Furnace Replacement Cost Calculator
Homeowners who hired a professional to add or replace built-in heating equipment reported a median cost of $5,700 in 2026 prices; half of the jobs cost $3,200 to $9,100. In homes heated by a forced-air furnace the median was $5,700 (869 jobs).
United States · hired a pro
$5,700median cost
Half of these jobs cost between $3,200 and $9,100.
1,198 real jobs from 2021 to 2023, in 2026 prices.
Is your furnace quote high or low?
| Cost of the job | Share of jobs |
|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | 8% |
| $2,500 or less | 20% |
| $4,000 or less | 34% |
| $5,000 or less | 42% |
| $6,000 or less | 53% |
| $7,500 or less | 64% |
| $10,000 or less | 78% |
| $15,000 or less | 90% |
| $20,000 or less | 95% |
The survey does not record the exact equipment installed, its size, its efficiency rating or the brand, so a higher quote is not necessarily too high.
Heating equipment replacement cost by home size
Size of the whole home, not of the job.
| Home size | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 750–999 sq ft | $4,500 | $2,000–$7,900 | 45 |
| 1,000–1,499 sq ft | $5,100 | $2,300–$7,900 | 248 |
| 1,500–1,999 sq ft | $5,600 | $3,400–$8,700 | 256 |
| 2,000–2,499 sq ft | $6,800 | $3,900–$9,700 | 236 |
| 2,500–2,999 sq ft | $5,700 | $3,200–$11,400 | 146 |
| 3,000–3,999 sq ft | $6,800 | $4,500–$11,300 | 127 |
| 4,000 sq ft or more | $6,800 | $4,000–$11,400 | 83 |
By home value
| Home value | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $200,000 | $4,000 | $1,200–$6,400 | 160 |
| $200,000–$349,999 | $5,600 | $3,400–$8,500 | 272 |
| $350,000–$599,999 | $6,500 | $3,400–$10,200 | 325 |
| $600,000 or more | $7,700 | $4,000–$13,500 | 378 |
Heating equipment replacement cost by region and metro area
| Region and division | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $5,700 | $2,600–$10,300 | 271 |
| New EnglandConnecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont | $9,100 | $3,400–$13,600 | 113 |
| Middle AtlanticNew Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania | $4,500 | $2,600–$9,000 | 158 |
| Midwest | $5,300 | $3,400–$7,700 | 315 |
| East North CentralIllinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin | $5,100 | $3,400–$7,100 | 262 |
| West North CentralIowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota | $5,700 | $3,900–$8,500 | 53 |
| South | $5,800 | $2,700–$9,000 | 327 |
| South AtlanticDelaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia | $6,400 | $3,900–$9,100 | 211 |
| West South CentralArkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas | $4,500 | $2,000–$7,700 | 94 |
| West | $6,800 | $3,400–$11,500 | 285 |
| MountainArizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming | $6,600 | $3,300–$11,400 | 83 |
| PacificAlaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington | $7,700 | $3,400–$11,600 | 202 |
Fewer than 30 jobs, no figure: East South Central (22).
By metro area
| Metro area | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $3,900 | $1,500–$8,700 | 31 |
| Boston | $10,800 | $5,700–$16,900 | 74 |
| Chicago | $4,500 | $3,400–$6,200 | 83 |
| Cincinnati | $6,200 | $4,500–$9,900 | 79 |
| Cleveland | $5,400 | $2,800–$6,800 | 63 |
| Denver | $6,800 | $3,900–$11,400 | 74 |
| Detroit | $5,100 | $2,600–$6,800 | 59 |
| Houston | $7,400 | $2,800–$10,300 | 35 |
| Milwaukee | $5,700 | $4,500–$6,800 | 100 |
| New York | $4,500 | $2,300–$11,300 | 55 |
| Philadelphia | $6,200 | $2,600–$10,200 | 60 |
| Phoenix | $9,700 | $5,700–$13,600 | 38 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino | $7,400 | $4,500–$14,800 | 36 |
| San Francisco-Oakland | $7,900 | $3,900–$13,600 | 43 |
| Seattle | $9,100 | $4,500–$17,000 | 63 |
| Washington, DC | $6,800 | $2,300–$11,400 | 79 |
Fewer than 30 jobs, no figure: Dallas-Fort Worth (29), Los Angeles (21), Miami (10), New Orleans (15).
Heating replacement cost by type of system and fuel
By the home's heating system
| Main heating equipment | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forced-air furnace | $5,700 | $3,400–$9,100 | 869 |
| Steam or hot-water system (boiler) | $6,400 | $3,200–$11,300 | 128 |
| Electric heat pump | $7,300 | $3,900–$9,700 | 131 |
Fewer than 30 jobs, no figure: Built-in electric baseboard or coils (25).
By heating fuel
| Main heating fuel | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | $6,400 | $2,800–$9,100 | 320 |
| Natural gas (piped) | $5,700 | $3,400–$9,100 | 714 |
| Propane (LP gas) | $5,600 | $3,200–$7,900 | 60 |
| Fuel oil | $7,400 | $4,500–$11,400 | 66 |
Fewer than 30 jobs, no figure: Wood (10).
