Why are HVAC replacement quotes so expensive?

“I have a 16yo Comfortmaker. It runs perfectly and I’m in the very hot Tampa Bay Area. I dread the day I have to replace that beast 🥲”source ↗

“4500 for a leak search and fix? That's legal robbery 😂 ive done leak search and repair for less than 1k”source ↗

“How much of this is labor vs parts?”source ↗

“Was just quoted $16k for a full install of the following system. Is this a good deal for Albuquerque?”source ↗

“I had a tech out who recommended full furnace replacement to the tune of 7-8k (I'm in Detroit, and this sounds really high for a small bungalow furnace, but what do I know).”source ↗

“Well my mother in law works at a grocery store and doesn't have the cash, and I figured since the furnace is shot, it couldn't hurt to try to fix it myself.”source ↗

“I know I need to get quotes but what is reasonable quote wise??”source ↗

“My townhouse (~1200 sqft) has been significantly more humid than usual for the past few months.”source ↗

“The quote I got is ~$4200 for install, coil, and refrigerant.”source ↗

“1. Is the evap coil likely the core issue causing humidity? 2. Is that a reasonable quote? thanks!”source ↗

“HVAC inspection said there is fungal growth in the plenum and wants 2k to replace the box. Just want to know if this is real or if the discoloration is just dust/debris.”source ↗

“This really sounds like you accidentally called out your local hvac salesman, instead of your local hvac technicians.”source ↗

“I received a quote today for what I believe to be a great price. Furnace, AC, and water heater. He gave us two options. I'm just not sure which is the best choice.”source ↗

“I don't know a ton about brands, I've heard of Trane. And is the 5k difference a concern？”source ↗

“I don't believe any calculations were done. I'm not at home (OTR truck driver).”source ↗

“We got a quote of $22k for a 5 ton heat pump or $31k for a 6 head mini split. Is it a fair quotes?”source ↗

“These ducts are about 70-80 linear feet, all sub-ducts and already encapsulated. Is it really necessary that they need to be removed and rebuilt? If so, how much would it cost to do that?”source ↗

“How much should this cost me?”source ↗

“Repairman came and looked at our Coleman echelon 9.c series said the ECM was fried. Says it's about $2400 for a new one. That seems really high though. Is that reasonable?”source ↗

“I was going to look around on ebay or something and try and buy one on my own. Or is that a stupid idea?”source ↗

“So I should look elsewhere?”source ↗

“I’m replacing a 21-year-old Ruud furnace/AC and have narrowed it down to two quotes. Both contractors are well-established local companies with good reviews, and both systems are essentially the same installed price ($18.5k).”source ↗

“Carrier Performance 2-stage vs Lennox Elite variable-capacity — same price. Which would you choose?”source ↗

“The quotes are insane: about $2,800–3,000 for the motor alone and around $3,500 for the motor plus board (all including labor).”source ↗

“This is just past the 5 year warranty, and while the original homeowner did register the 10 year warranty, I was never informed that I needed to register it under my name after buying the house a year later.”source ↗

“I have a very old but functional boiler/furnace and I got quoted 17k to replace it with a similar boiler or 20k to tear out my boiler/furnace and my water heater and replace with a combination boiler.”source ↗

“These quotes all seem high, even given the DC-Baltimore metro area cost of living.”source ↗

“$10-15k is what I expected for the new system, $17-20k is steeper than I thought was reasonable.”source ↗

“called Chicago Four season HVAC company, they said roughly $5000 to replace the unit.”source ↗

“Getting estimates on my two story house going from one 5 ton unit to two ac units one for downstairs and one for upstairs also redoing ductwork in the attic estimates are 40 thousand and 34 thousand”source ↗

“Literally no information provided. This could be spot on or way off. Too much info missing”source ↗

“1,000 dollars to charge your system? Seems extreme. Was it empty? I've at most paid only like 300 bucks for a recharge”source ↗

“They tell you a astounding price for repair and then push to upgrade the entire system. The new business model for larger companies.”source ↗

“I requested a Carrier Bypass Humidifier for which they want to charge $4,112 to install.”source ↗

“First time home owner and we have noticed our furnace is only blowing cold air for awhile now.”source ↗

“They said it would be just over $7,000+ to fix it, but that only would come with a 60 day warranty.”source ↗

“Their replacement estimate came in at $22,300+ for new heat pump, new furnace, and and labor/per.its, etc.”source ↗

“Does this price seem reasonable for the work being done?”source ↗

“I got quotes from them on new ac unit. Top tier option was 19K (lmfao).”source ↗

“I am an idiot and didn’t renew our home warranty. Is it too late to get it to help with this?”source ↗

“After installation, the HERS test failed due to gaps around existing duct boots. The company is saying it will cost nearly $1k to rectify.”source ↗

“Given that they installed an entirely new HVAC system, I would think that this should be included or are they right to charge given that they did not replace the actual ducts?”source ↗

“I receive a quote for $3800 for redoing the entire ducting.”source ↗

“I respond asking how we went from adding a pump to replacing all of the ductwork and below is the response I received. What do you all think?”source ↗

“My 31 year old Ruud system is leaking refrigerant and furnace parts started to breakdown, so I think it’s time to say goodbye. I got the following quote for replacing the furnace in attic and outdoor ac unit.”source ↗

“Any feedback would be much appreciated!”source ↗

“The price I was quoted for this is $22k as you can see in the attached images. Seems high to me.”source ↗

“I was thinking $20k tops, but then I asked Google AI Pro, which says that a fair price range for my local market in Michigan would be around $15k to $17k.”source ↗

“I am surprised by the huge gap between this estimate and what the AI thinks is a fair price, since this company has a good reputation in my area.”source ↗

“I am going to try to get some other estimates from reputable installers, which is the only real way to find out if it is competitive.”source ↗

“If you've gotten something similar installed recently, I'd love to hear where you live and what you paid.”source ↗

“The AC people came out today and told me that my coolant was really low. They told me there must be a leak in the coil, and to track it down and find it would take $4,500.”source ↗

“Whenever they told me their cheapest unit was $13,000 I wanted to cry. The guy didn't even recommend the $13,000 unit he recommended the $20,000.”source ↗

“Knowing the split between equipment and labor is responsible consumerism. This is why bids should always break these out.”source ↗

“For the OEM motor no that's spot on but however you can get an Evergreen motor on Amazon for like less than 300 But it's probably going to take an hour or 2 if you do it yourself but I suspect You can find somebody that would probably charge 800 to a thousand”source ↗

“Yes that's exactly what he did he came in and showed me three options on an iPap. 13,000 what's the cheapest but he didn't recommend that one he wanted me to get the $20,000 one, which is far beyond what I could afford at this time”source ↗

“Whenever they told me their cheapest unit was $13,000 I wanted to cry. The guy didn't even recommend the $13,000 unit he recommended the $20,000.”source ↗

“I understand I'm basically just pouring money into the ground honestly though it's really all I can afford at the present moment, I'm just praying it will last long enough for me to save up the money.”source ↗

“I had this happen to me years ago. Called the big company in the area that everyone seems to use and they told me that while they could repair the unit, it really needed to be replaced and it was going to cost $20k.”source ↗