In most cases, Yes. Whether you need a drain pan under a water heater is mostly determined by the location where it is installed. If your water heater is installed in an attic or ceiling space or inside the interior living space, a drain pan is required under your water heater.
Also to know is, how do you drain a water heater without a floor drain?
Turn off the cold water supply and allow the heater to cool (this may take a couple of hours). Locate the water heater’s drain valve, typically found near the bottom of the tank. If you don’t have a floor drain, thread a standard garden hose to the valve to drain the water from the tank and direct it into a bucket.
Moreover, how much does it cost to install a drain pan for water heater? Other relevant repair requests include installing or replacing a safety expansion tank, at $90 to $135. Or installing a Floodmaster Leak Dectection shutoff system in the vicinity of $240 to $295. While replacing a drain pan should cost $85 to $110.