Needing a water heater for my occupied rental condo rather pronto in 2022, I called around and amazingly on one of my calls a real plumber answered the phone. He agreed to throw in a load of extras (air bladder protection), a new whole-unit pressure regulator, new pan underneath, etc.). After considerable discussions I decided to spring for a commercial electric model, with estimated cost close to $3,400. Plumber advised to buy it at Lowes with their CC, since in doing so I'd get about a $100 discount.
Critical point #1 here is I never saw a breakdown of exact cost for labor vs heater since heater rather appears in my view a "package deal." In other words, the way I purchased the heater was 'with installation' (although I could be wrong about this and have no idea of actual determinative tests for this or WHETHER IT MATTERS in terms of a need to send a 1099-NEC).
Point #2 is the company handling the Lowes heater in my region is ARS Rooter, a huge company, which I suspect is corporate in scope, with a large local company (franchise?). How can I tell what kind of company this is?
