How many gallons is the one you have now? How many gallons is the BW? How many is the State?

Current is 30 gallons. The replacement will be the same.

Really, it doesn't matter which brand. I'd be more concerned about getting a larger one if you can fit it in there (40-50 gal).

I'm seeing 40 gal (tall) at 18" in diameter and a 50 gal that's 20.5"

Here's the thing: You will run out of hot water quickly with a 30 gal electric heater. I wouldn't install anything smaller than a 40 gal electric. If you are going to pay an upcharge, pay it for a larger tank.

I suspect that both water heaters use similar components. Paying more gets you a longer warranty, and possibly a larger sacrificial anode. Mostly the higher price covers the longer warranty, which most homeowners don't use anyway.

I'd choose on the basis of which unit has better insulation. Look for a lower yearly cost of operation estimate on the yellow label.

A 40 gallon tank will be a nice upgrade if you have more than 1 or 2 people in your household. A larger tank has more surface area, so more heat loss ($ waste). For a single person, 30 gallons is usually plenty. It depends on how careful you are with your hot water use.

Since this is being covered by my home warranty I can't change the size. I am currently the only one using the unit but that will increase to 2 people but no more than that. I take really long showers and have been ok with hot water so far.

I've heard that Bradford White is a good brand but haven't really heard anything about the State brand. I searched online and most ppl say BW is better.

I just want to make sure I'm not getting cheated especially since it is a warranty call. Say they install the State and it fails in 5 years and I have to pay out of pocket to replace it all over again vs paying a little more now for the BW and it lasting 10 years. I plan to be in this place long term. Again, I don't know how much more the BW will be. The dispatcher said it wasn't an option since the diameters are 20-22" and wouldn't leave enough space between the wall. I called BW and they only have 1 30 gallon model and its 20" compared to the State they're going to use that is 19".

After I hear back from you guys I'll ask the plumber for the State model number so I can look up the yellow tag and get info on the energy usage. I've already called them about 20 times to get this approved/resolved.

What do you think?

I semi-agree with you on the home warranties. It's a hassle and I had to make a lot of phone calls that I shouldn't have had to make dealing with things that as a plumber I feel they should have known. I did reach out to other plumbers in my area for quotes incase my claim was denied. The cheapest quote I got was for $1,700 (with a BW 30 gallon). It's located on an upper level so the labor is probably higher because of the stairs. I'm having to pay the warranty's plumber for some adjustments to bring me up to code but I'm saving about $1,200. If I was dealing with a broken ice maker or something I probably wouldn't have bothered with the warranty company.

I think that a water heater is a water heater. BW has marketed this "better" image but it's questionable.

Beyond the 1 year warranty, I don't think water heater warranties are worth much.

I understand that a 30 gal heater is what's covered - but a 40 gal is minimum for electric. If you can't upgrade to 40 then just put in a basic 30 and replace it on your own dime when it fails in 10-15 years.