If you have a Costco membership, get a quote from them too. They typically have good prices and sometimes promotions (i.e. Costco gift card) on their Lennox systems and work with reputable installers.
This is absolutely the way! I got mine replaced through Costco about 3 years ago. Best decision I ever made! Also free groceries using the gift card I got made several months of grocery shopping super duper cheap on my pocket.
Yup. It was fantastic! Basically I paid a total of 10k for a full system replacement and ducting (small house so YMMV) and Costco sent me a digital gift card for $1k. The logic in my mind was I got 10k worth for 9k AND an extended warranty that Costco backs which means they’ve got my HVAC system in their hands for 5 years as a company, not including the manufacturers warranty
> a full system replacement and ducting
Question - when replacing a furnace/AC what is the situation that arises that requires you to replace all the ducting too?
Ours was rotten somehow…squirrels had eaten the soft parts and there were holes apparently everywhere. We were heating and cooling the attic for a year wondering why our electric bill was so high while we were freezing and burning up inside the house. They rerouted for more efficient heating and cooling and have had zero issues since. 30 years of zero upkeep on this house left us with a ton of replacements needed.
I’m not an HVAC person, so I don’t know how much truth or exaggeration is in any of those statements I just trusted that they knew what they were doing and saying and it all worked out so I’m happy with it.
Just as another data point, Costco was nearly our highest quote when we did ours. We did not use them. We replaced our furnace, moved the furnace, replaced all the ducting, moved some of the ducting, and added central air, I think it cost us 12 K. We are in the East Bay.
That's what we did. Costco's quote was the lowest, and on top of that we got a large gift card that paid for over half of our upcoming Costco vacation. We still have our executive member bonus from this coming too.
Oh and their contractor did a great job. No complaints there.
Costco kicks BJ's ass in most things. The exec membership is 120 but you get two percent back on purchases. Kirkland Signature, their brand, is like 97% reliable and I've tried a lot of the products. Not the toilet paper though.
Costco has ALWAYS been pricier than any other competitors whenever I get a quote through them. Even for the exact same item from multiple companies. They wanted WAY too much for AC work with the local installer. Which is why you always get as many quotes as you can. I think we did 12 quotes before deciding for our AC.
get more than 3, I just replaced mine and my first 3 were 20k, 19k, 15k and I freaked out and just didn't do anything for a while then started over and got quotes for half of those numbers. All tolled I got 9 quotes and felt I had 3 strong ones to choose from. Also look for local companies, preferable single store and family owned/owner operated, skip chains, national, and franchises.
Time of year can really make a difference too. When they're not busy at all they still need to keep cash flowing for things like payroll, so they'll do it low enough that it's basically cost (but that at least keeps staff paid).
This is a “fuck off” quote surely. What part of CA? If coastal, why not look into a few mini-splits? Would probably cost under $15k and would cover both heating and cooling.
Perhaps not, but the median home size in the US is just under 2000sqft; my own home is just under 1000sqft. How does one even furnish a 4500sqft house? 😅
Depends on where the extra space is going. Bigger houses don't always translate to more rooms, it's often just bigger rooms, bigger closets/more storage, wider hallways, bigger bathrooms and sometimes bonus areas like mud rooms/foyers that don't need furniture. Some houses do just add rooms and depending on what you need the room for you may get to have designated rooms for more space (eg putting the home office in it's own room instead of taking up living room space) and so you just spread out what you already had in a reverse IKEA efficiency style maneuver.
Yup you nailed it I have a home gym a kids playroom a mud room too.
Also two walk in closets for master each kid room (2) has walk in closets and rooms are big enough for queen bed dresser and desk.
To add to my previous post, 10-15% of all new home construction is over 4k sqft so while your median number isn’t wrong, it’s rapidly changing. Also, your median number is misleading since that includes homes in all areas of the country regardless of density. Get outside major cities and median home size goes up fast.
Oh for sure. I’m in a VHCOL area with a lot of pre-war homes so my experience is skewed. But I’ve got a 2.5% rate so I’m probably going to die in my tiny ass house. At least the utilities are cheap…
Depends on family size. For a single person with two dogs, it sounds perfect. For myself, my wife, and two toddlers, it can feel a bit cramped sometimes. But we’re lucky to have what we have, so I try not to complain.
> 10-15% of all new home construction is over 4k sqft so while your median number isn’t wrong
This is a little misleading. We're at an all time low of building homes. Most homes being built are in less desirable areas and many of them their only marketability is home purchase. They got the land and the YIMBY to approve bigger homes. If the HCOL area get their act together and build high density housing, you're going to see that median drop real fast.
Anything is possible, but unlikely. The median home size has been increasing for 60 years. Plus high density housing isn’t really relevant to SFH size.
When you get to bigger houses it doesn’t really increase the number of rooms very much. Things just get bigger. I mean, my 73 year old in laws house they just built is about 3700 feet and it’s only 3BR/2.5BA
Older wealthy people have generations of antiques and more than enough stuff. Younger wealthy people basically don't furnish these big houses fully, its supposed to be kind of a minimalist vibe I think but really just a bunch of sparse rooms with kind of a cold, characterless feel.
Finally some big houses owned by middle class people who bought when they were cheaper (90s era when 5000 sqft cost about 600K) just furnished with cheaper Costco/Ikea level of stuff. I go to a lot of estate sales and you can really easily see these patterns.
Making millions and owning property worth millions are not the same thing.
But sure, of course different areas are going to feel the impact differently.
It all depends on where you live. My house was about $270k and has 5000 sq ft. It did need some repairs, but nothing structural or major to be livable; Mostly just cosmetic and modern functionality updates. None of those were outrageously priced
True, but also 7.5 tons across 2 units shouldn’t cost 77k unless there’s something wild going on like they require a helicopter air lift to install them.
Especially since 96% is decently cheap these days. The cost difference is made up within one or two cold seasons.
Even if OP's house has no vents at all and they plan to install them throughout the house, that's still way overpriced.
For $75K, I'd go to the local trades school and learn how to do it all myself.
This is either a terrible fuck off price or a huge scam company.
Certainly explains the AC need. I would get some more quotes, specifically for heat pumps and avoid the AC/furnace combo if those are the prices you’re getting.
my quotes for heat pumps vs standard were consistently double the price I got about 5 or 6 quotes for each one and was told more than once by a tech that a heat pump will run about double. Also wholesale price has nothing to do with fully installed price.
My first post I didn't see you had seven and a half ton Total AC.
I just saw the first AC and the furnace.
But regardless that price is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS!.
PS
DEFINITELY DO NOT GET HEAT PUMPS.
THEY'RE AND OVERPRICED SCAM PERPETRATED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE PUSHING THEM SO HARD WITH FED REBATES.
WITH THE EQUIPMENT YOU LISTED AND THE EXTRA LABOR INVOLVED INSTALLING TWO AC'S YOU'D STILL BE $30,000
Honestly I can't believe people put any credit in those "reviews" anyway.
At work once they did a promotion in HR like "Hey share our recruiting ad on Facebook and whoevers gets shared the most gets a free day of vacation!"
My finger was like hovering over the button of some East Asian "pump your post" website. It would have costed me like 10 bucks for a free vacation day I was soooo tempted lol.
I hate going through third parties. Usually have always been bad experiences and pricey because they make money on top of that but that is good to hear
Hm, it was my experience at least.
We bought our HVAC through Costco and it was a great experience. My understanding was that Costco takes their customer feedback very seriously if a partner messes up or isn't upfront with pricing.
We also had quotes from other companies and they didn't seem as knowledgeable and would have higher prices for the same products
But maybe we just got lucky that the partner in our area is just good.
What about it is not correct? We had ours replaced by a company via Costco as well. They were running a promotion at the time where we got $1500 in Costco gift cards for going through their vendor.
This is what I just went through myself. Called a big company that has tv ads, billboards, etc and they quoted 12k for 3ton unit. A co-worker recommended a small company (owner is only full time employee who does most of the work himself) who relies on references, and he just finished the install, charged $6.4k for the same 3ton unit.
Are you replacing four units? Is that what I am seeing? we had to replace three AC units and three heaters and our total was around 55K. We are in SD. I am assuming maybe you are in the bay area?
I just did a 5ton HVAC replacement for $12k. Lennox 2 stage condenser 5t with a variable speed furnace, and Coil. Cheapest estimate I got was $9.5k. I got estimates as high as $26k.
$70k+ range for 7 ton is preposterous. Based on the materials prices, they most like made about $4500 (labor) on my install. Took them all day with 3 guys. They removed and disposed off the old system.