Furnace, boiler and heat pump cost by type of unit
What recent permits show: Seattle, Washington
Projects in one- and two-family homes, October 2024 to October 2026, by the equipment named on the permit. One city's records, not survey data: use them to compare types of units, not as a price for your area.
| Equipment named in the permit description | Median | Middle half | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas furnace | $6,500 | $5,300–$8,000 | 1,579 |
| Furnace (fuel not named) | $6,000 | $5,500–$8,000 | 1,531 |
| Heat pump and furnace together | $14,000 | $9,500–$18,600 | 1,175 |
| Furnace and air conditioner together | $12,000 | $8,000–$16,800 | 237 |
| Heat pump (not described as ductless) | $9,000 | $6,000–$15,000 | 3,120 |
| Ductless mini-split heat pump | $9,000 | $4,800–$14,300 | 3,867 |
About these records
Check against the survey: the 3,184 projects whose descriptions name a furnace and no other unit have a median stated cost of $6,500; homeowners in the Seattle metro area reported $8,200 for heating jobs (185 jobs, 2019, 2021 and 2023 surveys, 2026 prices).
The cost is the estimated project cost written on the permit, not adjusted for price changes and rounded the same way as the other costs on this page. A project is the set of permits at one address that state the same cost, because one job often has both a furnace permit and a refrigeration permit. Not included: 4,571 projects whose permits from the same day state different costs, 558 permits without a cost or an address, and 446 projects in newly built homes. The type of unit is identified from the permit description using fixed rules. A description that names two types may mean two new units or one unit replacing another. A project whose description names none of these types, or names a boiler, a fireplace or a water heater, is not in the table. Groups with fewer than 30 projects are not shown. Source: City of Seattle, "Trade Permits". The City of Seattle makes no claims as to the completeness, accuracy, timeliness or content of this data; it is used at one's own risk. The city has not reviewed or endorsed this site. More about these records
Federal estimates by type of unit
Estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for one unit of the size shown, not costs that homeowners reported.
| Type of unit and assumed size | Typical unit | High-efficiency unit |
|---|---|---|
| Gas furnace80,000 Btu per hour | $4,700 | $4,900 |
| Oil furnace105,000 Btu per hour | $4,000–$7,700 | $5,800–$11,500 |
| Electric furnace68,000 Btu per hour | $1,700 | not given |
| Gas boiler100,000 Btu per hour | $6,700 | $7,600 |
| Oil boiler140,000 Btu per hour | $6,300 | $6,500 |
| Air-source heat pump36,000 Btu per hour (3 tons) | $7,800 | $9,800 |
Where the two differ: Gas furnace: estimate $4,700, Seattle projects $5,300–$8,000. The estimate is for one unit; a permit covers a whole project.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Updated Buildings Sector Appliance and Equipment Costs and Efficiencies", Appendix A; 2022 dollars multiplied by 1.14 for 2026 prices. More about these estimates
How homeowners paid for heating jobs
| Paid mainly with | Share | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash from savings | 74% | $5,700 | $3,000–$8,700 | 871 |
| Cash-out refinance | 2% | too few jobs | 22 | |
| Home equity loan | 4% | $7,900 | $4,500–$13,500 | 36 |
| Insurance settlement | 2% | too few jobs | 18 | |
| Credit or store card | 9% | $6,200 | $3,400–$10,800 | 118 |
| Contractor financing | 5% | $7,900 | $5,700–$15,400 | 67 |
| Other | 6% | $7,700 | $3,900–$12,500 | 62 |
Heating equipment replacement: hiring a pro or doing it yourself
87% hired a professional; 13% did most of the work themselves.
| Who did most of the work | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hired a professional | $5,700 | $3,200–$9,100 | 1,198 |
| Did most of the work themselves | $2,300 | $680–$5,600 | 189 |
A do-it-yourself cost leaves out the household's own time.
How often homeowners add or replace built-in heating equipment
6.9% of owner-occupied homes had this job done in the two years before the survey, by a professional or by the household.
| Year the home was built | Share of homes | Homes surveyed |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 8.6% | 2,839 |
| 1940 to 1959 | 7.4% | 3,854 |
| 1960 to 1979 | 6.6% | 6,448 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 7.7% | 3,691 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 8.2% | 3,718 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 8.2% | 4,106 |
| 2010 or later | 2.2% | 2,690 |
Heating equipment replacement cost by year, as reported
| Year | Median | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $5,000 | $2,400–$7,500 | 284 |
| 2022 | $5,000 | $3,000–$8,000 | 643 |
| 2023 | $5,500 | $3,000–$9,000 | 269 |
Not adjusted to 2026 prices; 2021 and 2023 are covered only in part. How the price adjustment works
What counts as a heating equipment replacement in this data
Counted:
- Adding or replacing built-in heating equipment: furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, ductwork and radiators.
Not counted:
- Thermostats.
- Room air conditioners.
- Routine minor work such as painting or decorating.
Central air conditioning is a separate job in the survey. The survey does not say under which of the two a heat pump is reported.
Survey category: "Added or replaced built-in heating equipment". Costs the Census Bureau filled in (25% of the professional jobs) are left out.
Where these numbers come from
American Housing Survey 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau and HUD), in 2026 prices by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index for home improvements. Estimates by type of unit: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Permit records: City of Seattle. The calculations are our own; no agency has reviewed or endorsed them. Methodology · Data source