Hiring a Tankless Water Heater Installer in Midlothian, VA

This site doesn't do the work

MidlothianTankless.com is a referral service. When you call or send a request, it goes to one independent local contractor, who quotes the job, signs the contract with you, pulls the permit and does the work. Contractors are responsible for their own licensing, insurance, permits, pricing and warranties. The checks on this page are worth doing whoever you hire.

Virginia's license classes

Virginia's Board for Contractors, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), licenses contractors in three classes based on the size of their jobs, under Virginia Code § 54.1-1100:

A tankless installation runs well over $1,000, so the company contracting for it needs at least a Class C license. Any of the three classes covers a typical residential job.

The specialties that matter for tankless

A license also lists the kinds of work the company can do. Look for these abbreviations:

• PLB, plumbing, for the water heater and its water connections. Plumbing companies do much of this work.
• HVA, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, which in Virginia also covers water heaters, so some HVAC companies install tankless units.
• GFC, gas fitting, for gas or propane piping. Plumbing and HVAC don't cover gas piping on their own.
• ELE, electrical, for new circuits, an outlet, or a panel upgrade for an electric unit.

One company may hold several of these, or bring in licensed subcontractors for the parts it doesn't. What matters is that every part of your job is done by someone licensed for it.

Look a contractor up on DPOR

1. Open DPOR's license lookup.
2. Search the company's name, or the license number from its quote, truck or website.
3. Check that the license is active and not past its expiration date.
4. Read the class and the specialties. For a gas or propane conversion, look for PLB or HVA plus GFC, or ask who's doing the gas work and look them up too.
5. Look for any disciplinary history the lookup shows.

It takes a couple of minutes, and it's worth doing even for a company a neighbor recommends.

What a good written quote spells out

• The make and model, and its flow at a winter temperature rise.
• The gas or propane work: new pipe size and route, and who checks the meter or tank.
• The vent: material, route, and where it comes out of the house.
• What happens to a furnace that shared the old chimney.
• The condensate drain, service valves, relief valve and outlet.
• Permits and inspection.
• Removal and disposal of the old water heater.
• Start-up, a walk-through of the controls, and who registers the warranty.

If two quotes are far apart, compare these lines. The cheaper one often leaves something out. What each line tends to cost.

Questions to ask before you hire

• What's your Virginia contractor license number, and which specialties does it list?
• Who does the gas or propane piping, and what's their license?
• Will you pull the Chesterfield County permit?
• How did you size the unit for our household?
• How many tankless units do you install in a typical month, and which brands do you service?
• Who registers the manufacturer's warranty, and when? Some brands ask for registration soon after installation.
• Do you carry liability insurance, and can I see the certificate?

Manufacturer training

Several tankless brands run installer training programs. Training doesn't replace a state license, and it isn't required by law, but it's a sign the contractor knows the equipment, and some brands tie warranty terms to their own programs. Ask how the brand you're considering handles it.

Hiring questions