How much is a new hvac unit

The average HVAC system cost is $15,500 for a complete heating and AC system whether you are replacing an old system or installing a system in new construction. If you only need one component, a furnace or air conditioner for example, the average cost is around $7,600.

This page is loaded with HVAC replacement cost and new HVAC system cost details for every common system type: Central AC, furnace and AC, furnace-only, heat pump, and mini split systems.

You’ll find pricing for:

Heating and air conditioning complete systems
Heat-only
AC-only
Labor cost for each system type

Below, where costs for various system types are broken down, the HVAC system cost per square foot is given for each – cost per square foot is a common search term, and by it most mean the cost of an HVAC system for homes of various size/square feet.

Prepare for Sticker Shock! Prices have risen from 25% to almost 40% in the last several years due to all the reasons everything else is more expensive right now – Increased costs for wholesale materials, shipping and labor. Yes, these issues have hit the HVAC industry especially hard, and consumers are shocked at the new and replacement HVAC system estimates they are receiving.

Cost factors given help you decide more accurately what your cost will be.

Are you interested in HVAC cost by brand? Prices for Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Bryant, Ruud, Goodman, Armstrong, Day & Night – all common brands – are listed too.

Content Navigation

Average Cost of HVAC System Replacement and New
- Your Options and What They Include
- HVAC System Cost by System Type
- What About Ductwork Cost?
- HVAC Cost by Tons
- What Size ACs and Heat Pumps are Available?
- New HVAC System Cost
Cost Factors
- System Efficiency
- System Performance
- Accessories
- Thermostats
- New vs Replacement
HVAC System Cost by Brand (Standard Split Systems)
Mini Split System Cost by Brand
Labor Cost
Conclusions

Average Cost of HVAC System Replacement and New

$15,500 – Average cost of a full system: If you need heating and air conditioning, the average cost of HVAC system replacement or new ranges from $12,600 to $19,000. This does not include a geothermal HVAC system, which can cost upwards of $30,000.

$7,600 – Average cost of a single component: The cost to install just a furnace or central air conditioner is $6,600 to $11,000. This range includes a new heat pump too, if the old air handler isn’t replaced.

Those are costs for the equipment plus the labor cost to install it. More than 95% of homeowners hire an installer rather than DIY.

Your Options and What They Include

Here are the most common HVAC system types:

Furnace (gas/propane) – Just the furnace. No AC equipment.
Central AC Only – Outside condensing unit plus a new indoor evaporator coil housed in an existing furnace or air handler.
Central AC & Furnace System – The “works,” including the outdoor condensing unit, new coil and new furnace.
Heat Pump System – Outside condensing unit, indoor evaporator coil housed in a new air handler or furnace.
Mini Split – An outdoor condensing unit and one to eight indoor units. Single zone and multizone systems are priced later.

Here is an overview chart of HVAC system prices. Full details follow.

HVAC System Cost by System Type

HVAC System Types	Purpose	Installed Cost
Furnace (gas/propane)	Heating Only (No AC)	$3,600 – $9,500
Central AC	Cooling Only (No furnace)	$4,400 – $12,400
Central AC & Furnace Combo	Heating & Cooling	$7,200 – $20,400
Heat Pump & Air Handler	Heating & Cooling	$7,800 – $19,500
Mini Split	Heating & Cooling	$4,200 – $25,000

Cost Factors: Keep in mind that the wide range of prices are a result of differences in system size, quality, performance and efficiency plus installation complexity and difficulty. For mini split systems, the price range includes single zone and multi zone systems. All of these HVAC cost factors are fully explained later on this page.

Ductwork? No. The chart does not include the cost to install hvac system with ductwork – those prices are in the next section.

What About Ductwork Cost?

In a new construction home or where old ductwork needs replacing, the cost to install hvac system with ductwork is $2,700 to $5,000 higher.

HVAC Cost by Tons

In HVAC terms, a ton equals 12,000 BTUs of heat transfer. Heating systems either make heat by burning gas or oil, or they move heat from outside to the inside of your home.

Cooling systems, obviously, move heat from indoors to the outside.

Why tons? Tests done in the early 20th century determined that 286,000 BTUs of heat are required to melt one ton of ice. Divided by 24 hours, that’s 11,917 BTUs of heat per hour. That number was rounded to 12,000.