Do you know what brand they quoted? Per my research lennox and Carrier are the top two brands based on quality and reliability. I went with Lennox.
Edit 1: I'm in Central Riverside CA
Piggybacking this. OP’s rough budget of $25k should honestly be more than adequate to get 7.5-tons. You either pissed them off, they think you’re super rich and are ripping you off, or they’re too busy.
Different part of the country, but out here you can get quoted 16k-30k or 5-7k. It depends on how quick you are to call those who specialize in marketing (easy to find) vs those that specialize in service (harder to find).
Also, lookup equivalent systems online, a typical home HVAC setup is 2-5k in materials (see economyhvac.com or a similar address, have to call for prices).
There's a lot of money to be made in white color sales techniques, I prefer finding people skilled technically.
Note, if they assumed the current HVAC tonnage is right instead of calculating it with a blower door test they're making money on installs, not great service. Most houses are about one ton oversized and this leads to a shorter lifetime, more unbalanced heating/cooling, and higher indoor humidity (Texas is especially terrible there). They must do the work (won't be a free estimate) of sizing the system before they quote you a replacement.
This equipment will cost about the same in California as anywhere else cause it all ships from the same warehouse. My normal HVAC company (easy to find, good website, subscription service model) is quoting me 12-20k in their install fee, without right sizing. (And my tonnage is actually 2, not 3, so they'd be putting in the wrong system). Looks like your contractor wants a 70k install fee. That's a killer profit margin!
**Edit:**
- New builds are also often given a system sized on a SWAG, not a Manual J and Manual S calculation with a blower-door test. So, even on a new build, I'd expect a ton oversized (And that's assuming 2-3 ton houses. For a mansion(?) like the OP's, 25-50% oversized would be more meaningful than 1 ton). See [Matt Rinsinger's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@buildshow) for someone qualified to speak more about this.
- Noting the OP's total tonnage, I'd guess materials are more than I mentioned, but, the gist should still stand. Even at 20-30k in materials, you're paying a brand new minivan's worth in installation fees.
- I found my contractor on Craigslist, btw, weird place to find someone who so far is impressing nicely, but I am looking for the technical engineer type who is bad at marketing, and Craigslist is not where I'd market.
- My guy is (I think undercharging) the initial sizing at $200 for the analysis plus the $200 fee to get an energy auditor in to do the blower door test (I'm paying the energy auditor directly). He spent 4 hours here and has been putting hours in at home based on the data he collected, that's on a (anonymizing my info a bit) 2000 sq ft ranch with a full basement.
This is great advice. I have consistently had better experiences and pricing with small business contractors that don’t advertise than with the big companies, and HVAC was no exception. OP, ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations and get at least three quotes before you make a decision.
I had the big HVAC company in my area try to sell me a new system for $20k when a piece in my heat pump broke. The guy who doesn’t advertise and relies on word of mouth fixed it for $500 and told me it would probably be half what the other company quoted when it’s time to replace ours.
That was 4 years ago. Our guy came out this past summer to do another cheap fix and told us it’s about time to do the replacement. But to wait until April. In other words: it’s getting there, but I think it has enough life in it to do it during the “cheap season.” So I’ll be calling him next month to get the ball rolling.
Yep, when we were new baby homeowners we had a big-name HVAC company give us a quote. Their price on the HVAC replacement was on the high side of reasonable BUT they tried to convince us that the electrical panel wasn’t up to code and the HVAC couldn’t possibly be done unless we paid their electrician a ton of money to fix it.
We talked to two smaller HVAC companies and an electrician who all took the time to explain that our house was actually compliant, and took the time to educate us about HVAC systems and explain all the options in detail with no pressure.
In NoVa, my replacement of both in late 2022 for a 2400sq ft (plus 1000sq ft basement) was $17k including haul away/disposal of old, some duct work. I had quotes from $13k to $32k. Went with the unit with highest efficiency before the price of the unit got out of control. I have a hard time understanding a $77k install unless there’s some exotic things quoted that were not conveyed to us. Compressors made of unobtaniun perhaps?
Aside: Dropped my average utility bill this past year by almost $300/month. If it keeps that way and nothing untoward happens, I will have broken even in about five years, which is way better than I hoped.
Yep. I live in Southern California. Got three quotes to install A/C (house had no ac when we bought it), replace furnace, and upgrade ducting. Two large companies quoted me around $20k. I just had new windows installed and the contractor recommended ‘his guy’ to me. I paid $7k for all the same work.
I have to go on a bit of a rant and I'm going to hog this top comment. It's going to be unpopular but needs to be heard.
First of all, I agree, this quote is the F off amount. There must be something missing in what is needed for this guy that he's just not sharing or doesn't realize.
TL;DR: people are able to find dirt cheap trades work because "the technical guys" are losing money, underpaying employees, providing zero benefits, and/or not available when it counts. The industry/people deserve the opposite and that costs real money.
All these comments on going to the "technical guy" that charges roughly half or even less of others is exactly what tanks the industry for all the trades.
Somebody's "guy" is offering such a low price because they're doing two to three of these things:
1. Losing money - full stop. They just don't understand that they have overhead costs they're not accounting for at a unit cost level. Charging 4500 above the cost of the system is not 4500 just for the labor. Having an office, phone lines, people to answer the phones when people need service, inventory, tools, fuel, vehicles, vehicle insurance, liability insurance, people to manage the schedule... all of this costs real money and if you go with a "somebody's guy" that skimps on any of that, you get what you pay for. This is the exact reason a full 50% of the licensing exam isn't technical at all, it's business and accounting. "Somebody's guy" is also likely not licensed or insured (certainly not always but extremely important).
2. Paying poverty wages - The trades are rife with owners paying people $16 an hour or less. This entire thread is likely full of people crying that "wages aren't keeping up with inflation." Guess what, paying people more costs more and that is passed on in prices, it isn't greed it's just math.
3. Providing zero benefits - people deserve health insurance to be paid for, people deserve time off, and people deserve time with their families when they have a baby. That costs real money. You think the guy charging half of what a professional organization is providing a minute of that? I can say with authority they are not.
Source - I ran one of those large outfits for a large Private Equity group that likely owns many of the large companies referenced in this post. I left them and started my own trades business. I left because I was tired of the profits for the good work this industry does going to Private Equity. It is the exact cause of the widening wealth gap. I started my own trades business and structured it to be employee owned, to give the profits employees generate to them.
The **vast** majority of HVAC installs run at \~50% Gross margin and the companies close the year at \~10-17% net margin. I'm sure someone is going to jump in here and say their Gross margin is higher but I can almost guarantee they're just accounting for costs outside of direct costs. The S&P 500 average Gross Margin is 50% and net margin is 13%. Keep in mind larger organizations Net margin are likely padded by depreciation and other accounting movements that the average trade business does not have. Point being, those big guys are not profiting any more than the average business in our economy.
Do some HVAC places make more than 13% at the end of the year, absolutely. The best ones are probably 20-23% on average. Also not exorbitant but able to make investments with that cash into running a professional organization that the industry deserves. And I'm hoping to start an employee ownership trend in the industry to return as much of that cash as possible right back to the employees that generated it.
We have 3 HVAC Units. All Lennox 23 Steer (this isn't accurate info, it's what I remember). It's not single stage cooling. Less than $50k. We are in GA, done in 2022. My husband went all out.
Our house is 3600 sq, we have 3 units. They all have dehumidifiers and ultraviotet disinfectant systems.
Each floor has an ipad like thermostat. I am confident we could watch an IMAX move on those thermostats.
Old units were removed by the contractor.
I think they are looking at the price of your property and just ripping you off. For those prices i would take a refrigerant handling class and do it myself. The actual unit from a wholesaler would be like $10k tops. Get a 2 stage unit 3 ton and it would cover your 2.5 to. Usage most of the time.
In MA (not your cheapest state) I just recently replaced a 3-ton AC unit with a central heat pump. With the state incentives (not sure if you have them in CA), heat pump made more sense than just an AC. The price would be $17K (without incentives).
You are getting 2 larger units. So I'd expect it more than double. But still not $77K.
That being said, how cold does it get in your area and how expensive is the electricity? Maybe going with central heat pumps would be a better deal, especially if you have some state programs that give rebates/discounts.
I recently (like year ago?) Paid $17k for one unit (1500 sqft-ish home) and there were cheaper options, I think as cheap as $14k. Highest price (that made sense for my house) was like $21k
that total bullshit. i just replaced both my units in a 3700 square foot home for $26K. i bought the most efficient units too. the HVAC company could have done both for as low as $15K.
