Furnace Replacement Cost in Massachusetts
What does furnace replacement cost in Massachusetts? What moves the price: efficiency, venting and the chimney your water heater may share, sizing and ductwork, the gas permit, and whether the warranty is registered. Plus why two quotes for the same house differ and three questions to ask every contractor.
What to look for
- Carrier lists gas furnaces from 80 to 98.5 percent efficiency; the high end costs more up front and wastes less fuel
- A high efficiency furnace needs its own vent pipes, so a water heater that shared the chimney is left alone in it, and Carrier's installation instructions say its vent may need to be resized
- Size the furnace with a load calculation, not square footage; ductwork, gas piping and electrical changes all add labor
- In Massachusetts, gas fitting work needs a permit and an inspection, so ask who pulls it
- Carrier, for example, gives ten years on parts only if the furnace is registered within 90 days; otherwise five years with no labor
- Two quotes for the same house are rarely the same job, so price alone is the wrong comparison
Transcript
How much does furnace replacement cost in Massachusetts? Carrier's cost guide, citing HomeAdvisor, puts an installed gas furnace at $3,800 to $12,000, and oil at $6,750 to $10,000 or more. What nobody explains is the chimney. Here is what moves your price.
One: efficiency. Carrier lists gas furnaces from 80 to 98.5 percent efficiency. The high end costs more up front and wastes less fuel.
Two: venting. A high efficiency furnace needs its own vent pipes, not the chimney. If your water heater shared that chimney, it is now alone in a flue sized for two. Carrier's installation instructions say its vent may need to be resized. Ask if that is in your quote.
Three: size and ducts. Carrier says to size the furnace with a load calculation, not square footage. Ductwork, gas piping and electrical changes all add labor.
Four: permit and warranty. In Massachusetts, gas fitting work needs a permit and an inspection. Carrier, for example, gives ten years on parts only if the furnace is registered within 90 days. Miss that, and it is five years, with no labor.
When two quotes for the same house are far apart, they are rarely the same job. One reuses the chimney. The other includes the venting, the permit and a registered warranty. Price alone is the wrong comparison, especially in a Massachusetts climate.
Ask every contractor three questions. Does your price include the venting and the chimney work? Who pulls the gas permit? And will you register the warranty, and does it cover labor?
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