Now – HVAC system cost per ton: The larger the system is, the more it costs, of course. But cost per ton, if you divided it that way, goes down a little for installed equipment. That’s because the labor cost to install any system size is pretty consistent with minor adjustments.

Here are typical HVAC system prices for homes of various sizes. The overlaps in cost are the result of taking the climate into consideration. A house in Georgia will need a bigger AC than the exact same house in Maine, for example.

HVAC Unit Cost By Tonnage:

HVAC Unit Size	AC-only Installed Cost	AC & Furnace Combo Installed Cost	Heat Pump & Air Handler Cost
1.5 Ton	$3,400 – $9,000	$7,200 – $15,500	$7,800 – $15,800
2 Ton	$3,700 – $9,900	$7,600 – $16,200	$8,400 – $17,100
2.5 Ton	$4,000 – $10,400	$8,100 – $17,800	$8,900 – $18,400
3 Ton	$4,300 – $11,100	$8,500 – $18,900	$9,500 – $19,300
3.5 Ton	$4,900 – $11,600	$9,200 – $20,200	$10,200 – $20,400
4 Ton	$4,200 – $12,000	$9,800 – $21,200	$10,800 – $21,100
5 Ton	$4,500 – $12,400	$10,300 – $22,800	$11,500 – $22,000

The HVAC unit size is based on cooling size. For AC & furnace installed cost, we assume the furnace size is based on 24,000 heating BTU per cooling ton.

In other words, if the AC is 4 tons, or 48,000 BTU, then the furnace is roughly twice that (96,000 BTU), so a 90,000 or 100,000 BTU furnace would be a good match.

While the ratio of 2:1 heater to cooling BTUs doesn’t hold for all climates, it is a good average we can use.

What Size ACs and Heat Pumps are Available?

AC and heat pump sizes are shown in the HVAC Unit Cost by Tonnage chart: 1.5 to 5.0 tons, aka 18,000 to 60,000 BTU.

Furnace sizes range from about 36,000 BTU to 140,000 BTU. Depending on the brand, sizes are manufactured in increments of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 BTU. As just one example, the Rheem R96V is produced in these sizes (K=1,000): 40K, 60K, 70K, 85K, 100K and 115K BTUs.

Accurate Pricing: The only way you’ll get precise pricing for the system your home needs is to have an HVAC technician crunch a bunch of numbers based on home size, building materials used (windows, insulation, siding, etc.) and, of course, your climate. Most use a Manual J and/or similar strategies for accurately sizing an HVAC system.

New HVAC System Cost

This chart shows hvac system cost per square foot homes of common sizes.

Below the chart, we list cost factors that will help you determine if your cost will be low, average or high within the given range.

New HVAC System Cost:

House Size	AC only Installed Cost	AC & Furnace Combo Installed Cost	Heat Pump & Air Handler Cost
800 sq ft	$3,400 – $9,000	$7,200 – $15,500	$7,800 – $15,800
1,000 sq ft	$3,400 – $9,900	$7,500 – $16,200	$7,800 – $17,100
1,200 sq ft	$4,000 – $11,100	$8,100 – $16,200	$8,700 – $17,100
1,400 sq ft	$4,000 – $11,600	$8,100 – $17,800	$8,700 – $18,400
1,500 sq ft	$4,300 – $11,600	$8,700 – $18,900	$9,100 – $19,300
1,600 sq ft	$4,300 – $12,000	$8,700 – $20,200	$9,600 – $20,400
1,800 sq ft	$4,900 – $12,000	$9,200 – $20,200	$10,100 – 21,100
2,000 sq ft	$4,900 – $12,400	$9,900 – $20,200	$10,500 – $22,000
2,500 sq ft	$5,200 – $12,400	$10,300 – $22,800	$11,000 – $22,000
3,000 sq ft	$5,200 – $12,400+	$10,300 – $22,800+	$11,500 – $22,000+

The HVAC unit size is based on cooling size. For AC & furnace installed cost, we assume the furnace size is based on 24,000 heating BTU per cooling ton (12,000 BTU, or a 2-to-1 ratio).

Cost Factors

Pricing by Brands is below, but first, let’s narrow down your average cost of hvac system replacement or new installation.

System size is an obvious cost factor, but there are others to consider that do affect price.

System Efficiency

The more efficient the equipment is, the less energy it uses. The advanced technology to get higher efficiency in any of the equipment plus the additional heat exchanger in furnaces raise cost. Here are a few examples of what this means.