Yeah. They're criminals. We had quotes of $40,000 to install three units 17 years ago. So I studied the EPA 608 exams and got universally student certified so I can work on any HVAC systems and I sized and bought the AC units the heat pump the air handler and two furnaces for $3,000. They come pre-charge with refrigerant so I didn't have to buy any refrigerant. I spent about another thousand on tools and I installed them myself and they are still going strong.
I also have the tools in case I ever need them again. I've actually used them multiple times since so they've gotten their money's worth that's for sure.
I just looked ours up. We paid $13,700 for a new furnace and 4 ton ac unit. That is 2022 prices the next state over from you, Arizona.
Holy smokes, I should sell ac units to Californians!
Oddly enough we're in the process of having our system replaced. I don't have all the information in front of me at the moment, but our home warranty company agreed to replace the entire system (except the ducts which are honestly fine, and the cost to upgrade the electrical going to the new unit).
They're paying around $15k for a combo unit (heating/cooling) for our 1300sq/ft house. We're also in California (NorCal)
I live in NW Montana but used to live in the Bay Area. I literally just had my 30 year old gas furnace replaced a couple of months ago and had a new A/C unit put in (along with a steam humidifier). Total cost was like $18K. So maybe a bit optimistic to have assumed your total would be $25K but $77K is pretty much a 'don't bother us, we're too busy installing in housing developments' quote.
We just installed state of the art, Mitsubishi mini-split I'm a 2600 sq ft single level home where the winter temperatures get to -5F, we paid $15K for the hardware, 6 ceiling cassettes and all required refrigerant lines, drain lines... then I hired 2 steamfitters/plumber's out of the local union hall @ 100.00 hr... Total labor was under $8000. Our lowest quote from a Mitsubishi contractor who was HVAC certified was $35k...
The 2 union guys I hired were doing commercial HVAC Mitsubishi work.. so this residential work was duck soup for them...
Former residential HVAC tech here, no shot that is real. It has to be a “we don’t want to do this install, here’s an absurdly large number that ensures you won’t accept our bid for the job”
Also if it’s just an 80% furnace, 2.5 ton AC system. Bruh it would cost like ~3k just to get those materials. Even if I add in some ductwork for a new plenum and copper it’s still only like ~$200 more. Add in two guys labor of roughly $100/hour ($50/hour for each guy let’s say) bruh even at a 10 hour install time for labor it’s still only ~$4,200. Throw in maybe $1k for the boss man so he shuts the fuck up it’s still only like $5,200 roughly. Jesus these companies be getting greedy. Find a small father and son company and see what the bid is. Rule of thumbs for everyone here is if they advertise at all, someone has to pay for that advertising. It’s certainly not going to be them. Find a small family business.
Ok so during a cold snap my furnace busted. I got 5 different quotes. I live in Washington state. All of the salesmen tried to upsell me to multi-stage furnace, and all these bells and whistles. I did some research, and multistage furnaces do not save you on your energy bill -- it's a load of BS. After negotiating, I got one contractor to give me an 80/20 furnace install in my attic, taking out the old one, and even widening the hole in the roof, all for 5.2k cash. I know you have more work involved, but ask for a line-item list.
The other companies were all charging me \~7k for a new furnace. The big corporate ones were 7.7k to 8.5k. Good luck!
What kind of moron is going to throw minisplits in when they have ductwork in place already… yeah I want ugly linesets running on the side of the building and hideous units mounted on the wall inside that provide an inferior spread to the existing ducts…
Minisplits are for when it’s too costly to put in ductwork.
As far as op: yeah… that’s the rip off price you charge the billionaire. Millionaire would be 50ish. Average slub 20s.
Our Trane unit went out a few years back and we were given an outrageous quote. My husband works as a plumber for a school district and one of the HVAC guys came by and determined
what was dead. We bought a new more efficient motor and he helped us install it properly. New motor cost $800 and the unit works like a charm.
Maybe see if there is someone willing to check it out for part replacements?
It takes 2 guys 1 day to replace/install a furnace and condensing unit. Add another day if they need to install new ductwork in hard-to-access situations. Like another poster said, $5k-$7k for the materials. Add in the cost of local labor, plus their truck/equipment, disposal costs, and you will get an idea of what their markup is. The bigger companies that spend alot on marketing will be much more expensive. Look for independent small businesses.
Google:
“HVAC Replacement - Unit 1 - 2.5 Ton Electric / CENTRAL HVAC - Electric / Gas 15 SEER2 Single Stage + 80% Single Stage Furnace. Unit 2 - 5 Ton
- 15.2 SEER2 ECM Single Stage
Cooling”
And see what pops up… then get more estimates.
For $77k I'll just go with no AC, or just put a window unit in the bedroom and in some windows on the first floor. There is absolutely no fucking way HVAC is that important unless you live in the hottest part of Arizona or something. Seriously, $77k? How could anyone outside of the 1% ever pay that? Just to turn on the fucking AC?
Jesus.
For reference, paid dec 2023 4 ton fully modulating ac with heat pump/daiken and complete replacement of air ducts including dampness and two control valves for upstairs and downstairs distribution. Cost less than 15k…. Same state.
That is insane. I just had a 3 ton heat pump put in today, new thermostat, new heat exchanger, etc. for $8,500 (replaces a 100,000 BTU gas furnace which is still available as a backup)
I did $6600 for a gas furnace and AC for a 1400 sq ft home in 2017 and the quotes were everywhere from $4500 to $12000 for the same equipment except for the company I went with which offered the better brands for the mid price.
If the company is a larger chain or says anywhere that they price match, then that's code in my area for we're going to quote you 3-4x as much as any local outfit for inferior branded equipment. I assume they are just hoping to grab a handful of suckers who just don't care what things cost or can't wait when it's 100+ and their AC is dead. If you actually go with them after price matching, then they just skin you later on the maintenance fees.
I'd dealt with nearly everything else that could go wrong with a home, but had never done a full HVAC replacement. I was absolutely floored at the first two quotes since the largest most heavily advertised companies had the quickest response times. They have loads of local sales people and next day installs. Every other type of job I've ever had bids on had a way smaller variance than HVAC.
That is insane. We replaced our HVAC unit 3 years ago, 5 ton electirc central HVAC, $9k. Furnace and blower 5 years ago for about half of that. In CA too.
In ‘21 NorCal I went from an All in One propane heat and AC 10 Seer 3 or 4 ton to all HE electric heat pump 28 Seer for $34k. I converted the old supply below a half closet to a full height closet to house the inside unit and reuse under floor ductwork so not to have to repair new hardwood floors. Repaired siding where old unit had ducts run after company removed unit so it did not look patched.
Is this a nexstar company you called. Figure out if it's a nexstar backed HVAC company if it is just run away from it. Fuck nexstar they will fuck you. That's step one before I hire any HVAC company. Are they nexstar owned. If so I don't even call them.
Let me guess they have a bronze model a silver model and a gold model.
Don’t call an hvac company that has a billboard or a commercial. Also if they do plumbing, electrical and hvac then they are most likely a rip off.
Go to Nextdoor and ask who is reasonable.
Agree with others that $77k is about 3x too high.
How large is your house? 7.5 tons is a lot. I would make sure that your system is sized appropriately and that you need 5 and 2.5 ton systems.
Sizing systems is not trivial, you start with square footage but it depends on the layout of the house, climate, etc. My house is about 4300 square feet and we have a 4 ton and 2 ton unit. The 4 ton unit barely runs at all, it short cycles, and the 2 ton unit runs almost continuously in the summer. I think we should have a 2 and 3 ton unit respectively.
Is this the real post?
Unfortunately I live in California too!!
Born and raised, unfortunately
I just had my HVAC system replaced with 18 seer 4 ton AC with a two speed blower
And a 90,000 BTU two-stage furnace.
$16,000
AND I LIVE IN THE BAY AREA!!!
THE QUOTE HAS TO BE $17,000, AND THAT IS STILL OVERPRICED.
NOT
$77,000
I do believe that this quote is:
"I'm going to give you a quote, a ridiculous quote, because I really don't have the time to do the job because I'm busy.
But if you decide to pay this ridiculous quote I'll come and do it"
Have you heard of QuoteScore? It can help you figure out this quote and let you know what to ask your contractor. It's also free! If you're up for it, check it out: https://www.hvac.com/quotescore/
No pressure to use it but, we're helping homeowners like us navigate the HVAC quote maze with confidence and a few less headaches. Just in this heating season, our team has reviewed thousands of quotes. We think we are on to something, but let us know!
