Payless Water Heaters
Ranked #3 in our 2026 San Diego water heater guide — best for after-hours calls without surcharges
Payless Water Heaters is a water-heater-only company founded by brothers Bryan and Scott Oksas more than three decades ago, holding a C-36 plumbing license verified active since 2004. It publishes 24-hour availability with no extra charge for nights or weekends, advertises same-day service, names Bradford White and Noritz as equipment partners, and serves San Diego County as part of a 60-plus-location California footprint. Promotional discounts and a conditional price-match guarantee are published; full installed prices are not.
Services
- Repair
- Install & replace
- Tankless
- Maintenance
- Commercial
- Emergency
- 24/7 availability
- Yes — company-published 24-hour availability with no night/weekend surcharge
- Same-day service
- Yes
- Financing
- —
- Pricing
- Publishes promo discounts ($50 off repairs, $200 off tankless installs) and a conditional price-match guarantee
- Brands
- Bradford White, Noritz
- Certifications
- Certified retailer for Bradford White and Noritz (company-site claim)
License & contact
- CSLB license
- #836216 · C-36 Plumbing · current and active (expires 08/31/2026) (verified against the CSLB lookup)
- History
- Founded "over three decades ago" per the company; license issued April 2004
- Phone
- (888) 548-5632
- Website
- paylesswaterheaters.com
- Service area
- San Diego, San Diego County, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido, Del Mar
Review signal
The site shows Google badges (4.8 across ~3,400 reviews) that we could not verify on a fetchable third-party page, so we publish no rating.
Observed strengths
- CSLB license #836216 (C-36 Plumbing) verified current and active, issued 2004
- Water-heater-only scope — tank, tankless, and commercial — rather than general plumbing
- Publishes 24-hour availability with no night or weekend surcharge
- Names equipment partners (Bradford White, Noritz) and claims certified-retailer status with both
Ask before hiring
- The CSLB record lists a Valencia (LA County) headquarters — ask whether a local San Diego team handles your job
- No written warranty terms published — request them before booking
- Only promotional discounts and a conditional price match are published — get the total installed price in writing
Sources we checked
- Company homepage (24/7 + same-day claims, license in footer, brands, promos) — checked 2026-06-10
- About page (founders, history claim, certified-retailer claim) — checked 2026-06-10
- CSLB license detail #836216 (status, classification, Valencia address) — checked 2026-06-10
Run this company? Claim this listing or send corrections with documentation to editor@sandiegowaterheater.com. See how profiles are researched in our methodology.