Buying & hiring
What HVAC installations cost, by system
Installed prices for the same system vary by two to one. Here are the published ranges, with their sources and dates, and the factors that put a quote at the top or the bottom.
How these figures were put together
Every range on this page comes from published 2025 and 2026 cost guides, named beside the table, and is the installed price: equipment, labour, the line set or vent, removal of the old unit and normal materials. Where a figure is this site’s own judgement, such as a multiplier for a high-cost city, it says so. Prices are for a typical 3-ton or 80,000 BTU system in an average-cost area with existing ducts reused, the case the cost guides describe. The ranges are reviewed once a year; the date at the top of the page is the last review.
Whole systems
| System | Installed range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Central air conditioner, 3 tons | $3,300 to $7,800 | HVAC.com 2025; Bob Vila via HomeServe ($3,882 to $7,903) |
| Gas furnace, 80% AFUE | $3,000 to $6,500 | 2025–26 furnace guides (most homes $2,800 to $6,500) |
| Air conditioner and furnace together | $7,000 to $13,500 | Sum of the two less about 5% shared labour (our judgement) |
| Ducted heat pump with air handler | $7,000 to $15,000 | Contractor ranges and 2025 guides; EnergySage ducted average |
| Ducted cold-climate heat pump | $10,000 to $20,000 | PickHVAC cold-climate guide; contractor estimates |
| Mini-split, first zone | $3,000 to $6,000 | HVAC ProSales 2025; Portlandia Electric Supply |
| Mini-split, each extra zone | $2,000 to $4,000 | PickHVAC multi-zone ranges |
| Ductwork, per linear foot | $7 to $29 flex, $21 to $62 metal | Fixr, August 2025 |
The HVAC system replacement cost calculator starts from these ranges and adjusts for size, efficiency tier, ducts, region and permit.
What moves the price
Size. Price rises about 12% per ton around the 3-ton baseline, our rounding of per-ton price tables. A 4-ton system costs about 12% more than a 3-ton one, not a third more, because much of the labour is the same.
Efficiency tier. Mid-tier equipment, two-stage or 15.2 to 16 SEER2, costs about 15% more installed; high-tier variable-speed equipment at 17 SEER2 and above, or 96% AFUE and above, about 35% more. Whether that pays back is a question for the upgrade payback calculator and the guide to efficiency ratings.
Region. Labour rates move totals by 15 to 25% between regions in the 2025 heat pump cost guides. The calculators use 0.85 for lower-cost rural areas and 1.2 for high-cost metros.
Ducts. Sealing and modifying existing ducts adds about $1,000 to $2,500; replacing them adds $4,000 to $14,000 for a whole house.
The house. A tight attic, a crawl space, a new electrical circuit, a change of venting, or a gas line extension all add, as described below for each system.
Two replacement quotes, priced
A straight 3-ton air conditioner swap, minimum efficiency, existing ducts and furnace, average-cost area, permit:
- Base: $3,300 to $7,800; permit $250 to $500
- Total: $3,550 to $8,300, midpoint $5,925
An air conditioner and furnace together, 4 tons, mid tier, ducts sealed and modified, high-cost metro, permit:
- Equipment and installation: $7,000 to $13,500 × 1.12 × 1.15 × 1.2 = $10,819 to $20,866
- Duct repair: $1,200 to $3,000; permit $250 to $500
- Total: $12,250 to $24,400, midpoint $18,325
Furnaces
The furnace installation cost calculator splits furnaces by tier: $3,000 to $6,000 for an 80% single-stage unit, $4,500 to $8,500 for a 95 to 96% two-stage unit, and $6,000 to $10,500 for a 97 to 98% modulating unit. Moving from an 80% furnace to a condensing one needs new PVC venting and a condensate drain, about $500 to $1,500. An 80,000 BTU condensing furnace replacing an 80% unit, with venting and a permit, comes to $5,250 to $10,500. The guide to furnace input and output explains why the new furnace may be smaller than the old one.
Heat pumps
The heat pump installation cost calculator adds backup strips ($300 to $1,000), electrical upgrades ($500 to $4,000 where the panel or service needs work) and significant ductwork ($2,000 to $8,000). A standard 3-ton ducted heat pump with strips and a permit comes to $7,550 to $16,500. A cold-climate 3.5-ton unit with a panel upgrade in a high-cost area, after $2,000 of rebates, comes to $11,900 to $29,950.
The federal 25C tax credit for heat pumps, furnaces and central air conditioners ended for equipment installed after 2025. State programs, utility rebates and the federal home electrification rebates administered by some states may still apply; check your state energy office and utility before signing.
Mini-splits and ductwork
A two-zone mini-split with a new circuit comes to $5,400 to $11,500; three cold-climate ceiling cassettes to $9,900 to $20,550. The guide to mini-split zoning and sizing covers the choices that drive that spread. Ductwork for a whole 2,000 sq ft house in flex runs $1,650 to $7,000, and in sheet metal $5,000 to $14,900, from the ductwork cost calculator.
Installation quality matters as much as the tier
The rated efficiency is measured in a laboratory. In a house, a wrong refrigerant charge, low airflow, leaky ducts and an oversized unit can each cost 10 to 30% of it. The difference between a careful installer and a hurried one is often worth more than the step from mid to high tier. Ask for a load calculation, airflow and static pressure measured at commissioning, refrigerant charge verified by superheat or subcooling, and ducts sealed where they are reachable. The guide to reading an HVAC quote lists what to look for, and the guide to repair or replace helps decide whether to replace at all.