How Much Does it Cost to Install a Furnace in Tucson?

Need to install a new furnace in your Tucson home and wondering how much it will cost?

On average, furnaces cost about $455 to $975, with the average cost landing around $800.

The cost of your new furnace will depend on:

• Size
• Fuel type
• Efficiency level
• Type of warranty
• Additional infrastructure
• Company or contractor you hire

We’ll go into more detail about each of these cost factors below, so you can get a better idea of what the cost of your new furnace will be.

The cost of a furnace system increases with its size.

However, furnace size isn’t measured in cubic feet, but in BTUs or British Thermal Units. British Thermal Units measure the amount of heat a furnace produces per hour.

The higher the BTU output (or the more heat a furnace can produce per hour), the more expensive it will be.

However, when it comes to size, you don’t really get a “choice.” Before installing a new furnace, a technician should perform a load calculation on your home to determine what size furnace you need to properly heat your home.

A furnace that is too large for your space will cycle on and off too frequently, which can lead to uneven temperatures across your home and raise your monthly energy bills.

A furnace that’s too small for your home will stay on forever. And even then it’ll probably fail to heat your entire home. Ultimately this means your energy bills will increase and your furnace may wear out faster than it should from the constant stress of trying to meet demand.

Gas furnaces cost more upfront to purchase than electric furnaces do, but they’re typically cheaper to operate on a monthly basis.

Gas is a cheaper fuel source than electricity is, so homeowners see more affordable monthly bills with gas furnaces vs electric furnaces.

That being said, the type of furnace you choose (electric or gas) will largely depend on the type of fuel your home has access to.

If you currently have an electric furnace, you’ll probably want to install another electric furnace. Gas furnaces require a lot of infrastructure, like piping gas to your home and installing venting. Not only is installing this infrastructure extremely expensive, but gas is not available to every Tucson homeowner. So even if you are willing to pay to have gas piped to your home, it may not be an option for you.

If you currently have a gas furnace, you’ll want to install another gas furnace. While setting up infrastructure for an electric furnace isn’t nearly as expensive as setting up gas infrastructure, it will still cost you (not to mention you’ll save money on your monthly bills when you use a gas furnace vs. an electric one).

The more efficient a furnace is, the more it will cost upfront. However, more efficient systems use less fuel, which means your monthly energy bills will likely be lower.

Furnace efficiency is measured by AFUE, short for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. Most furnaces range between 80% and 98% AFUE. Essentially, this means that a furnace with an AFUE of 80% will turn 80% of the fuel it uses into heat, whereas a furnace with an AFUE of 98% will turn 98% of the fuel it consumes into heat.

While you want an efficient furnace, the money you’ll save on a monthly basis may not justify the cost of a highly-efficient furnace (98% efficient).

Our advice would be to speak with a professional about your home, budget and typical energy usage to determine if a high-efficiency furnace is the best option for your home.

If you choose an extended parts and/or labor warranty, the overall cost of your installation will increase.

However, extended warranties will cover the cost of repairs for an “extended” amount of time, which could save you money in the long run if you have the upfront budget for it.

Typically, an extended manufacturer’s warranty will last about 10-15 years (vs. 5 or so years for a standard warranty) and an extended labor warranty will last about 5 years (vs. 1-2). However, the exact time frame and scope of coverage will depend on the exact manufacturer and company you decide to move forward with.

If you choose to upgrade or install add-ons to your furnace installation, the cost of the project will increase.

For example, you may choose (or need) to:

• Install a smart thermostat
• Seal or replace your ductwork
• Install new venting (if you have a gas furnace)
• Update or upgrade your electric
• Install an air purifier

Each of these add-ons or upgrades will increase the total cost of your installation. For an exact increase, you’ll need to speak with the contractor or company who will be installing your system.

Typically, the more experienced a company or contractor is, the more they’ll charge for a furnace installation.

However, this is not a cost factor that you want to try and save money on. Selecting an inexperienced or “cheap” company to install your furnace could lead to big issues (and expensive repairs/replacements) down the road.

To ensure that you hire a quality contractor, you’ll want to look for someone with:

• Great reviews on sites like Google, Facebook and Angie’s List
• A valid license and insurance
• Solid guarantees
• Upfront, written estimates for every job

If you’re ready to install your new furnace, we’re here to help. Not only will we expertly install your new furnace, but we will provide you with recommendations and upfront pricing estimates so that you can make the right choice for your home and budget.