Water heater, dishwasher and garbage disposal: what owners spent in 2021–2023
The typical U.S. owner paid $800 for water heater, dishwasher and garbage disposal work; across 15 big metros the typical job ran $700 to $1,200.
What owners paid
$800
The typical (median) U.S. job: half of owners paid less, half paid more.
The Census table gives no margin of error for the national figure.
Lowest big metro, $700: Dallas. Highest, $1,200: San Francisco.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked .
What owners paid in each big metro
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first. The margin of error is the Census Bureau's 90% range around each median.
- San Francisco$1,200
- New York City$1,114
- Boston$1,000
- Washington DC$1,000
- Philadelphia$900
- Atlanta$857
- Los Angeles$823
- Chicago$800
- Miami$800
- Phoenix$800
- Riverside$800
- Seattle$800
- Detroit$714
- Houston$714
- Dallas$700
What these figures cover: Water heaters, dishwashers and garbage disposals, counted together.
The figures as a table, with margins of error
Scroll the table sideways to see every column on a small screen.
| Metro area | Typical job (median) | Margin of error (90% confidence) |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $1,200 | ±$154 |
| New York City | $1,114 | ±$270 |
| Boston | $1,000 | Not published |
| Washington DC | $1,000 | ±$57 |
| Philadelphia | $900 | ±$160 |
| Atlanta | $857 | ±$166 |
| Los Angeles | $823 | ±$113 |
| Chicago | $800 | ±$78 |
| Miami | $800 | ±$165 |
| Phoenix | $800 | ±$91 |
| Riverside | $800 | ±$163 |
| Seattle | $800 | ±$188 |
| Detroit | $714 | ±$101 |
| Houston | $714 | ±$158 |
| Dallas | $700 | ±$63 |
Source: Census Bureau and HUD, 2023 American Housing Survey, Table 16, category “Water heater/dishwasher/garbage disposal” under “Interior Additions and Replacements”. Updated 2026-09-19. The metro values and margins of error use the survey's metropolitan areas, not city limits. A metro with no published figure stays blank; we never fill it in from its neighbors.
Why do cost guides disagree?
They measure different things. An estimate prices one defined job at today's rates; these figures are what owners actually paid, across every size and kind of job in the category. A full job on a large house can sit well above the typical figure, and a small one well below it. Your own quotes, compared line by line, are the price that counts.
Put your quotes side by side in the quote worksheet.
Before you compare quotes
If a quote is well above the typical $800, ask what is in it that the typical job is not. For a dishwasher, separate existing-hookup replacement from a first installation. Compare the appliance, hookup kit, haul-away, cabinetry, circuit and plumbing work.