>Furnaces: An 80,000 BTU Carrier furnace that is 80% efficient costs about $5,800 installed. The 96% efficient version of essentially the same furnace costs $7,700 installed.

>ACs and heat pumps: A 17 SEER Trane AC that is 3 tons/36,000 BTU costs around $8,100 installed. If you want a premium AC with 21 SEER efficiency, the 3 ton size costs $10,400 installed. Heat pumps show similar differences when efficiency is considered.

*Pricing varies slightly by region.

System Performance

This is somewhat related to efficiency.

Furnaces and standard ACs / heat pumps: Furnace gas valves and heat pump/AC compressors are produced in single-stage (1 stage), two-stage (2 stage) and variable capacity (aka modulating) versions. Each upgrade level improves indoor climate control and efficiency, but also raises the price. What about mini splits? All of them have variable capacity performance, which is also called inverter technology in mini splits.

Better blowers: Furnaces and air handlers for heat pumps and AC-only systems can be upgraded to variable-speed blowers that improve indoor comfort. They cost more than multispeed or single-speed blowers.

Accessories

Most HVAC systems can be equipped with improved air filtration, germicidal lights, enhanced humidity control and other climate control improvements that raise the cost. Most add-ons run $600 to $1,500.

Thermostats

Most systems will run just fine on a programmable thermostat that costs $50 to $100, tops. However, if you want a thermostat that is WiFi controlled, gives you a 5-day forecast, has a touchscreen or is smart (nest, ecobee, lux geo), then price rises to $200 to $750 or more.

New vs Replacement

New systems cost more – for example when you are building a house or addition. Yes, in system replacement, the old system has to be removed and disposed of at a line-item labor cost of around $750 to $1,000 just for that.

But in new construction, the HVAC installation usually includes one or more of these expenses:

Gas line for furnaces
Exhaust vent for furnaces
Electrical circuit (and possibly a new subpanel) and wiring for any equipment
New entry holes for mini split system wiring/refrigerant line/drain line bundles

HVAC System Cost by Brand (Standard Split Systems)

Let’s start with standard split systems first. There’s a separate section on mini splits pricing below with its own chart.

What is the average cost of a Trane HVAC system? Goodman? Carrier? They differ quite a bit.

Not all brands are the same quality. And not all models within each brand are the same quality.

This HVAC Replacement Cost /New System Cost table shows four sets of pricing for each brand:

Quality Range

Options are Basic, Better (average quality) and Best (premium) quality. This gives you an understanding of what you get for the money you spend on these HVAC brands.

Full System Cost

These are standard split systems with an AC and furnace or heat pump and air handler. The category also includes AC and air handler systems for those rare homeowners in hot climates that don’t need a heat source as part of the system.

Furnace-only Cost

A new gas or oil furnace but no air conditioner.

AC-only Cost

A new outdoor condensing unit and indoor evaporator coil housed in an existing furnace or air handler – no new furnace or air handler. As noted, the cost of a new complete AC-only system with air conditioning and an air handler is included in the full system cost.

Standard HVAC System Cost by Brand

Brand	Quality	Full System	AC-only	Furnace-only
Trane	Better & Best	$10,700 – $20,800	$6,800 – $12,400	$4,400 – $9,500
American Standard	Better & Best	$10,400 – $19,900	$6,600 – $12,100	$4,200 – $9,100
Carrier	Better & Best	$9,900 – $20,700	$6,500 – $12,300	$4,400 – $9,300
Daikin	Better & Best	$9,500 – $20,000	$5,900 – $12,000	$3,900 – $8,700
Bryant	Better & Best	$9,600 – $19,700	$6,200 – $12,100	$4,000 – $9,200
Lennox	All Levels	$8,500 – $20,500	$4,900 – $12,200	$3,800 – $9,500
Rheem	All Levels	$8,500 – $18,500	$5,000 – $12,000	$3,700 – $9,000
Ruud	All Levels	$8,400 – $18,000	$4,800 – $12,000	$3,700 – $8,800
Amana	All Levels	$9,200 – $18,500	$5,300 – $11,800	$3,800 – $8,600
Heil	All Levels	$9,600 – $18,300	$5,100 – $11,700	$4,000 – $9,000
York	All Levels	$8,800 – $17,900	$5,000 – $11,500	$3,700 – $8,900
Armstrong Air	All Levels	$8,200 – $18,300	$4,900 – $11,700	$3,700 – $8,700
Goodman	All Levels	$8,300 – $17,900	$4,400 – $12,000	$3,600 – $8,400
Ducane	Basic & Better	$8,200 – $15,800	$4,500 – $9,200	$3,600 – $7,900
Payne	Better	$8,700 – $14,400	$5,700 – $10,000	$4,200 – $7,700
Aire-Flo	Basic	$7,200 – $13,200	$4,500 – $8,900	$3,700 – $7,600

