New Gas Furnace Installation Costs: Top Brands, Reviews

The average cost of an installed gas furnace is $5,700 for an 80% efficiency furnace and $7,200 for a furnace of 90% or higher efficiency.

The total cost range of a new furnace installed is $4,000 to $10,500 based on size, efficiency, stages of heating and brand plus installation factors.

What’s here? Comprehensive new furnace pricing, top brands and Buying Guide that will make your purchase decision easier.

New Furnace Cost

Many homeowners getting new furnace price estimates are going to have sticker shock. The cost of a new furnace is much higher than it was a few years ago due to the factors we’re all familiar with – supply chain problems, labor shortages and inflation.

Here is a general overview of basic, better, and best gas furnaces.

Basic: Single-stage heating. Single-speed or multispeed PSC standard-efficiency blower motor. Efficiency of 80% or 90% to 93%. Basic single stage thermostat.

Better: Two-stage heating. Efficient multispeed or variable-speed ECM blower motor. Efficiency of 80% or 93% to 97%. Requires 2-stage thermostat.

Best: Two-stage or variable capacity heating. Variable speed ECM blower motor. 80% or 94% to 99% efficiency. Optional communicating technology that shares information between system components to optimize efficiency and climate control (requires communicating thermostat).

Yes, some 80% furnaces belong in the “Best” category because they are high quality and equipped with a variable speed blower and other top climate control features.

80% efficiency or 90% and higher? Yes, those are your gas furnace efficiency options. All manufacturers make 80% AFUE/Annualized Fuel Utilization Efficiency furnaces with a single heat exchanger. Once you add a second heat exchanger that captures heat from exhaust gasses before it is lost, efficiency rises to 90% or higher.

Gas Furnace Prices by Size (BTU)

Here’s a breakdown of the common furnace sizes (BTUs) and costs.

Where do we get the above gas furnace prices from?

The gas furnace prices in this are researched from many sources. The figures provided in this guide are a distillation of actual gas furnace installation quotes from local contractors around the country, price estimates published online from installers, estimates published online from Trane and other manufacturers and additional reliable sources.

• https://proskillservices.com/air-conditioning-and-heating/pricing/
• https://gshaservices.com/heating/furnace-installation/weathermaker-furnaces-prices/
• https://www.trane.com/residential/en/pricing/pricing-guide/

Where’s Maytag, Tappan, Broan, Westinghouse, etc.?

While some of these brands still have websites and are listed in consumer ratings from groups like Consumer Reports, parent company Nortek Global has ceased manufacturing most HVAC products for the time being. Bad ratings from consumers due to stubborn mechanical issues seems to be at least one of the reasons.

What’s included in these costs?

What do you get for your furnace cost of $4,000 to $10,000+?

Everything necessary, but no accessories.

Here is what your installer should offer in its furnace price estimate:

• Load calculation like Manual J to ensure proper equipment sizing
• Removal and disposal of old equipment, if needed
• Gas furnace set in place and connected to electrical, gas and exhaust (furnace replacement cost)
• New wiring, electrical circuit and gas line, if needed (new furnace cost)
• New exhaust vent, if needed
• Condensate drain for high-efficiency, condensing furnaces
• Sheet metal for supply air and return air connections
• New thermostat installed – and programmed at customer request
• Set up, run and test system
• Set up WiFi for remote monitoring – if a WiFi thermostat is installed
• Equipment registration to activate warranty

Accessories Not Included in Costs

Not to sound too skeptical, but you can plan on your furnace salesperson suggesting a few accessories, enhancements, or upgrades. Some of these might certainly be worth considering given your specific needs.

You might be encouraged to buy or at least consider:

• Better air filtration using a thicker media filter ($250 – $700)
• A UV germicidal light ($300 – $600 with replacement bulbs running approximately $75)
• WiFi / smart thermostat (A good value at just $20 – $75 more than the same model without WiFi)
• Full-feature thermostat with touchscreen control, 5-day forecast ($200 to $500 extra)
• Whole-house ventilator ($775 – $1,400)
• Dehumidifier ($700 – $1,250)
• Humidifier ($550 – $1,175)

How Much is Professional Furnace Installation?

