain to a visible location. A heater on the first floor doesn’t need one under that rule, and the relief line can never drain into the pan.
My garage heater sits on the floor. Can the new one go there too?
An electric heater, or a gas heater listed as flammable-vapor resistant, doesn’t need to be raised in a Plano garage. Other gas heaters need the ignition source at least 18 inches above the floor.
Can I put a bigger heater in my closet or attic?
Sometimes. A larger gas heater in a small closet may need combustion air openings, and an attic heater still needs Plano’s walkway and 30-by-30-inch service space. We check before quoting.
What happens to my old water heater?
We remove it and haul it away as part of the replacement.
Should I switch to tankless?
It depends on your gas supply, vent route and budget. Plano requires a gas load calculation for tankless at the first inspection. We’ll price both options in writing so you can compare.