Brand notes:

Trane and American Standard are identical but with different pricing. That’s true for Carrier and Bryant plus Rheem and Ruud.

Daikin, Amana and Goodman are all Daikin brands, but models and pricing are slightly different.

Heil is an International Comfort Products brand along with identical brands Tempstar, Day & Night, Keeprite, Arcoaire and Comfortmaker. Pricing is the same.

Payne (by Carrier) and Air-Flo (by Lennox) have a limited range of models.

Mini Split System Cost by Brand

This chart is a little different. It shows single zone and multizone (2-8 zones) systems.

Note that MrCool and Klimaire make some DIY mini split systems.

Mini Split HVAC System Cost by Brand

Brand	Better & Best	DIY	Single Zone	Multi Zone
Daikin	Better & Best	No	$6,500 – $12,900	$6,800 – $23,500
LG	Better & Best	No	$6,300 – $11,800	$6,600 – $24,000
Fujitsu	Better & Best	No	$5,900 – $13,500	$6,500 – $25,000
Carrier	Better & Best	No	$5,800 – $13,000	$6,300 – $23,800
Midea Toshiba	Better & Best	No	$5,500 – $13,000	$6,000 – $22,900
Samsung	Better & Best	No	$5,500 – $12,400	$5,900 – $22,500
Mitsubishi	Better & Best	No	$5,300 – $12,000	$5,900 – $21,800
Gree	Better & Best	No	$5,300 – $12,600	$5,500 – $21,200
Bosch	All Levels	No	$4,400 – $11,700	$5,300 – $20,800
Panasonic	All Levels	No	$4,300 – $11,400	$5,300 – $20,200
Senville	Basic & Better	No	$4,200 – $9,100	$5,200 – $14,500
Cooper & Hunter	Basic & Better	No	$4,200 – $8,800	$5,100 – $13,800
MrCool (Mr Cool)	Basic & Better	Some	$3,100 (DIY) – $9,500	$5,100 – $14,300
Klimaire	Basic	Some	$2,900 (DIY) – $7,900	$5,000 – $13,800

If all premium indoor units are chosen, including central cassette and ducted units, cost will exceed what is found in the list. We didn’t include those costs because installing that type of system is rare, and including prices up to $30,000 would skew the chart and make it less usable. The mini split system prices are for the full range of the most common systems purchased and installed.

Labor Cost

Labor charges vary by what equipment is installed. All the pricing above on this page, except for the DIY mini split systems, include installation.

This chart breaks down just the labor cost for each system type. We added this section, so that you understand what part of the invoice will be the labor cost.

System Type	Labor Cost
Furnace Only	$1,100 – $2,350
AC Only	$1,275 – $3,000
AC Split System	$2,300 – $4,800
Heat Pump Split System	$1,400 – $9,500*

*Mini Split pro labor cost is based on 1-8 zones

Conclusions

HVAC prices are rising along with prices for everything else. Our experts don’t see that changing anytime soon – there won’t be a correction in costs for heating and cooling equipment, in other words.

If you need a new furnace, AC, heat pump or complete system, now is a good time to get written estimates – and get the job done – for three reasons.

First, as noted, prices will likely continue to go up in the short-term.

Secondly, with current rates of inflation, your dollars will essentially be less in the future. It makes sense to spend the money now and get more for it than you might 12 or 24 months from now.

Thirdly, if you need to get a loan for the equipment, rates are rising too, and interest rates will probably be higher over the next few years at least.

Check our Free Estimate Tool to get at least 3 local quotes from qualified contractors.

Written by Rene Langer

Rene has worked 10 years in the HVAC field and now is the Senior Comfort Specialist for PICKHVAC. He holds an HVAC associate degree from Lone Star College and EPA & R-410A Certifications.

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