Water Heater Replacement Cost by Brand: Rheem, Bradford White, AO Smith

By Jessica Martinez, home improvement cost analyst
Updated 2026-07-09

Ask three plumbers which brand to buy and you will likely get three different, equally confident answers. That is because Rheem, AO Smith, and Bradford White cover the large majority of residential replacements in the US, and at mid-grade and above, all three are legitimately good units. Entry-level 40 to 50 gallon tanks from any of them run $400 to $750 for the unit, with installed totals of $700 to $1,500.

Cost comparison by brand

Brand	Entry-level tank (40 to 50 gal)	Mid-grade tank	Tankless (gas)	Warranty (tank)
Rheem	$400 to $650	$650 to $1,100	$700 to $2,000	6 to 12 years
AO Smith	$450 to $700	$700 to $1,200	$800 to $2,200	6 to 12 years
Bradford White	$500 to $750	$750 to $1,200	$900 to $1,800	6 to 12 years
Navien (tankless)	N/A	N/A	$900 to $2,200	15 years heat exchanger
Rinnai (tankless)	N/A	N/A	$800 to $2,000	12 years heat exchanger

Rheem: the one on the shelf when you need it today

Rheem sells through Home Depot, Lowe's, and wholesale plumbing suppliers, which means faster sourcing in most markets on a Sunday-afternoon failure. The entry-level Performance series is frequently the cheapest option from a major manufacturer, and the Professional series above it adds longer warranties and higher efficiency ratings. Rheem also makes the ProTerra heat pump water heater, one of the top-selling hybrid models nationally.

AO Smith: built for the trade, priced a step above retail

AO Smith targets professional installers and builds with thicker insulation, higher-grade tank linings, and more durable anode rods than entry-level retail brands, which shows up as $50 to $100 over comparable Rheem models and somewhat better performance in hard water. The Voltex heat pump water heater competes directly with the Rheem ProTerra on features and price.

Bradford White: you cannot buy it at a big-box store

Bradford White sells only through licensed plumbers and plumbing wholesalers, never retail, and that distribution model both raises the unit price slightly and lets the company engineer to a trade standard rather than a shelf price point. Its Defender Safety System and Hydrojet sediment-reduction feature generally rate above what Rheem and AO Smith offer at comparable tiers. If your plumber pushes Bradford White, the small premium is usually earned.

Quick answers

Which water heater brand is most reliable? At mid-grade and above, all three major brands hold up well. Bradford White has a slight edge in contractor satisfaction surveys, particularly for hard water durability, and AO Smith scores strongly in professional-market testing. Model tier within a brand matters more than the name on the front.

Are store-brand water heaters reliable? Most store-brand units are built by the major manufacturers under a private label. A Costco AO Smith or a Home Depot Rheem is essentially the same unit with different badging. Warranty length and First Hour Rating matter more than what the label says.

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Should you buy whatever your plumber recommends

Generally, yes. A plumber who installs one brand every week knows the install quirks, can source parts fast, and understands the warranty claim process end to end. That practical fluency matters more than minor spec differences between comparable brands. Ask why they prefer it, and confirm parts are stocked locally in case a service issue comes up in year eight.

Rheem, AO Smith, and Bradford White all make reliable units at mid-grade and above; Navien and Rinnai lead the tankless category. Get quotes from a plumber who can tell you what they actually stock parts for locally, since that beats brand loyalty in year eight when something needs servicing.