How much should a complete A/C heat unit cost?

I was given a quote, 18,000 dollars, for a zoned a/c heat system, including ductwork. The first floor is approx. 2,000 sf. Second floor is approx. 800 sf. The house has a basement and attic. Price included both units and ductwork. I live in central W. Va. The price sounded staggering. Is that a relatively decent price?

How much should a complete A/C heat unit cost?
For 2 separate heating/cooling systems with everything included, 18 grand is a little high.


You should shop around for a better price, though it will still be pushing the 14 - 16 thousand range


I do this for a living, %26amp; I know how much materials cost, so here's a rough breakdown for 2 systems fitting your dimensions:


2 Furnaces- $4,000.00


2 Compressor/Condensor units- $4,500.00


2 Evaporator coils- $1,000


30 gauge sheetmetal trunk material-$2,000


2 Copper line sets- $350.00


2 Service disconnects- $100.00


Miscelaneous electrical materials- $250.00


Miscelaneous duct material- $600.00


Supply %26amp; Return registers- $250.00


3/4" PVC Piping- $100.00


This is an average estimate for MATERIALS for 2 heating/cooling central air systems, do the math, %26amp; take into consideration the contractors' cost of help, insurance, etc. and also his profit margin.


Hope this helps, good luck!
Reply:I work in the DC Metro Area, and would tend to think that price isn't so terribly high- but your best protection is to get multiple bids. Many times an HVAC system can be the third largest expense people will incur right behind their house and their cars.


You probably didn't buy your house without doing alot of research, and you probably didn't buy the first car you saw, or go with the first dealer you talked to.


This is going to be a big expense, so take the time to educate yourself in the subject and get a few competitor's bids. Here's some things you need to consider:


1. what is the efficiency of the systems being installed? Higher efficiency systems can save you money in utlity costs in the future, and some systems will even get you energy saver tax credits right now.


2. How professional are the guys going to be that actually do the work? They will be in your house for one or two weeks and you don't want a bunch of roughnecks thumping around your house for all that time. In order to run ductwork through your house correctly, they will be cutting holes in every room of your house. Make sure the company has good references and if the contractor uses "subs" that they have a policy regarding conduct and professionalism


3. Look into creative ways to finance the work. Can you take out a second mortgage to pay for the work%26gt; you can claim interest from mortgages on your taxes. Can you temporarily put the whole thing on a credit card that earns mileage or points?


To conclude- ask around about your options on fuel sources. If you are on city gas and electric, it might be a good idea to get heat pumps as backup for gas furnaces. This gives you the option with rising utility costs to decide in the winter time if it is more economical to run the gas or electric to heat the house. If not you still have the options of propane or oil.
Reply:Contractors can charge what the market will bare and the cost is sometimes relative to how busy they air. Go ahead and order up as many estimates as you can get. Also ask for some references of recently completed work, call and talk to them and see how it all turned out. I think you will find you can get it done cheaper.
Reply:Without knowing the exact specifications I would say that price sound high. By comparison that sounds high even for where i live, Connecticut.
Reply:$18K for a new/remodel installation with ductwork and zoning might be tenable. If you think the price is high, call another contractor or two in your area and get another estimate.
Reply:so you are having one complete unit with zone heating/coolinginstalled or two......At 28000 sq ft after doing heat gain/loss calculations and depending how many windows and glass doors face south west...and your elevation in W Va i would say this should have been 5 tons...at 1400 to 1800 dollars per ton depending on unit you want ...i would say 9000 to 10000 dollars would be fair price...if this is two complete and seperate systems it will be more...
Reply:Not a decent price at all. It should come to maybe half that especially in your neck of the woods. I'm in CT too but, from W by God V and I can get it done for under 10G's. Good luck.
Reply:Dont hesitate to get several bids. You are not bound to any of them. If you do get several bids, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Another thing to look at would be the SEER rating of the Air Conditioning unit. The higher the SEER rating the higher the cost, but also more efficient. Also, are you getting 80% efficient furnace's or 90%+, this too is going to effect the cost of the equipment.


That is why I urge my customers to get other "bids" as long as they are comparing units ect... of same size.
Reply:18k is way to expensive the price should be half or less than that.