“Do I Need a Permit to Install a Water Heater in Sacramento?” Liam Asks a Plumbing Expert

Our friend Liam is considering doing a little work on his house in Sacramento, but he has some questions before he gets his project started. Liam wants to know:

“I might be a bit of a worrier, but I like to be over prepared before I get serious about having even a little bit of work done on my home. This even includes jobs I know I’ll probably have to hire an expert for, like residential plumbing work. That’s why I wanted to get some background info from the Bell Brothers team before I officially reached out about getting an estimate.

Anyway, I live in Sacramento, and I need to have a new water heater installed. My main question is: Do I need a permit to install a water heater in Sacramento? I also have some other questions that you may be able to answer while you’re at it, though, so I’ll just go ahead and ask them of you now, too. What kind of benefits does a tankless water heater provide? And, do you think a relatively handy homeowner could get this job done on his own…me being that relatively handy homeowner. I should also note that while I haven’t ever done any of my own plumbing work before, I’m no stranger to electrical tasks. Thank you!” – Liam

Ah yes, questions about permits are pretty common in my line of work, Liam, so I do believe you may have come to the right place. I’m happy to answer them, too, seeing as there are so many other folks out there that seem to wonder about this exact same thing. I’m also happy to answer your other two questions while I’m at it. So, let’s get right to it!

Do I Need a Permit to Install a Water Heater in Sacramento?

There’s a pretty simple answer to the question: Do I need a permit to install a water heater in Sacramento? The answer is, yes, you do need a permit. You need a residential permit for a number of similarly hefty home projects, including decks and patios, additions, pools, spas, window replacements, remodeling work, and more. Basically, when it comes to getting substantial work done in Sacramento, the answer is almost always yes, yes you do need a permit.

…my general advice is to just make sure you find the right licensed contractor to work with because they can take care of all things permit-related relatively quickly and easily.

I suppose to most folks that’s the bad news, unless you enjoy having extra steps added to projects. The good news is that the permits that you need to get from Sacramento really aren’t that bad. In fact, if you’re working with a California licensed plumber—and that includes most residential plumbing companies worth their salt—Sacramento now allows them to pull certain minor permits online, as well as to schedule associated inspections. So while it’s nice that Liam is the type of guy who would look into something like this in advance, my general advice is to just make sure you find the right licensed contractor to work with, because they can take care of all things permit-related relatively quickly and easily.

What Kind of Benefits Does a Tankless Water Heater Provide?

With the question of whether or not you need a permit to install a water heater taken care of, let’s move on now to Liam’s second question: What kind of benefits does a tankless water heater provide? The simple answer is: a whole lot. Yessiree, tankless water heater installation is something I often talk about because it really does provide a good deal of benefits to homeowners that embrace it.

Here’s a quick list of some of the primary benefits that tankless water heater installation provides:

• Comfort: Tankless water heaters provide instant and continuous steaming hot water. No more waiting for your shower to warm up, or worrying that your family is going to use all of the hot water in the morning before it’s your turn. A tankless water heater means your hot water is instantaneous and basically endless.
• Savings: Not only does a tankless water heater make things more comfortable for you, it also makes things cheaper. Tankless water heaters tend to be between 24 and 34% more efficient than their conventional counterparts, according to energy.gov. And a more efficient appliance means a lower utility bill because your water heater will use less fuel to get your showers hot.
• Longer lifespan: The third and final benefit to a tankless water heater is that they tend to last longer than a traditional model. Conventional water heaters have a lifespan of between 10 and 15 years. Tankless water heaters, however, regularly last up to 20, making them a great investment over time.

Can a Handy Homeowner Install a Water Heater Himself If He Gets a Permit?

To be quite honest about this last question, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a homeowner who is not a professional plumber do this type of job well and without a major hassle. Maybe I’ve talked about this quite a bit in the past, but it’s just a simple truth of the business: major jobs like installing a water heater are best left to the pros.

I’ve also talked about some tips to pick a tankless water heater in the past, but my real advice with this kind of big job is to go with a skilled contractor. They will make sure the work is done well, quickly, and right. They will also make sure that the question of whether or not you need a permit to install a water heater in Sacramento is taken care of by the pros, leaving no margin for error.

It’s natural to have quite a few questions before deciding to undertake a job as substantial as installing a new water heater in your home. That’s why you’ll need a permit and, perhaps most importantly, that’s why you’ll also need an experienced and professional plumbing company to help you through it. Put simply, this is a tough job that’s best left to the pros.

And, of course, I highly recommend hiring Bell Brothers to take care of this work for you. Our skilled and trained professional plumbers have years of experience both with the Sacramento permitting process and with installing water heaters, both tankless and otherwise. Give us a call today!

Now that you know a little bit more about undertaking a project like installing a new water heater, it’s time to take action. Contact the experienced plumbing professionals at Bell Brothers today for all the answers you need to make a sound financial decision.

Wondering how to finance that new plumbing or water heater? HERO is a unique financing option that helps California homeowners afford energy efficient upgrades to their home. Contact Bell Brothers, a HERO-approved contractor, to learn more. Our local HVAC, plumbing, and window specialists will walk you through the entire process, from applications to installation.

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