W. E. Brown called back and, without even surveying the situation, told me point-blank that I would need to buy a new water heater at a cost of $900 to $1,300. (I chose to pay my mortgage instead, and searched on.) Roto-Rooter said they could be here in three hours, and the basic fee would be $200, not including parts or labor.My savior came in the form of AGS Services of Charlottesville.