Pro installation begins at around $1,500 for direct-replacement jobs. This means that the gas line and electrical line are already in place and that an existing exhaust vent can be used, even if slight modification is needed.

Furnace replacement installation involves removing and disposing of the old furnace according to EPA RAD (responsible appliance disposal) regulations, setting the new furnace and connecting it to existing utilities and vent.

When a gas line, electrical circuit, vent, and condensate line, possibly with a pump, are included, then furnace installation cost can easily rise to $2,900 to $4,600.

If significant changes are made to the sheet metal connections for warm-air supply and cold-air return ductwork, add another $400 to $650.

Can You Install Your Own Furnace?

Yes, you can, at least in most municipalities. Pull a permit, install the furnace, and connect it to electrical/gas/exhaust, and have the installation inspected.

That sounds easy, and for handy homeowners, it can be.

Potential pitfalls, however, include:

Not properly sizing the furnace, so that:

1. It is too big and short-cycles its way to early mechanical trouble and higher heating bills, or…
2. It is too small, and everyone is chilly on winter’s coldest days.

Bungling the exhaust vent and exposing the household to potential carbon monoxide leaking and poisoning.

Improperly running and connecting a gas line, leading to the risk of a leak and explosion.

Shock dangers from installing a new electrical circuit in your panel

Know thyself, as the ancient Greeks said, and tackle the job if you have the skill set and inclination. Or leave it to a contractor that installs furnaces every day.

Top Furnace Brands

First, there are fewer furnace brand options than you might think. Many brands are owned by the same company and are identical or nearly so in all but the name plate. Brand pairs and groups that fit this description are:

Trane and American Standard – and RunTru, a budget brand – All owned by the Trane Corporation

Carrier and Bryant – and Payne/WeatherMaker that produce a limited line of furnaces – All owned by the Carrier Corporation

Daikin, Goodman, and Amana – All owned by Daikin since 2012

Heil, ComfortMaker, Tempstar, Arcoaire, KeepRite, AirQuest and Day & Night – All International Comfort Products (ICP) brands. ICP is owned by Carrier, but the product lines are slightly different

Rheem and Ruud – Paloma Industry brands

Armstrong Air, AirEase, Ducane and Concord – All Allied Air brands, and Allied Air is owned by the Lennox Corporation

Lennox – Also owns budget brand Aire-Flo

York, Luxaire, Coleman, Champion – All Johnson Controls brands

Top Furnace Brands and Costs

Are brands made by the same manufacturer priced the same?

Usually not. Prices vary by up to 15% on identical brands because the companies market them differently to capture a wider range of consumers.

For example, despite being close to identical in most models, Daikin furnaces are priced higher than Goodman to maintain Goodman’s position as the “low-cost leader” in the residential furnace market.

Trane prices are about the same as American Standard while Carrier furnace prices are higher than Bryant furnace prices by an average of 12%.

Gas Furnace Buying Guide

Here is more furnace buying wisdom you can use to choose the best gas furnace option for your home.

What are the Major Cost Factors?

Furnace price factors in terms of significance are heating stages (1-stage, 2-stage, variable capacity), furnace efficiency, furnace size and blower type.

Brand or brand quality is an important cost factor too.

Installation factors such as ease of access and how much modification to ductwork must be made affect final cost estimates.

Brand Ratings

Furnaces are different, brand to brand.

And some brands have a better track record of reliability for two key reasons:

1. They use parts with higher quality — Everything from the circuit board to the gas/burner assembly to sensors to the heat exchanger can be found in cheap, good, and premium options.
2. They have stricter installation requirements — Trane doesn’t let “just anybody” install its furnaces. An HVAC license isn’t enough. You must be Trane trained and certified. American Standard has identical equipment but not the same installation restrictions. As a result, more cases of poor installation led to a slightly lower reliability rating.

ICP brands are nearly identical to Carrier and Bryant, but again, lower requirements for installation credentials lead to lower reliability and customer satisfaction ratings. Daikin (factory-trained installers) vs Goodman (anyone with a license) is another example.