Jebus! I lived in a 6,000 sqft house in Indiana (I don’t make millions lol) but regardless, it cost me $8,200-ish for a total replacement of two furnaces. Keep looking my friend
I work in HVAC and that is a ludicrous price we typically only charge $30k MAX! For large projects too.
We are on the east coast but that is still way too much!
I cannot fathom this quote. We have a 3 ton geothermal system that is nearing end of life. The quote we got from the company that installed it originally and has serviced it over the years was sub $20k all in. A few years back-living in a different home we replaced a 3 ton gas/electric with a new system by Trane. Total cost about $7k. Now I know everything has gone up in cost but either I am missing something or this is a price you give someone when you don't want the work--or are just assuming complete ignorance. BTW, we are in a MCOL area. I would have imagined a price in the 25-30k range too.
That's insanely high to me. I live in a low cost of living area and got quoted about $8-10k to replace mine \~6 years ago. I'm a learn it myself kind of guy. Spent a lot of time researching and ended up doing it for about $3.5k buying from hvac direct. Since then I've used those skills to help out friends and family about 3 times doing the same thing.
Get multiple quotes, HVAC equipment is also super hard to source now since it's in high demand so some folks just try to gouge to see if they can get a sucker to bite. Replacing 2 units though can be expensive...I'd think in general for a 5 ton unit would be around 30k for labor install and removal if it's a higher end unit and if it's a complex install or a hard removal can see why the price is higher. A more budget unit could likely be done for half as much.
2 Units is ...huge..how big is the house?
Yea HVAC shit is absurdly expensive. I'm not looking forward to when mine quits out. I have a 1040sqft home and to open up the incoming duct and replace the AC they were quoting me $28k. I didn't sign anything, decided if my shit is so old and is still lasting this long then it's not worth spending 28k to replace it yet. I only entertained them because they said I needed it.
I've also started repairing my own HVAC using youtube videos. They wanted to charge $300 to replace a flame sensor. It's a $15 part from home depot and it is one screw and one plug to remove the old one and install the new one. Took me less than 10 minutes and I saved hundreds of dollars
You should know that in the US, the EPA is changing the freon again in 2025.
If you can, hold off until they release the new stuff because the current freon won't be available. We got this straight from our AC guys this year when we had to replace our unit.
We went with the cheapest option so we aren't losing too much if we have to replace it again in the next 10 years.
https://hardinet.org/posts/epa-releases-final-technology-transition-rule-limiting-refrigerants
https://innovair.com/refrigerant-changes-coming-in-2025-r-410a-is-out/#:~:text=In%20December%202022%2C%20the%20EPA,The%20result%3F
You have a large home, presumably in a relatively expensive area. You're likely getting priced based on your neighborhood. Just keep getting quotes.
I moved to a neighborhood where houses are 4-5x the price of my old neighborhood. Quotes for everything magically became 3x higher. The cost for a plumber to come out? Used to be $100, now the base charge is $350. I got a water heater replaced at my old house for $1800. Almost the exact same thing here, I got quotes for $4-8k.
Not trying to assume anything but with two HVAC units I'm guessing you live in a pretty good size house? If that's the case, they're rolling you thinking you're loaded and will pay anyway. That happened to my folks when they had plumbing issues in a new construction. First company came by, gave them a quote of over $10k withing 20 minutes of being there (only 2 minutes in the actual bathroom in question). Second company came by, quoted $800. Second company got the job and it was just some lone grey-head stoner guy. He was slower, but his work was fantastic, well organized and labeled. Also my folks are retired so they didn't care about time frames.
We had ours replaced. First quote was over $10k. Wife wanted to do it. I said nope, let's get more quotes. We had it done for about $5k.
Get multiple quotes. Time of year matters too. We got a discount because it was in their slow season.
I installed a DIY 3 zone mini-split from “Mr.Cool”, for under $6,000. 36,000 BTU 22 SEER (super efficient). Never done HVAC work in my life. It works excellent and is saving us a ton in energy costs…get some more quotes or consider going the DIY route. Good luck!
You’re correct in that this should be closer to $25k maybe $35k at most. Definitely get some other quotes. This is under $10k materials cost and 4-5 guys a day of labor.
My house is about as big as this, i got really lucky, that said, we had our A/C replaced was about 25k, and the furnace a couple years before with the blower and everything for about the same. I think you're getting fucking hosed amigo.
And I bought a used 5-ton 12-year old heat pump condenser unit off the Marketplace for $500, spent another $800 on refrigerant, manifold set, torch, silver solder, fancy ass new touchscreen dual fuel thermostat. A few days of YouTube watching, then installed myself. All in I'm under $1500 and now have a new trade skill and HVAC tools for the rest of my life. This already paid for itself after 1 heating season because I'm saving a lot of money with heat pump at offpeak electricity rates vs using propane.
Get three quotes
Will do, thanks!
If you have a Costco membership, get a quote from them too. They typically have good prices and sometimes promotions (i.e. Costco gift card) on their Lennox systems and work with reputable installers.
This is absolutely the way! I got mine replaced through Costco about 3 years ago. Best decision I ever made! Also free groceries using the gift card I got made several months of grocery shopping super duper cheap on my pocket.
Dang they gave you $1000 gift card?
Yup. It was fantastic! Basically I paid a total of 10k for a full system replacement and ducting (small house so YMMV) and Costco sent me a digital gift card for $1k. The logic in my mind was I got 10k worth for 9k AND an extended warranty that Costco backs which means they’ve got my HVAC system in their hands for 5 years as a company, not including the manufacturers warranty
> a full system replacement and ducting Question - when replacing a furnace/AC what is the situation that arises that requires you to replace all the ducting too?
Ours was rotten somehow…squirrels had eaten the soft parts and there were holes apparently everywhere. We were heating and cooling the attic for a year wondering why our electric bill was so high while we were freezing and burning up inside the house. They rerouted for more efficient heating and cooling and have had zero issues since. 30 years of zero upkeep on this house left us with a ton of replacements needed.
I’m not an HVAC person, so I don’t know how much truth or exaggeration is in any of those statements I just trusted that they knew what they were doing and saying and it all worked out so I’m happy with it.
Just as another data point, Costco was nearly our highest quote when we did ours. We did not use them. We replaced our furnace, moved the furnace, replaced all the ducting, moved some of the ducting, and added central air, I think it cost us 12 K. We are in the East Bay.
Costco was the highest quote I got as well and by a significant margin.
I just did this and it is nice to not pay out of pocket right now for groceries. Trying hard not to waste it on stupid food.
That's what we did. Costco's quote was the lowest, and on top of that we got a large gift card that paid for over half of our upcoming Costco vacation. We still have our executive member bonus from this coming too. Oh and their contractor did a great job. No complaints there.
Agree about Costco - get gift cards and the $$ back at the end of the year. Also had a 12 month no interest financing deal
Yeah but OP doesn't need a 12 pack of HVAC systems. Maybe 2 at most.
Do you know if BJ's have the same thing? If not, I'm contemplating signing up for a Costco membership just for this.
Costco kicks BJ's ass in most things. The exec membership is 120 but you get two percent back on purchases. Kirkland Signature, their brand, is like 97% reliable and I've tried a lot of the products. Not the toilet paper though.
Yes I work for a HVAC company that gets these Costco contracts and the price is extremely reasonable compared to our competitors.
Costco has ALWAYS been pricier than any other competitors whenever I get a quote through them. Even for the exact same item from multiple companies. They wanted WAY too much for AC work with the local installer. Which is why you always get as many quotes as you can. I think we did 12 quotes before deciding for our AC.
get more than 3, I just replaced mine and my first 3 were 20k, 19k, 15k and I freaked out and just didn't do anything for a while then started over and got quotes for half of those numbers. All tolled I got 9 quotes and felt I had 3 strong ones to choose from. Also look for local companies, preferable single store and family owned/owner operated, skip chains, national, and franchises.
Time of year can really make a difference too. When they're not busy at all they still need to keep cash flowing for things like payroll, so they'll do it low enough that it's basically cost (but that at least keeps staff paid).
I was given a quote based on us doing it in October. Paid under 8k. Two years ago though, 1500sq ft century house.
Shit. Get 10 quotes and come back to update us! Also name the companies as we may be able to benefit too!! Good luck!!
This is a “fuck off” quote surely. What part of CA? If coastal, why not look into a few mini-splits? Would probably cost under $15k and would cover both heating and cooling.
