How Much Does It Cost to Move a Furnace?
Making it through the fall and winter seasons without your furnace can be a downright impossible task. You need the heating it provides to comfortably sleep through those cold nights. If you don’t have a furnace just yet, it’s probably near the top of your shopping list already.
When you are installing a furnace for the first time, you need to carefully consider where you want to place it. You do not want to get the furnace installed only to find out soon after that it’s in the wrong spot. Moving the furnace is still an option, but pulling that off is going to cost you a lot of money.
The average cost to move your current furnace from one spot to another inside your home is $2,060. Labor costs for this project will reach $660 since you will need the help of an HVAC professional. The remaining $1,400 will be used to purchase new ducts for your furnace, repair your drywall, and apply other finishing touches.
Ideally, you won’t be moving your furnace around after the initial installation. However, you may have to do that due to previously unforeseen circumstances. Learn how much moving your furnace will cost by reading on.
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Cost to Relocate Furnace
| Expense Type | Price |
| Labor Costs | $660 |
| New Ductwork, Paint, Replacement Materials | $1,400 |
| Optional Exhaust Flue Installation | $1,000 |
You will potentially have to spend $1,400 on new materials that are required for the relocation of your furnace. That money will go towards new ductwork to accommodate your repositioned furnace. At the very least, the existing ductwork has to be modified to fit the furnace correctly again.
On top of that, you also have to consider repainting the room where the furnace is in. You may also need to purchase some replacement materials to patch up any openings created after completing the relocation.
After that, you must consider the labor costs. Labor costs may reach $660 for this kind of project.
An additional exhaust flue may also be required to accommodate your repositioned furnace. That addition will tack on another $1,000 to the cost of the project.
All those expenses are necessary if you’re unhappy with the current placement of your furnace. Right now, the furnace may be in a spot where it is taking up a big chunk of the room. Preferably, you want to get the furnace out of the way or at least hide it a bit better.
Cost of Furnace by Brand
| Brand | Price |
| American Standard | $2,800 |
| Carrier | $2,900 |
| Goodman | $800 |
| Lennox | $1,700 |
| Trane | $2,700 |
Some homeowners may prefer purchasing a new furnace instead of moving their current one. In that case, knowing how much a new furnace currently costs will be important.
As you can see based on the chart above, prices can differ significantly depending on the brand you prefer. You should be able to find a suitable replacement based on your preferences and available budget.
Labor Costs to Move Furnace in the Same Area
As noted previously, the labor cost for moving a furnace is $660. Labor costs for furnace relocation come out to that high average because you have to hire an HVAC professional.
An HVAC professional typically charges $110 per hour. Moving the furnace may take as long as six hours so that’s how you get the projected cost of this undertaking.
Apart from the costs associated with moving the furnace, supplemental expenses may be needed too. That is likely the case if you also have a central air conditioning unit installed. New connections may have to be put in place for the air conditioner and that may add $350 to your bill.
You need to hire HVAC professionals because of all the pieces of equipment involved in the project. Other skilled workers will have a hard time handling those pieces of specialized equipment. You can look for general contractors too, but they might outsource this job to an HVAC professional anyway.
Cost to Move an Existing Furnace vs. Installing a New Furnace in a New Location
You can save a significant amount of money by moving an existing furnace instead of installing a new one. Moving a furnace usually costs $2,060. Meanwhile, installing a new furnace will likely cost $4,400.
That $4,400 price tag assumes that the furnace room you’ve chosen is already capable of accommodating the upcoming addition. If it isn’t, you will have to spend more to get it ready.
Installing ductwork to pair with your new furnace will cost $3,000. Carving out space for the exhaust flue is another $1,000.
Don’t forget about the cost of securing all the permits necessary for this kind of building project. That could cost $1,000 more.
Considering the potential cost, does it ever make more sense to buy a new furnace instead of moving your old one? Yes, there is and it pops up when your furnace is old.
You may want to move your furnace because it’s underperforming, but the real issue is its age. At that point, you’re better off getting a replacement instead of hoping a move will restore your old furnace.
Look into potentially replacing your furnace once it reaches the 25-year mark. Many furnaces start to break down at that age and yours may not be an exception.
