Lakes Region Water Heaters
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Permits, Licensing and Choosing a Tankless Installer

A tankless water heater connects to your gas supply, your plumbing, your electrical system and the outdoors through its vent. New Hampshire treats that as licensed, permitted work.

Who can do the work

New Hampshire licenses fuel gas fitters and plumbers through the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board. State law defines gas fitting to include installing residential fuel gas appliances, including water heaters running on natural gas or propane, and the gas piping to them. [1] Plumbing work is done by licensed plumbers.

Permits in Laconia

The City of Laconia issues permits for both sides of the job:

  • Plumbing permits are issued by the Department of Public Works, only to New Hampshire licensed master plumbers. Homeowners who want to do their own plumbing work need approval from the Director or the Plumbing Inspector. Permits must be obtained before work starts. [2]
  • Gas permits are issued by the Laconia Fire Department. The permit and payment are required before installation begins, and gas permits now require a piping diagram and a pressure test form. [3]

Other towns in the Lakes Region set their own permit processes, so check with the town where the home is.

Questions to ask any installer

  • Who will be on site doing the gas work and the plumbing, and are they licensed in New Hampshire?
  • Who pulls the permits, and who schedules the inspection?
  • Which model are you proposing, and what does it deliver at my winter temperature rise?
  • Is the gas line sized for the heater's full input along its whole length?
  • How will it vent, and where will the condensate drain?
  • What does the quote include, and what is excluded?
  • What does the manufacturer's warranty require: registration, installation to the manual, maintenance?
  • If I want a rebate, does this model qualify, and who fills in the form?

ENERGY STAR's own checklist for a gas tankless installation covers the same ground: confirm the right GPM size, whether the gas line is sufficient, whether electricity is available, how the unit will vent, and whether the installer will get a local permit. [4]

Comparing quotes

A good quote lists the heater model, its output at your winter temperature rise, and the gas, venting, condensate, electrical and permit work included. If two quotes differ widely, the difference is almost always in that surrounding work. See what changes installation cost.

Sources

These are the published references behind the figures and requirements described on this page.

  1. RSA 153:27 Definitions (Mechanical Safety and Licensing) — New Hampshire General Court · checked 2026-09-23
  2. Plumbing Permits — City of Laconia · checked 2026-09-23
  3. Permits and Inspection Guidelines (Fire Department) — City of Laconia · checked 2026-09-23
  4. Whole-Home Tankless Gas Water Heaters — ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA) · checked 2026-09-23