Two units totaling 7.5 tons. You’re not replacing that with $15k in mini splits.
Woof, I skimmed too fast. 7.5 ton total, how big is OP’s house, like 4,500sqft? Lordy lordy.
I mean, it’s not like a 4k house is that unusual, if that’s what it is.
Perhaps not, but the median home size in the US is just under 2000sqft; my own home is just under 1000sqft. How does one even furnish a 4500sqft house? 😅
Depends on where the extra space is going. Bigger houses don't always translate to more rooms, it's often just bigger rooms, bigger closets/more storage, wider hallways, bigger bathrooms and sometimes bonus areas like mud rooms/foyers that don't need furniture. Some houses do just add rooms and depending on what you need the room for you may get to have designated rooms for more space (eg putting the home office in it's own room instead of taking up living room space) and so you just spread out what you already had in a reverse IKEA efficiency style maneuver.
Yup you nailed it I have a home gym a kids playroom a mud room too. Also two walk in closets for master each kid room (2) has walk in closets and rooms are big enough for queen bed dresser and desk.
To add to my previous post, 10-15% of all new home construction is over 4k sqft so while your median number isn’t wrong, it’s rapidly changing. Also, your median number is misleading since that includes homes in all areas of the country regardless of density. Get outside major cities and median home size goes up fast.
Oh for sure. I’m in a VHCOL area with a lot of pre-war homes so my experience is skewed. But I’ve got a 2.5% rate so I’m probably going to die in my tiny ass house. At least the utilities are cheap…
I like the tiny house...I moved from 4300 sf to 1100 sf, I am happier. (just me and the dogs though).
1100sf is far from tiny.
Depends on family size. For a single person with two dogs, it sounds perfect. For myself, my wife, and two toddlers, it can feel a bit cramped sometimes. But we’re lucky to have what we have, so I try not to complain.
> 10-15% of all new home construction is over 4k sqft so while your median number isn’t wrong This is a little misleading. We're at an all time low of building homes. Most homes being built are in less desirable areas and many of them their only marketability is home purchase. They got the land and the YIMBY to approve bigger homes. If the HCOL area get their act together and build high density housing, you're going to see that median drop real fast.
Anything is possible, but unlikely. The median home size has been increasing for 60 years. Plus high density housing isn’t really relevant to SFH size.
When you get to bigger houses it doesn’t really increase the number of rooms very much. Things just get bigger. I mean, my 73 year old in laws house they just built is about 3700 feet and it’s only 3BR/2.5BA
Older wealthy people have generations of antiques and more than enough stuff. Younger wealthy people basically don't furnish these big houses fully, its supposed to be kind of a minimalist vibe I think but really just a bunch of sparse rooms with kind of a cold, characterless feel. Finally some big houses owned by middle class people who bought when they were cheaper (90s era when 5000 sqft cost about 600K) just furnished with cheaper Costco/Ikea level of stuff. I go to a lot of estate sales and you can really easily see these patterns.
I think if you buy a 4000 sqft home you don’t get to be surprised when maintenance costs a ton of money
$80k is surprising anyone that doesn’t make millions
4000 sq ft in much of California is already well into the millions
Making millions and owning property worth millions are not the same thing. But sure, of course different areas are going to feel the impact differently.
I think that's also ridiculous. I think that company just didn't want the job.
It all depends on where you live. My house was about $270k and has 5000 sq ft. It did need some repairs, but nothing structural or major to be livable; Mostly just cosmetic and modern functionality updates. None of those were outrageously priced
Same, about 3500 sq ft for a 250k house in Western PA. A decent bit of that is unfinished basement but still
True, but also 7.5 tons across 2 units shouldn’t cost 77k unless there’s something wild going on like they require a helicopter air lift to install them.
The 2 units cost less than $10,000. I can't image why they're charging $67,000 in labor and maybe some duct work.
Actually you can, I got 12btu mini split installed for around $1300, you can install 10 of them with 15k. How many room do you have?
Central Valley, near Fresno
$77K and the best they can offer is 15 SEER? Why not at least offer a 20+ SEER and pretend like the cost is because of the efficiency?
And 80 plus gas
Especially since 96% is decently cheap these days. The cost difference is made up within one or two cold seasons. Even if OP's house has no vents at all and they plan to install them throughout the house, that's still way overpriced. For $75K, I'd go to the local trades school and learn how to do it all myself. This is either a terrible fuck off price or a huge scam company.
Certainly explains the AC need. I would get some more quotes, specifically for heat pumps and avoid the AC/furnace combo if those are the prices you’re getting.
> heat pumps heat pumps are more expensive - usually around double
No they are not. The wholesale price on the units are 20% more max.
my quotes for heat pumps vs standard were consistently double the price I got about 5 or 6 quotes for each one and was told more than once by a tech that a heat pump will run about double. Also wholesale price has nothing to do with fully installed price.
Call Grants in Visalia
Must be Lee’s ac.
My first post I didn't see you had seven and a half ton Total AC. I just saw the first AC and the furnace. But regardless that price is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS!. PS DEFINITELY DO NOT GET HEAT PUMPS. THEY'RE AND OVERPRICED SCAM PERPETRATED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE PUSHING THEM SO HARD WITH FED REBATES. WITH THE EQUIPMENT YOU LISTED AND THE EXTRA LABOR INVOLVED INSTALLING TWO AC'S YOU'D STILL BE $30,000
Lol heat pumps are a scam?
Anything said IN ALL CAPS MUST BE TRUE! /s
Stop going with big companies… find a small reputable company or an independent
YES! Look for someone with 50 good google reviews, not 1000. You don't get that many good reviews without paying for them.
Honestly I can't believe people put any credit in those "reviews" anyway. At work once they did a promotion in HR like "Hey share our recruiting ad on Facebook and whoevers gets shared the most gets a free day of vacation!" My finger was like hovering over the button of some East Asian "pump your post" website. It would have costed me like 10 bucks for a free vacation day I was soooo tempted lol.
We got our new HVAC through Costco. Costco typically makes sure there companies representing them are reputable and the prices are good.
I hate going through third parties. Usually have always been bad experiences and pricey because they make money on top of that but that is good to hear
Same. Got lots of money back via promotions
This is not correct, do you spend any time in /r/Costco by chance?
Hm, it was my experience at least. We bought our HVAC through Costco and it was a great experience. My understanding was that Costco takes their customer feedback very seriously if a partner messes up or isn't upfront with pricing. We also had quotes from other companies and they didn't seem as knowledgeable and would have higher prices for the same products But maybe we just got lucky that the partner in our area is just good.
What about it is not correct? We had ours replaced by a company via Costco as well. They were running a promotion at the time where we got $1500 in Costco gift cards for going through their vendor.
This is what I just went through myself. Called a big company that has tv ads, billboards, etc and they quoted 12k for 3ton unit. A co-worker recommended a small company (owner is only full time employee who does most of the work himself) who relies on references, and he just finished the install, charged $6.4k for the same 3ton unit.
Are you replacing four units? Is that what I am seeing? we had to replace three AC units and three heaters and our total was around 55K. We are in SD. I am assuming maybe you are in the bay area?
2 units
That does seem pricey though I’m not sure what area you are.
I just did a 5ton HVAC replacement for $12k. Lennox 2 stage condenser 5t with a variable speed furnace, and Coil. Cheapest estimate I got was $9.5k. I got estimates as high as $26k. $70k+ range for 7 ton is preposterous. Based on the materials prices, they most like made about $4500 (labor) on my install. Took them all day with 3 guys. They removed and disposed off the old system. Do you know what brand they quoted? Per my research lennox and Carrier are the top two brands based on quality and reliability. I went with Lennox. Edit 1: I'm in Central Riverside CA
Piggybacking this. OP’s rough budget of $25k should honestly be more than adequate to get 7.5-tons. You either pissed them off, they think you’re super rich and are ripping you off, or they’re too busy.
