Water heaters, dishwashers and disposals: what owners spent in 2021–2023
When owners hired someone for a water heater, dishwasher or garbage disposal, the middle half paid $570 to $1,600 and the typical job cost $1,000. Counting do-it-yourself jobs, the typical U.S. job was $800, and across 15 big metros it ran $700 to $1,200.
What owners paid
$1,000
The typical job when owners hired it out. The middle half paid $570 to $1,600.
Every job, do-it-yourself included: $800 typical.
Hired out, by home size: the typical job and the middle half
- Under 1,500 sq ft$930$500 to $1,600
- 1,500 to 2,499 sq ft$1,000$600 to $1,500
- 2,500 sq ft or more$1,000$600 to $1,900
Every job by big metro, do-it-yourself included: lowest $700 in Dallas, highest $1,200 in San Francisco.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked . Hired-out figures: our percentiles from the survey’s public use file.
When owners hired the work out
59% of these jobs were hired out. Each bar runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile of what those owners paid, so half of the jobs sit inside it; the tick is the median.
- United States$1,000$570–$1,600
- San Francisco$1,400$850–$2,200
- Atlanta$1,200$500–$1,900
- New York City$1,200$860–$2,000
- Boston$1,100$800–$1,900
- Riverside$1,100$600–$2,000
- Chicago$1,000$620–$1,500
- Dallas$1,000$600–$1,800
- Houston$1,000$400–$1,500
- Los Angeles$1,000$550–$1,900
- Philadelphia$1,000$600–$1,500
- Seattle$1,000$700–$2,000
- Washington DC$1,000$680–$2,000
- Miami$900$500–$1,200
- Phoenix$900$400–$1,600
- Detroit$850$500–$1,300
The hired-out figures as a table, with margins of error
| Homes | Sample jobs | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Every home size | 3,336 | $570 ±$80 | $1,000 ±$0* | $1,600 ±$104 |
| Under 1,500 sq ft | 811 | $500 ±$12 | $930 ±$126 | $1,600 ±$213 |
| 1,500 to 2,499 sq ft | 1,435 | $600 ±$104 | $1,000 ±$31 | $1,500 ±$26 |
| 2,500 sq ft or more | 982 | $600 ±$94 | $1,000 ±$0* | $1,900 ±$205 |
| San Francisco | 151 | $850 ±$133 | $1,400 ±$231 | $2,200 ±$514 |
| Atlanta | 113 | $500 ±$185 | $1,200 ±$349 | $1,900 ±$359 |
| New York City | 85 | $860 ±$130 | $1,200 ±$539 | $2,000 ±$26 |
| Boston | 179 | $800 ±$188 | $1,100 ±$255 | $1,900 ±$116 |
| Riverside | 128 | $600 ±$204 | $1,100 ±$173 | $2,000 ±$110 |
| Chicago | 148 | $620 ±$124 | $1,000 ±$18 | $1,500 ±$119 |
| Dallas | 117 | $600 ±$13 | $1,000 ±$122 | $1,800 ±$127 |
| Houston | 146 | $400 ±$115 | $1,000 ±$278 | $1,500 ±$176 |
| Los Angeles | 128 | $550 ±$262 | $1,000 ±$184 | $1,900 ±$291 |
| Philadelphia | 134 | $600 ±$122 | $1,000 ±$0* | $1,500 ±$419 |
| Seattle | 132 | $700 ±$222 | $1,000 ±$354 | $2,000 ±$133 |
| Washington DC | 185 | $680 ±$146 | $1,000 ±$259 | $2,000 ±$154 |
| Miami | 83 | $500 ±$72 | $900 ±$165 | $1,200 ±$205 |
| Phoenix | 184 | $400 ±$78 | $900 ±$55 | $1,600 ±$259 |
| Detroit | 127 | $500 ±$154 | $850 ±$178 | $1,300 ±$191 |
* A margin of $0 means every replicate estimate landed on the same round figure: owners tend to report round amounts such as $10,000.
How these figures are made: from the Census Bureau's 2023 American Housing Survey public use file, each job counted with its survey weight and a 90% margin of error from the survey's replicate weights. A job is hired out when the owners said someone outside the household did most of the work. Leaving out do-it-yourself jobs is why these figures usually sit above the every-job medians in the Census table below. The public file also rounds costs, so its every-job median can differ a little from the published one.
Every job in each big metro, do-it-yourself included
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first, from the Census Bureau's published table. 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”. Checked October 13, 2026. 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. Do-it-yourself jobs mostly pay for materials, which is why this page keeps hired-out jobs apart. 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. Seven reasons cost guides disagree, each with its figures.
Put your quotes side by side in the quote worksheet.
Before you compare quotes
Ask every contractor to price the same scope, in writing. For a dishwasher, separate existing-hookup replacement from a first installation. Compare the appliance, hookup kit, haul-away, cabinetry, circuit and plumbing work.