Furnace Brand Ratings Out of 5

Why is there a range of ratings for some brands?

Because brands make furnaces of varying quality.

Lennox, for example, gets ratings of 2 to 4 out of 5. This is because Lennox makes furnaces in cheap (Merit Series), midgrade (Elite Series) and premium quality (Signature Series) levels.

Carrier makes three series too: Infinity is the top line, Performance is next followed by Comfort, but the quality doesn’t drop off nearly as much as with Lennox. That’s why Carrier backs all its furnaces with the same warranty, while Lennox shortens the warranties on cheaper models.

Climate, Efficiency and Performance

This doesn’t have to be complicated. The colder and longer your winters are, the more it makes sense to choose a high-efficiency gas furnace.

The map below shows climate/humidity zones within the continental US.

Heat Mode: Humidity makes little difference when your furnace is in heating mode – that’s when you want humidity because the house tends to dry out as warm, moist air leaks through drafts and cracks, only to be replaced by cooler air that can’t hold as much moisture.

AC Mode: However, if your furnace is doing double duty as an air handler to support a central air conditioning unit, then lowering the level of humidity in warm weather is a factor in your choice of furnaces.

With all that in mind, find your location on this map, and find the best furnace for your home.

Cold / Very Cold – Best Choice

A single stage or 2-stage furnace with 95% or higher efficiency. These provide the cheapest heat in terms of upfront furnace costs and ongoing gas bills.

Consider this option – These are the only areas of the country that buying a super-efficiency variable capacity furnace might make financial sense.

Compare the cost of a 1-stage or 2-stage 92% to 97% furnace vs a furnace with variable capacity or modulating heat in the 96% to 99% range.

If you save more than $1,000 with the less expensive furnace, buy it. And don’t look back. You wouldn’t recover the higher cost for more than a decade.

Mixed-Humid – Best Choice

Buy a 2-stage furnace with a variable speed blower motor. Let’s explain.

How cold are your winters?  Some of these areas get pretty cold in winter with sub-freezing temperatures.

Based on your climate, consider a single-stage or two-stage furnace in the 90% to 95% range if you get a lot of freezing weather – and compare the cost to an 80% furnace of the same quality if your winters are fairly mild.

Here’s why a variable speed blower is important – it will help reduce humidity in hot weather and the AC is running. A 2-stage air conditioner running on low-speed combined with a variable speed blower keeps moist air steadily flowing over the indoor coil, increasing the rate of condensation and humidity removal. Drier air is more comfortable air.

Hot-Dry/Mixed-Dry – Best Choice

A single stage 80% furnace is a fine choice for dry climates that have warm winters. In the Mixed-Dry region, some areas are more humid. So, consider a two stage furnace for better humidity control when the air conditioning is on.

Hot-Humid – Best Choice

An 80% 2-stage furnace with a variable speed blower. Why? For heat, a cheap single stage furnace would be enough.

But again, because your furnace is going to be the AC air handler, an important piece of equipment for humidity control. A system with a variable speed blower will make the air in your home comfortable at a higher temperature – and at a lower energy cost.

Marine – Best Choice

An 80% single stage or two stage furnace is just fine. If you have AC, then consider a two stage model with a variable speed blower. Otherwise, an affordable single stage 80% furnace will meet your heating needs.

Staged Heating

What is a 2-stage furnace? What is a variable capacity or modulating furnace? When would you want one?

2-stage or two stage furnaces have a low-fire mode and a high-fire mode. Single stage furnaces run at 100% whenever on.

Two-stage furnaces run on the low stage, which is 65% or 70% of capacity depending on the furnace, when that amount of heat is enough to keep up with the thermostat demand.

In extreme cold, a quick temperature drop or when you crank up the heat, the furnace runs on high-fire, 100% capacity until it catches up to heating demand.

Variable capacity furnaces are also called modulating furnaces. Their gas valve opens anywhere from about 25% to 100% to deliver the precise amount of heat needed to keep the indoor temperature right where the thermostat wants it.