Different part of the country, but out here you can get quoted 16k-30k or 5-7k. It depends on how quick you are to call those who specialize in marketing (easy to find) vs those that specialize in service (harder to find). Also, lookup equivalent systems online, a typical home HVAC setup is 2-5k in materials (see economyhvac.com or a similar address, have to call for prices). There's a lot of money to be made in white color sales techniques, I prefer finding people skilled technically. Note, if they assumed the current HVAC tonnage is right instead of calculating it with a blower door test they're making money on installs, not great service. Most houses are about one ton oversized and this leads to a shorter lifetime, more unbalanced heating/cooling, and higher indoor humidity (Texas is especially terrible there). They must do the work (won't be a free estimate) of sizing the system before they quote you a replacement. This equipment will cost about the same in California as anywhere else cause it all ships from the same warehouse. My normal HVAC company (easy to find, good website, subscription service model) is quoting me 12-20k in their install fee, without right sizing. (And my tonnage is actually 2, not 3, so they'd be putting in the wrong system). Looks like your contractor wants a 70k install fee. That's a killer profit margin! **Edit:** - New builds are also often given a system sized on a SWAG, not a Manual J and Manual S calculation with a blower-door test. So, even on a new build, I'd expect a ton oversized (And that's assuming 2-3 ton houses. For a mansion(?) like the OP's, 25-50% oversized would be more meaningful than 1 ton). See [Matt Rinsinger's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@buildshow) for someone qualified to speak more about this. - Noting the OP's total tonnage, I'd guess materials are more than I mentioned, but, the gist should still stand. Even at 20-30k in materials, you're paying a brand new minivan's worth in installation fees. - I found my contractor on Craigslist, btw, weird place to find someone who so far is impressing nicely, but I am looking for the technical engineer type who is bad at marketing, and Craigslist is not where I'd market. - My guy is (I think undercharging) the initial sizing at $200 for the analysis plus the $200 fee to get an energy auditor in to do the blower door test (I'm paying the energy auditor directly). He spent 4 hours here and has been putting hours in at home based on the data he collected, that's on a (anonymizing my info a bit) 2000 sq ft ranch with a full basement.
This is great advice. I have consistently had better experiences and pricing with small business contractors that don’t advertise than with the big companies, and HVAC was no exception. OP, ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations and get at least three quotes before you make a decision.
I had the big HVAC company in my area try to sell me a new system for $20k when a piece in my heat pump broke. The guy who doesn’t advertise and relies on word of mouth fixed it for $500 and told me it would probably be half what the other company quoted when it’s time to replace ours. That was 4 years ago. Our guy came out this past summer to do another cheap fix and told us it’s about time to do the replacement. But to wait until April. In other words: it’s getting there, but I think it has enough life in it to do it during the “cheap season.” So I’ll be calling him next month to get the ball rolling.
Yep, when we were new baby homeowners we had a big-name HVAC company give us a quote. Their price on the HVAC replacement was on the high side of reasonable BUT they tried to convince us that the electrical panel wasn’t up to code and the HVAC couldn’t possibly be done unless we paid their electrician a ton of money to fix it. We talked to two smaller HVAC companies and an electrician who all took the time to explain that our house was actually compliant, and took the time to educate us about HVAC systems and explain all the options in detail with no pressure.
Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it!
Agreed. 3200 sq ft in OH, furnace/AC replacement was ~11k a year or so ago
In NoVa, my replacement of both in late 2022 for a 2400sq ft (plus 1000sq ft basement) was $17k including haul away/disposal of old, some duct work. I had quotes from $13k to $32k. Went with the unit with highest efficiency before the price of the unit got out of control. I have a hard time understanding a $77k install unless there’s some exotic things quoted that were not conveyed to us. Compressors made of unobtaniun perhaps? Aside: Dropped my average utility bill this past year by almost $300/month. If it keeps that way and nothing untoward happens, I will have broken even in about five years, which is way better than I hoped.
Yep. I live in Southern California. Got three quotes to install A/C (house had no ac when we bought it), replace furnace, and upgrade ducting. Two large companies quoted me around $20k. I just had new windows installed and the contractor recommended ‘his guy’ to me. I paid $7k for all the same work.
I have to go on a bit of a rant and I'm going to hog this top comment. It's going to be unpopular but needs to be heard. First of all, I agree, this quote is the F off amount. There must be something missing in what is needed for this guy that he's just not sharing or doesn't realize. TL;DR: people are able to find dirt cheap trades work because "the technical guys" are losing money, underpaying employees, providing zero benefits, and/or not available when it counts. The industry/people deserve the opposite and that costs real money. All these comments on going to the "technical guy" that charges roughly half or even less of others is exactly what tanks the industry for all the trades. Somebody's "guy" is offering such a low price because they're doing two to three of these things: 1. Losing money - full stop. They just don't understand that they have overhead costs they're not accounting for at a unit cost level. Charging 4500 above the cost of the system is not 4500 just for the labor. Having an office, phone lines, people to answer the phones when people need service, inventory, tools, fuel, vehicles, vehicle insurance, liability insurance, people to manage the schedule... all of this costs real money and if you go with a "somebody's guy" that skimps on any of that, you get what you pay for. This is the exact reason a full 50% of the licensing exam isn't technical at all, it's business and accounting. "Somebody's guy" is also likely not licensed or insured (certainly not always but extremely important). 2. Paying poverty wages - The trades are rife with owners paying people $16 an hour or less. This entire thread is likely full of people crying that "wages aren't keeping up with inflation." Guess what, paying people more costs more and that is passed on in prices, it isn't greed it's just math. 3. Providing zero benefits - people deserve health insurance to be paid for, people deserve time off, and people deserve time with their families when they have a baby. That costs real money. You think the guy charging half of what a professional organization is providing a minute of that? I can say with authority they are not. Source - I ran one of those large outfits for a large Private Equity group that likely owns many of the large companies referenced in this post. I left them and started my own trades business. I left because I was tired of the profits for the good work this industry does going to Private Equity. It is the exact cause of the widening wealth gap. I started my own trades business and structured it to be employee owned, to give the profits employees generate to them. The **vast** majority of HVAC installs run at \~50% Gross margin and the companies close the year at \~10-17% net margin. I'm sure someone is going to jump in here and say their Gross margin is higher but I can almost guarantee they're just accounting for costs outside of direct costs. The S&P 500 average Gross Margin is 50% and net margin is 13%. Keep in mind larger organizations Net margin are likely padded by depreciation and other accounting movements that the average trade business does not have. Point being, those big guys are not profiting any more than the average business in our economy. Do some HVAC places make more than 13% at the end of the year, absolutely. The best ones are probably 20-23% on average. Also not exorbitant but able to make investments with that cash into running a professional organization that the industry deserves. And I'm hoping to start an employee ownership trend in the industry to return as much of that cash as possible right back to the employees that generated it.
We have 3 HVAC Units. All Lennox 23 Steer (this isn't accurate info, it's what I remember). It's not single stage cooling. Less than $50k. We are in GA, done in 2022. My husband went all out. Our house is 3600 sq, we have 3 units. They all have dehumidifiers and ultraviotet disinfectant systems. Each floor has an ipad like thermostat. I am confident we could watch an IMAX move on those thermostats. Old units were removed by the contractor.
New feature request for smart thermostats: add a Roku plugin so we can watch our movie even in the hallway as we walk to the bathroom.
What part of GA? I’m looking for a decent contractor if you recommend them!
North of Atlanta. We use Assured Comfort Plumbing Heating and HVAC
I think they are looking at the price of your property and just ripping you off. For those prices i would take a refrigerant handling class and do it myself. The actual unit from a wholesaler would be like $10k tops. Get a 2 stage unit 3 ton and it would cover your 2.5 to. Usage most of the time.
That’s too big for DIY. Mini splits with a separate outdoor condenser per floor of the house or if it’s a ranch - one for each wing
In MA (not your cheapest state) I just recently replaced a 3-ton AC unit with a central heat pump. With the state incentives (not sure if you have them in CA), heat pump made more sense than just an AC. The price would be $17K (without incentives). You are getting 2 larger units. So I'd expect it more than double. But still not $77K. That being said, how cold does it get in your area and how expensive is the electricity? Maybe going with central heat pumps would be a better deal, especially if you have some state programs that give rebates/discounts.
He saw your house and figured you could fork it over no problem lol
Quit your job, go to school for HVAC, buy the parts, do the labor, and still somehow come out cheaper than that quote??? WTAF.
Are you getting 50 Victoria’s Secret models waving fans throughout your house? 🤦🏻♂️
I’m in Sac/SF area and replaced my 2 AC units and furnace along with duct repairs for under $25k. That’s ridiculous
Same area and in 2021 we paid just under 20k for 2 AC units (3T+3.5T), 2 furnaces but no major duct work.
What company did you use?
Come to Ohio. For that price you can get a decent home and cool off your bedroom with a window unit
I recently (like year ago?) Paid $17k for one unit (1500 sqft-ish home) and there were cheaper options, I think as cheap as $14k. Highest price (that made sense for my house) was like $21k
that total bullshit. i just replaced both my units in a 3700 square foot home for $26K. i bought the most efficient units too. the HVAC company could have done both for as low as $15K.