Relocating Furnace Price Factors
The cost of relocating your home furnace will fluctuate depending on certain factors. We’ve highlighted some of the most relevant price factors below.
Plumbing
Before moving your furnace, you should consider how your plumbing system is laid out. Will your plans to relocate your furnace affect the plumbing system you have in place?
Several pipes and fixtures may have to be repositioned so your furnace can go into your target spot. Moving all those pieces around is going to cost you a lot of money.
If you don’t want to move your plumbing fixtures, then you may have to add new ducts instead. That too could be a significant expense that you didn’t originally plan for.
Exhaust
You will need to expel the exhaust coming from your furnace in some way. An exhaust flue or chimney is typically used for that job.
Connecting the relocated furnace to an exhaust flue or chimney is easy if the appliance is based in a garage. You can just find a suitable spot along the roof of your garage for the exhaust.
Creating room for the exhaust is harder if the furnace is located in a room with a floor directly above it. The HVAC contractor may have to install more ducts to give the exhaust a spot to escape from. Installing those added ducts will hike up the overall cost of the project.
Wiring/Electrical
Similar to the plumbing fixtures, electrical lines can also get in the way while you’re moving the furnace. There could be power lines running right through the spot where you want the furnace to be.
You can move those power lines for the sake of your furnace, but that’s another task you’ll have to pay for. Rearranging your home wiring is usually less expensive than installing new ductwork, but it’s still pricey.
Your Home’s Infrastructure
Lastly, you should consider the current condition of your home before moving the furnace. Additional repairs may be required before you can relocate the furnace. The floors and walls, in particular, may need to be repaired.
Relocating Furnace Considerations
A homeowner may want to relocate their furnace because they want to change the layout of the room. For instance, they may think they can do more with their basement that is currently only used to house the furnace.
They may have plans to turn their basement into a more organized storage area. That’s why they want to move the furnace to the corner of the room.
The problem with changing your furnace’s positioning like that is it can disrupt your HVAC system’s balance. It can completely change the way that part of your home performs.
Your furnace was likely installed near the center of the basement because it works best there. In that spot, it can draw air in more effectively. Moving the furnace to the side changes those things.
Ultimately, it’s your call if you want to potentially sacrifice some comfort for a new layout. Just know that such a thing can happen if you proceed with the furnace relocation.
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Related Questions
Can You Move a Furnace to the Garage?
Yes, moving your furnace from its current position to your garage is something you can do. You have to abide by some rules in the building code, but they should not prevent you from completing the move.The bigger obstacle could be the condition of your garage. Cracked floors and poor ventilation are examples of obstacles that could make moving the furnace to the garage significantly harder. Take care of those issues first before you make the move.
Can You Move a Furnace to the Basement?
Moving a furnace to the basement is possible, but you have to clear out room for it. The furnace should be located near the center of the basement to optimize its performance. If you cannot position the furnace there, its performance may be compromised.
Where Should a Furnace Be Located in a House?
When deciding where to install the furnace, you want a space with good ventilation and easy access to the fuel source. You also want a room with good airflow to prevent any carbon monoxide buildup. The room should also be big enough that you can work on the furnace if it needs maintenance.Garages and basements often meet those criteria so they are frequently chosen as spots for furnaces. The attic could work too assuming you can get the fuel lines up there.
How Do You Move a Furnace Vent?
Moving furnace vents should be left to the professionals. If the furnace vent you want to move is exposed, an HVAC professional should be able to relocate it with relatively little trouble.Vents buried beneath the floor or placed in the walls are harder to move. You may want to hire a general contractor so they can remove the floors or walls first. The contractor can then put the floors and walls back once the vents have been moved.
What Is the Cost to Move the Furnace Two Feet?
Even shifting the furnace by two feet can be a costly task. The HVAC professional may charge you $600 for that.
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Gary Evans is passionate about home improvement. He loves finding out how to make improvements in the easiest, most practical, and most affordable ways. Upgrading his home kitchen is one of his ongoing hobbies. Gary is also a long-time content creator and enjoys spending his free time tending to his hydroponic vegetable garden.
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