Water Heater Repair & Replacementin McLean, Virginia
We replace and repair water heaters in McLean and across Fairfax County. A new tank installed runs $2,757 to $7,494, electric at the low end and power vent at the high, and tankless is $8,886 to $10,486. Permit, expansion tank, drain pan, haul-away and labor are in those numbers.
Ask us for a price
Tell us what it is doing and roughly how old it is. We will call you back with a number.
Repair or replace
If the tank itself is leaking
Replace it. A rusted-through steel tank is not a repair. Shut off the water and the gas or the breaker, then call.
If it is under about eight years old and not leaking
Repair is usually the right call. A thermocouple, gas control valve, heating element or thermostat are real repairs on a tank that still has years in it.
If it is past ten and acting up
Hear both numbers before you decide. The full version of that decision, and how to read the build date off the label, is on our water heater page.
Send the age and what it is doing and you will hear which side of that line you are on. Send it here, or call (703) 997-9757.
Prices
General ranges, installed. What a McLean house lands on depends on the fuel, how the heater vents and the size you need, which is what the free measure settles. The same ranges and the full detail are on our water heater page.
| What you are buying | Installed |
|---|---|
| Electric tank 50 or 80 gallon. Cheapest to buy and simplest to fit. No flue, no gas line. |
$2,757 to $5,493 |
| Gas or propane tank 50 or 75 gallon on the flue you already have. The common Northern Virginia setup. |
$3,379 to $5,485 |
| Power vent tank Gas or propane, with a fan on top and PVC out a side wall. |
$5,957 to $7,494 |
| Tankless One high efficiency condensing unit, sized for the whole house. |
$8,886 to $10,486 |
A lot of McLean houses put the heater somewhere awkward: a finished basement behind a tight turn, a third-floor closet, a garage platform. Access is the usual reason a job is not the standard price, so a plumber measures the space and checks the venting before the job is booked. That visit is free.
Got a bid that is nothing like this table? Second opinions are free. Your own number takes about a minute on the water heater estimator. What moves the number is on the cost guide, and every other price we publish is on the calculators page.
Permits in Fairfax County
Fairfax County issues the permit
McLean is unincorporated Fairfax County, so a water heater replacement here is permitted and inspected by the county. That is in the price, and we meet the inspector.
Closed systems need an expansion tank
Most houses here have a pressure reducer or a check valve on the incoming line, which makes the plumbing a closed system. Heated water then has nowhere to expand and the relief valve weeps. The expansion tank is required, and it is the line most often missing from a cheap bid.
Venting decides the price more than the brand does
An atmospheric tank drafts up a flue you already have. A power vent tank uses a fan and PVC out a side wall, which is why it has its own row in the table, and with no usable flue it is not optional.
Keeping the one you have is the cheaper path while it still has life in it: a flush once a year, the anode rod every two to three, the safety valve tested. The flush and the check go together on the flush offer. The Family Care Plan checks the heater every year and flushes it while we are there at the member price.
Reviews
Our water heater died on Friday night around 7:30pm. We called SwiftPro, and by 10pm we had quotes, a phone call explaining the options, followed by a signed contract and an appointment to have a new one installed Saturday morning. We’ve also used SwfitPro before for HVAC services, and each time they have been quick to respond, always pleasant to deal with, thorough in their work, and competitive and fair in their pricing. I would recommend highly recommend them to anyone.
Cathy KalweitGoogle, May 2026
SwiftPro was excellent. When our hot water heater went out (at nearly 20 years old, we were neither upset nor surprised!) we reached out to a few places but SwiftPro was the most responsive and arranged for an onsite visit the next morning. Zabi, the service technician was fantastic! I can’t say enough good things about him. He was prompt, provided excellent communication, took meticulous care with the work and work space, and was just a great person to talk to. The install went great and there was no aggressive sales tactics or upselling. Just a genuine cut and dry hot water heater removal and install experience. I highly recommend SwiftPro. Thanks Zabi
AdamGoogle, March 2026
Where in McLean
McLean and the rest of Fairfax County, out of our shop in Chantilly. If you are in Arlington, Vienna, Falls Church or Great Falls we cover those too. Outside Northern Virginia we are not your plumber, and we will say so on the phone.
Everything else we do in McLean is on the McLean plumbing page. The full water heater detail, including the ranges and the decision rule, is on the main water heater page.
Call with the age, the size, and whether it is leaking
You get a price before anyone is standing in your basement. Book online if calling is a hassle.
Virginia Class A contractor license #2705192276. BBB Accredited with an A rating. 5.0 stars across 884 Google reviews. Serving McLean and Fairfax County from 4230 Lafayette Center Dr, STE N, Chantilly, VA 20151 · (703) 997-9757