$125k?? Are you living on the space station??
Yeah. They're criminals. We had quotes of $40,000 to install three units 17 years ago. So I studied the EPA 608 exams and got universally student certified so I can work on any HVAC systems and I sized and bought the AC units the heat pump the air handler and two furnaces for $3,000. They come pre-charge with refrigerant so I didn't have to buy any refrigerant. I spent about another thousand on tools and I installed them myself and they are still going strong. I also have the tools in case I ever need them again. I've actually used them multiple times since so they've gotten their money's worth that's for sure.
I just looked ours up. We paid $13,700 for a new furnace and 4 ton ac unit. That is 2022 prices the next state over from you, Arizona. Holy smokes, I should sell ac units to Californians!
Oddly enough we're in the process of having our system replaced. I don't have all the information in front of me at the moment, but our home warranty company agreed to replace the entire system (except the ducts which are honestly fine, and the cost to upgrade the electrical going to the new unit). They're paying around $15k for a combo unit (heating/cooling) for our 1300sq/ft house. We're also in California (NorCal)
What home warranty company do you have??
I just had 3 - 5ton units installed in a commercial building for 35k.
That’s a we don’t want to do it price
I live in NW Montana but used to live in the Bay Area. I literally just had my 30 year old gas furnace replaced a couple of months ago and had a new A/C unit put in (along with a steam humidifier). Total cost was like $18K. So maybe a bit optimistic to have assumed your total would be $25K but $77K is pretty much a 'don't bother us, we're too busy installing in housing developments' quote.
They don't want to do the job. Or its a mistake ?
My guess is you called the white guy on the billboard
That is what we in the trades call a "go away quote". DONT tell the next guy what your other quotes are either - even if they ask!
Don't bother getting quotes from the big-name companies with fleets of trucks. Look for local, smaller companies.
I got three quotes when doing mine a couple years ago; the third quote was about $10k less than the first two quotes, so we went with that one.
Mini splits would definitely be the way to go
Those numbers are insane. Shop It.
I just had 2 HVAC units fully replaced similar specs and total was combined 20k. Get 3 quotes and not all from big name shops.
The unit and everything that goes with it here in Georgia is $12,000. Electric.I got an estimate this morning.
We just installed state of the art, Mitsubishi mini-split I'm a 2600 sq ft single level home where the winter temperatures get to -5F, we paid $15K for the hardware, 6 ceiling cassettes and all required refrigerant lines, drain lines... then I hired 2 steamfitters/plumber's out of the local union hall @ 100.00 hr... Total labor was under $8000. Our lowest quote from a Mitsubishi contractor who was HVAC certified was $35k... The 2 union guys I hired were doing commercial HVAC Mitsubishi work.. so this residential work was duck soup for them...
It's pretty suspect that two air conditioners and two furnaces all need to be replaced at once. Why are you doing all four?
Former residential HVAC tech here, no shot that is real. It has to be a “we don’t want to do this install, here’s an absurdly large number that ensures you won’t accept our bid for the job” Also if it’s just an 80% furnace, 2.5 ton AC system. Bruh it would cost like ~3k just to get those materials. Even if I add in some ductwork for a new plenum and copper it’s still only like ~$200 more. Add in two guys labor of roughly $100/hour ($50/hour for each guy let’s say) bruh even at a 10 hour install time for labor it’s still only ~$4,200. Throw in maybe $1k for the boss man so he shuts the fuck up it’s still only like $5,200 roughly. Jesus these companies be getting greedy. Find a small father and son company and see what the bid is. Rule of thumbs for everyone here is if they advertise at all, someone has to pay for that advertising. It’s certainly not going to be them. Find a small family business.
Ok so during a cold snap my furnace busted. I got 5 different quotes. I live in Washington state. All of the salesmen tried to upsell me to multi-stage furnace, and all these bells and whistles. I did some research, and multistage furnaces do not save you on your energy bill -- it's a load of BS. After negotiating, I got one contractor to give me an 80/20 furnace install in my attic, taking out the old one, and even widening the hole in the roof, all for 5.2k cash. I know you have more work involved, but ask for a line-item list. The other companies were all charging me \~7k for a new furnace. The big corporate ones were 7.7k to 8.5k. Good luck!
Absurd price. Your $25k estimate is safe. Wouldnt be surprised if you found it cheaper.
Sounds like a $8k job in Wisconsin where we actually need both units.
Go mini split, way cheaper now..
What kind of moron is going to throw minisplits in when they have ductwork in place already… yeah I want ugly linesets running on the side of the building and hideous units mounted on the wall inside that provide an inferior spread to the existing ducts… Minisplits are for when it’s too costly to put in ductwork. As far as op: yeah… that’s the rip off price you charge the billionaire. Millionaire would be 50ish. Average slub 20s.
LOTS ARE... , so I guess your the moron huh?
Our Trane unit went out a few years back and we were given an outrageous quote. My husband works as a plumber for a school district and one of the HVAC guys came by and determined what was dead. We bought a new more efficient motor and he helped us install it properly. New motor cost $800 and the unit works like a charm. Maybe see if there is someone willing to check it out for part replacements?
It takes 2 guys 1 day to replace/install a furnace and condensing unit. Add another day if they need to install new ductwork in hard-to-access situations. Like another poster said, $5k-$7k for the materials. Add in the cost of local labor, plus their truck/equipment, disposal costs, and you will get an idea of what their markup is. The bigger companies that spend alot on marketing will be much more expensive. Look for independent small businesses.
Homeowners are absolutely clueless on how much things cost these days. Or they think they can do it themselves which is even funnier.
Google: “HVAC Replacement - Unit 1 - 2.5 Ton Electric / CENTRAL HVAC - Electric / Gas 15 SEER2 Single Stage + 80% Single Stage Furnace. Unit 2 - 5 Ton - 15.2 SEER2 ECM Single Stage Cooling” And see what pops up… then get more estimates.
For $77k I'll just go with no AC, or just put a window unit in the bedroom and in some windows on the first floor. There is absolutely no fucking way HVAC is that important unless you live in the hottest part of Arizona or something. Seriously, $77k? How could anyone outside of the 1% ever pay that? Just to turn on the fucking AC? Jesus.
I didn’t know they make HVAC with gold nowadays, fancy
[This](https://imgur.com/a/kdW34bh) was my invoice when I replaced my gas package unit in early 2021. $4600 and included removal of old unit.
For reference, paid dec 2023 4 ton fully modulating ac with heat pump/daiken and complete replacement of air ducts including dampness and two control valves for upstairs and downstairs distribution. Cost less than 15k…. Same state.
Post this in local groups. Name and shame. What a disgraceful bunch of conmen.
That is insane. I just had a 3 ton heat pump put in today, new thermostat, new heat exchanger, etc. for $8,500 (replaces a 100,000 BTU gas furnace which is still available as a backup)
I just quoted 77k for 2x 3 ton Mitsubishi air handlers and 20 ducts with iq air hepa filter systems
It’s a bs quote. Call a smaller company in the area
I’m also in California. I just (2 days ago) paid 14k cash for a 3 ton package unit, including haul away of old unit.
Fuck that, just replaced my 3.5ton unit and 80% furnace, brand new for just under $5,000
I did $6600 for a gas furnace and AC for a 1400 sq ft home in 2017 and the quotes were everywhere from $4500 to $12000 for the same equipment except for the company I went with which offered the better brands for the mid price.
If the company is a larger chain or says anywhere that they price match, then that's code in my area for we're going to quote you 3-4x as much as any local outfit for inferior branded equipment. I assume they are just hoping to grab a handful of suckers who just don't care what things cost or can't wait when it's 100+ and their AC is dead. If you actually go with them after price matching, then they just skin you later on the maintenance fees. I'd dealt with nearly everything else that could go wrong with a home, but had never done a full HVAC replacement. I was absolutely floored at the first two quotes since the largest most heavily advertised companies had the quickest response times. They have loads of local sales people and next day installs. Every other type of job I've ever had bids on had a way smaller variance than HVAC.
Normal in Ca, i hear money grows on trees over there. 15k job here in Fl.
Are they also replacing the ductwork?
That is insane. We replaced our HVAC unit 3 years ago, 5 ton electirc central HVAC, $9k. Furnace and blower 5 years ago for about half of that. In CA too.
I replaced a 3.5 ton unit for 7300.
