Vancouver, BC
New water heater installation, sized from your hot-water demand, with permits and commissioning included
CANRO Heating & Cooling installs gas and electric storage tanks, heat-pump water heaters and gas tankless units in Metro Vancouver homes, suites, laneway houses and light-commercial properties, including venting, gas or electrical supply, condensate, permits and commissioning. Free written estimates.
Free written estimate
Free in-home estimates for water-heater replacements and installations, as published by CANRO. Source, checked September 7, 2026.
On-site service in Vancouver
On-site service is currently offered across Metro Vancouver: Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, White Rock, Tsawwassen; plus Anmore, Belcarra, Lions Bay, Bowen Island, Abbotsford with travel or ferry arrangements confirmed by phone. Everything else on this site is reference information you can use anywhere in Canada.
Water Heater Installation for Vancouver homes and buildings
A new installation, as opposed to a swap, starts with demand: how many people, which fixtures run at once, and the temperature rise in January. From that comes the first-hour delivery a tank needs or the flow at rise a tankless unit must produce. Then the site decides what is possible: is there a flue or a sealed vent route, can the gas line carry the input, is there a drain for condensate, and is there a suitable circuit for an electric or heat-pump unit.
Every gas water heater installation in BC requires a gas permit, issued by the municipality in Burnaby, Vancouver, Richmond, Maple Ridge and the North Shore or by Technical Safety BC elsewhere, and municipalities add a plumbing permit for the water heater as a fixture. Strata and duplex owners must use a licensed contractor. CANRO holds Technical Safety BC gas-fitting and boiler licences and obtains permits as part of the job; CANRO states that all work is performed under permit and inspected where required by BC code.
Who issues gas permits in Vancouver. The City of Vancouver issues its own gas installation permits for single, fully detached dwellings at service pressures at or below 14.0 kPa (2 psig). Commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential buildings, and any work above that pressure or load, are permitted by Technical Safety BC. CANRO obtains the permits as part of every installation. Source
Water supply and hardness. Metro Vancouver supplies the water and reports treated hardness of roughly 2–25 mg/L as CaCO3 depending on the source, which is very soft water: scale is a minor concern and anode condition matters more on storage tanks. Source
Water Heater Installation in Vancouver: what to expect
New water-heater installations in Vancouver happen in the obvious places: a laneway house or suite added to a character home, a renovation that relocates or rightsizes the unit, a heat-pump or electric unit in a home without gas, or a tankless unit on a wall where a tank never fit. Each of those starts with demand and a site check rather than a heater.
Vancouver's permit rules are the tightest of the region: since July 1, 2023 the City requires mechanical and electrical permits for all space and water heating work, a gas permit for new gas installations, and on a fully detached home at standard service pressure the City (not Technical Safety BC) issues the gas permit. Owners of homes with a suite or rental, and strata and duplex owners, must use a licensed contractor such as CANRO, which obtains the permits as part of the job.
Sizing follows the site and the season: first-hour delivery for a tank against the busiest hour, flow at the winter temperature rise for a tankless unit, and an assessment of the gas line, vent route, condensate drain and circuit before anything is quoted. Vancouver's very soft water means the anode matters more than scale on tanks, which the maintenance briefing reflects.
What's included
- Demand assessment and sizing for the system type you choose
- Supply and installation of the unit, venting, near-heater piping, shut-off, expansion control and relief-valve discharge to code
- Gas supply sizing and connection by a licensed gas fitter, or electrical coordination for electric and heat-pump units
- Condensate drainage and neutralization for condensing equipment
- Permits, inspections and commissioning, with a walkthrough of operation and the manufacturer's maintenance schedule
Not included
- Electrical panel upgrades or new circuits unless quoted
- Drywall, finishing or structural work
- Rebates or financing unless verified programs are listed on this site
Process
How it works
- 01
Ballpark estimate
Use the instant estimator for a CAD range, or call. The range is a starting point, not a quote.
- 02
Free written estimate
A site visit covers demand, venting route, gas or electrical supply, condensate, access and the unit that fits. CANRO's replacement and installation estimates are free.
- 03
Proposal
A written proposal lists the equipment, scope, exclusions, permits and price.
- 04
Installation and commissioning
Installed by licensed technicians, commissioned, documented, with permits closed out.
Why CANRO
4.9★
4.9 from 85+ Google reviews
As published by CANRO Heating & Cooling on canroheat.ca, checked September 7, 2026.
Technical Safety BC licensed gas contractor
Gas-fitting licence LGA0043870 and boiler licence LBP0046450, as published by CANRO.
Source: canroheat.ca
Serving Metro Vancouver since 1999
Founded by George in 1999, as stated on canroheat.ca. Boiler and hydronic expertise is CANRO's, not this domain's.
Source: canroheat.ca
Red Seal HVAC, WorkSafeBC and liability insured
As stated on canroheat.ca. Bonding and association memberships: not published.
Source: canroheat.ca
Frequently asked questions
How is a water heater sized?
A storage tank is matched by first-hour delivery to your busiest hour; a tankless unit by flow at the winter temperature rise against the fixtures that run at once. Bedroom count and floor area are not sizing methods.
Is the estimate free?
Yes for installations and replacements; CANRO publishes free in-home, written estimates for water-heater installations. Repair visits are different and carry a diagnostic fee.
Do I need a permit?
Yes. Gas appliance installation requires a gas permit, and municipalities such as Burnaby also require a plumbing permit for the water heater. CANRO obtains them as part of the installation.
Get a ballpark estimate in two minutes
Answer a few questions for a CAD range before you share any contact details.
On-site service in Metro Vancouver, BC. Call to check availability.
Related services and help
- Water Heater ReplacementCANRO replaces failed, leaking or aging water heaters in Metro Vancouver, from l…
- Tankless Water Heater InstallationCANRO installs condensing and non-condensing gas tankless water heaters in Metro…
- Water Heater ConsultationA free water heater consultation with CANRO Heating & Cooling covers repair vers…
- Water Heater MaintenanceMaintenance for gas, electric, heat-pump and tankless water heaters in Metro Van…
- Look up a fault codeDocumented meanings by brand and control
- Tank vs tankless guideCapacity, efficiency and installation
Sources and verification
- CANRO — Water heater installation in Metro Vancouver · Canadian source · accessed September 7, 2026
- CANRO — About (free estimates, diagnostic fee wording) · Canadian source · accessed September 7, 2026
- Technical Safety BC — homeowner gas permits · Canadian source · accessed September 7, 2026
- CANRO — free consultation and free estimates (permit and inspection statement) · Canadian source · accessed September 7, 2026
Facts checked September 7, 2026. Last updated September 7, 2026. Technical reviewer: not yet assigned.