Variable-speed Blowers

Quite a bit has been said above, but here is a quick overview of their benefits.

A variable speed blower has a couple of advantages. First, it starts at a slow speed when the furnace first ignites and heats up. This prevents a full-speed blast of semi-cool air coming out of your heating grates early in the cycle.

As the furnace gets hot, speed ramps up to circulate air quickly and efficiently. The speed ramps down as the furnace burner shuts off and the furnace disperses the remaining warm air. In short, it produces more comfortable heating.

Secondly, running at less than full speed saves on energy use/cost. Finally, when the blower is supporting central air conditioning, variable speed airflow improves dehumidification of the air.

Air Filtration and Purification

Would you like to ensure the best indoor air quality in your home?

Then consider a furnace accessory to help you achieve your specific goal. These include:

Thicker media filters with MERV ratings above 12 remove finer particles. But make sure the blower on the furnace you choose is rated to handle a thicker filter because it is harder to draw air through them.

Electrostatic filters capture airborne pollutants as small as smoke particles.

UV germicidal lights kill viruses and bacteria in the air passing through furnaces.

Whole-house ventilators keep a supply of fresh outside air flowing into your home. Heat recovery ventilators (HRV) are used in cold climates. Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV) are ideal for warmer regions.

Furnace Replacement vs Repair?

Have you heard of the $5,000 rule? Maybe today it should be $6,000 or $7,000 due to the higher cost of furnaces.

Basically, it says you should multiply the cost of a repair by the years of the furnace. If the sum exceeds $5,000 (or $6k/$7k), replace the furnace. Otherwise, have it repaired.

For example, if a gas valve assembly costs $600 to replace, and your furnace is 12 years old, the sum is 600 x 12 or 7,200. Replace the furnace.

Your Budget: If money is tight, you might not have a choice but to repair the furnace.

Your Plans: Also, how long do you plan to live in the home? If it is just a year or two, repair the furnace. But if you plan to be there indefinitely, then furnace replacement makes sense. You’ll get a new furnace, under warranty, with likely higher efficiency and lower energy bills.

Warranties – What to Know and What Doesn’t Matter

The key thing to know is that labor isn’t covered by most warranties. A few furnaces and some installers offer a 1-year or 2-year labor warranty. Otherwise, the homeowner pays the labor cost to replace parts under warranty.

And in many cases, the labor cost is more expensive than the part. So, you might have to decide whether to repair or replace a furnace even if it is under warranty! It seems outrageous, but it is true.

Here’s what doesn’t matter – a Lifetime warranty. Many brands offer a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger. But it only covers manufacturer defects, not the heat exchanger simply wearing out with age, developing leaks, and requiring action.

The “action” is usually furnace replacement, since replacing the heat exchanger is a long and costly job – and you’ll pay the labor cost.

FAQ

Can I replace just the furnace?

Yes, you can. But consider replacing the AC and coil too. A completely matched system will give you the best efficiency and climate control. Plus, all the components will be under a fresh warranty.

Trane vs Carrier furnace – which is better?

Trane gets higher reliability and customer satisfaction ratings overall, but not by much. The brand has a slight edge in top and midrange models. Carrier entry-level furnaces are better than Trane’s.

Carrier vs Lennox furnace Consumer Reports

Both brands get 4 out of 5 ratings in reliability and customer satisfaction. When considering Lennox vs Carrier, the most important issue is choosing a highly experienced installer with a good track record of quality installation. Check Google reviews and other online ratings before choosing a furnace contractor to install the equipment.

How much is zoned heating?

The average cost is around $2,700 for 3-5 motorized dampers and control. Installing more motor-driven dampers and a controller can exceed $5,000. Adding a few mechanical dampers costs less than $500.

Can I control the furnace by WiFi?

Yes, if you have a WiFi thermostat, since it is the thermostat that controls the furnace. Buy a WiFi thermostat, install the thermostat app on your phone and/or another device, and you can monitor and control the furnace from anywhere.

How long does a gas furnace last?

Gas furnaces last 15 to 20 years in most homes. When the furnace is maintained very well, and repairs made along the way, furnaces can last 25 years.