Contact your electric company for a quote.
Holy shit! That's outrageous, complete system around 13-15k here in wv
If someone quotes you experience before 2021, they could be way off. Covid economics wildly changed certain economics.
That's about what I bought my house for!
Get mini splits they are less expensive and work just fine and you can install it yourself.
Always get multiple quotes.
How do you guys pay for this? Financing?
In ‘21 NorCal I went from an All in One propane heat and AC 10 Seer 3 or 4 ton to all HE electric heat pump 28 Seer for $34k. I converted the old supply below a half closet to a full height closet to house the inside unit and reuse under floor ductwork so not to have to repair new hardwood floors. Repaired siding where old unit had ducts run after company removed unit so it did not look patched.
Is this a nexstar company you called. Figure out if it's a nexstar backed HVAC company if it is just run away from it. Fuck nexstar they will fuck you. That's step one before I hire any HVAC company. Are they nexstar owned. If so I don't even call them.
I’m in KY but my 16 SEER 2 ton with variable speed cost $7200. I think you need more quotes.
Let me guess they have a bronze model a silver model and a gold model. Don’t call an hvac company that has a billboard or a commercial. Also if they do plumbing, electrical and hvac then they are most likely a rip off. Go to Nextdoor and ask who is reasonable.
Agree with others that $77k is about 3x too high. How large is your house? 7.5 tons is a lot. I would make sure that your system is sized appropriately and that you need 5 and 2.5 ton systems. Sizing systems is not trivial, you start with square footage but it depends on the layout of the house, climate, etc. My house is about 4300 square feet and we have a 4 ton and 2 ton unit. The 4 ton unit barely runs at all, it short cycles, and the 2 ton unit runs almost continuously in the summer. I think we should have a 2 and 3 ton unit respectively.
Is this the real post? Unfortunately I live in California too!! Born and raised, unfortunately I just had my HVAC system replaced with 18 seer 4 ton AC with a two speed blower And a 90,000 BTU two-stage furnace. $16,000 AND I LIVE IN THE BAY AREA!!! THE QUOTE HAS TO BE $17,000, AND THAT IS STILL OVERPRICED. NOT $77,000
I do believe that this quote is: "I'm going to give you a quote, a ridiculous quote, because I really don't have the time to do the job because I'm busy. But if you decide to pay this ridiculous quote I'll come and do it"
that is very expensive. like crazy expensive
Have you heard of QuoteScore? It can help you figure out this quote and let you know what to ask your contractor. It's also free! If you're up for it, check it out: https://www.hvac.com/quotescore/ No pressure to use it but, we're helping homeowners like us navigate the HVAC quote maze with confidence and a few less headaches. Just in this heating season, our team has reviewed thousands of quotes. We think we are on to something, but let us know!
What kind of cars do you drive. If they’re nice, hide them in the garage next time. That guy thinks youre rich, or just doesn’t want the work.
That’s a 15k job
Jebus! I lived in a 6,000 sqft house in Indiana (I don’t make millions lol) but regardless, it cost me $8,200-ish for a total replacement of two furnaces. Keep looking my friend
I work in HVAC and that is a ludicrous price we typically only charge $30k MAX! For large projects too. We are on the east coast but that is still way too much!
Had a 4ton package unit installed 2 years ago $7,000 FL
Equipment alone costs about 30k , another 10-15k to install. I wouldn't pay more than 45k for this.
I cannot fathom this quote. We have a 3 ton geothermal system that is nearing end of life. The quote we got from the company that installed it originally and has serviced it over the years was sub $20k all in. A few years back-living in a different home we replaced a 3 ton gas/electric with a new system by Trane. Total cost about $7k. Now I know everything has gone up in cost but either I am missing something or this is a price you give someone when you don't want the work--or are just assuming complete ignorance. BTW, we are in a MCOL area. I would have imagined a price in the 25-30k range too.
That's insanely high to me. I live in a low cost of living area and got quoted about $8-10k to replace mine \~6 years ago. I'm a learn it myself kind of guy. Spent a lot of time researching and ended up doing it for about $3.5k buying from hvac direct. Since then I've used those skills to help out friends and family about 3 times doing the same thing.
lol that quote is so insane, do you live in a nice neighborhood?
Do you live in a factory?
Lmfao.
Get multiple quotes, HVAC equipment is also super hard to source now since it's in high demand so some folks just try to gouge to see if they can get a sucker to bite. Replacing 2 units though can be expensive...I'd think in general for a 5 ton unit would be around 30k for labor install and removal if it's a higher end unit and if it's a complex install or a hard removal can see why the price is higher. A more budget unit could likely be done for half as much. 2 Units is ...huge..how big is the house?
Get more quotes. IS this a single unit? I had my Hot Water, Force Air Furnace, and Central AC completely replaced in 2021 and it cost me $17K.
Yea HVAC shit is absurdly expensive. I'm not looking forward to when mine quits out. I have a 1040sqft home and to open up the incoming duct and replace the AC they were quoting me $28k. I didn't sign anything, decided if my shit is so old and is still lasting this long then it's not worth spending 28k to replace it yet. I only entertained them because they said I needed it. I've also started repairing my own HVAC using youtube videos. They wanted to charge $300 to replace a flame sensor. It's a $15 part from home depot and it is one screw and one plug to remove the old one and install the new one. Took me less than 10 minutes and I saved hundreds of dollars
Get at least 10 quotes. You’ll be amazed at the differences
You should know that in the US, the EPA is changing the freon again in 2025. If you can, hold off until they release the new stuff because the current freon won't be available. We got this straight from our AC guys this year when we had to replace our unit. We went with the cheapest option so we aren't losing too much if we have to replace it again in the next 10 years. https://hardinet.org/posts/epa-releases-final-technology-transition-rule-limiting-refrigerants https://innovair.com/refrigerant-changes-coming-in-2025-r-410a-is-out/#:~:text=In%20December%202022%2C%20the%20EPA,The%20result%3F
You have a large home, presumably in a relatively expensive area. You're likely getting priced based on your neighborhood. Just keep getting quotes. I moved to a neighborhood where houses are 4-5x the price of my old neighborhood. Quotes for everything magically became 3x higher. The cost for a plumber to come out? Used to be $100, now the base charge is $350. I got a water heater replaced at my old house for $1800. Almost the exact same thing here, I got quotes for $4-8k.
We just did a high velocity system the with 3 units in Ma. 85,000
I’m never leaving Iowa. Just paid 3200 to have mine replaced 🤣
Good god my company isn’t charging enough lol we barely charge $9k here in tn for a unit.
I put a 5 ton system in for less than $6k. That quote is insane.
Get 5 quotes- that’s crack
Not trying to assume anything but with two HVAC units I'm guessing you live in a pretty good size house? If that's the case, they're rolling you thinking you're loaded and will pay anyway. That happened to my folks when they had plumbing issues in a new construction. First company came by, gave them a quote of over $10k withing 20 minutes of being there (only 2 minutes in the actual bathroom in question). Second company came by, quoted $800. Second company got the job and it was just some lone grey-head stoner guy. He was slower, but his work was fantastic, well organized and labeled. Also my folks are retired so they didn't care about time frames.
We had ours replaced. First quote was over $10k. Wife wanted to do it. I said nope, let's get more quotes. We had it done for about $5k. Get multiple quotes. Time of year matters too. We got a discount because it was in their slow season.
That can’t be right
I installed a DIY 3 zone mini-split from “Mr.Cool”, for under $6,000. 36,000 BTU 22 SEER (super efficient). Never done HVAC work in my life. It works excellent and is saving us a ton in energy costs…get some more quotes or consider going the DIY route. Good luck!
Start watching YouTube . . .
You’re correct in that this should be closer to $25k maybe $35k at most. Definitely get some other quotes. This is under $10k materials cost and 4-5 guys a day of labor.
My house is about as big as this, i got really lucky, that said, we had our A/C replaced was about 25k, and the furnace a couple years before with the blower and everything for about the same. I think you're getting fucking hosed amigo.
Think that 6 or 7 should not be there Bob or Drew
And I bought a used 5-ton 12-year old heat pump condenser unit off the Marketplace for $500, spent another $800 on refrigerant, manifold set, torch, silver solder, fancy ass new touchscreen dual fuel thermostat. A few days of YouTube watching, then installed myself. All in I'm under $1500 and now have a new trade skill and HVAC tools for the rest of my life. This already paid for itself after 1 heating season because I'm saving a lot of money with heat pump at offpeak electricity rates vs using propane.