How much does a boiler replacement cost in 2020?
Like all questions with answers that can quickly get technical and may include a lot of variables, this answer depends on a lot of factors.
Factors that impact boiler cost:
Factors that impact the price of a boiler replacement, or “retrofit” as people in the industry sometimes call it, include size of the home, the type of hydronic system installed, whether or not the boiler is used to make domestic hot water, where the boiler is located, whether or not there is an existing chimney and if it needs to be lined, whether or not the near-boiler piping can be reused, the average local cost for labor, etc.
Converting from one fuel source to another can also add upfront cost. For example, replacing an oil boiler with a natural gas boiler creates expense that wouldn’t be present otherwise. Installation of a gas meter and gas lines, trenching from the gas main to the house, and removal of the oil tank are all costs that would be incurred in an oil-to-gas conversion.
Older homes can also be more expensive to retrofit that newer ones. An old farmhouse will typically have thick stone foundations that may need to be core drilled for vent piping if a condensing boiler is installed. These homes also tend to have low ceilings, meaning that piping the new unit may be a bit more complicated.
Average cost to replace a boiler:
All of the above-mentioned factors do not really help to answer the question, so we polled several heating professionals across the United States in attempt to provide an average cost to replace both a conventional, cast iron boiler and a high efficiency, condensing boiler.
To give a good representation of the average home in the United States, we have standardized on a 2,000 square-foot home with three heating zones and an indirect-fired water heater for domestic hot water production. It is assumed that both the existing boiler and the new boiler are natural gas fired. The contractors were asked for an all-in cost, including replacement of all near-boiler piping, which is the piping that connects the boiler to the system, along with valves, circulators, and controls. The following figures provide a rough idea of what it costs to replace a boiler in the United States today.
Average cost to replace a cast iron boiler:
>> To replace a cast iron boiler, all the figures provided fell between $5,000 and $12,000 dollars, with an average of $7,500.
Average cost to replace a high efficiency, condensing boiler:
>> To replace a condensing boiler, amounts between $9,000 and $15,000 were provided, with an average of $11,500.
Keep in mind that these are rough numbers provided by professionals who are accustomed to looking at a retrofit project before providing an estimate. Also, contractors from all across the country were polled, representing a wide variety of housing markets, average incomes and labor costs.
Nonetheless, this provides a realistic expectation of what it may cost to replace the boiler in your own home. Obviously, the only true way to know what it will cost to replace the boiler in your home is to consult a heating professional.
You can browse our site for a licensed, professional heating contractor in your area.