What HVAC replacement costs on the North Shore.
A full HVAC system replacement - furnace and central air together - typically runs $9,000-$18,000 installed on Chicago's North Shore. A furnace alone runs $4,500-$9,000, central air alone $4,000-$8,000, a boiler $7,000-$15,000, and a cold-climate heat pump $10,000-$22,000 before rebates. Efficiency tier, home size, and what the existing venting and ductwork can support move the number more than brand does.
Published 2026-08-29 · Last reviewed 2026-08-29 · Ranges are typical installed project totals for the Chicago North Shore, not quotes.
Installed cost by system type
| System | Typical installed |
|---|---|
| Furnace Replacement Cost | $4,500-$9,000 |
| AC Replacement Cost | $4,000-$8,000 |
| Full System Replacement Cost | $9,000-$18,000 |
| Boiler Replacement Cost | $7,000-$15,000 |
| Heat Pump Installation Cost | $10,000-$22,000 |
| Ductless Mini-Split Installation Cost | $4,000-$14,000 |
| Tankless Water Heater Installation Cost | $3,500-$6,500 |
Cost by home size
Square footage drives capacity, and capacity drives price. These are the same size adjustments the instant estimate calculator uses.
| System | Smaller homes (under 1,500 sq ft) | Typical homes (1,500-2,500 sq ft) | Larger homes (2,500-4,000+ sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace Replacement | $3,800-$7,900 | $4,500-$9,000 | $5,000-$11,900 |
| AC Replacement | $3,400-$7,000 | $4,000-$8,000 | $4,500-$10,600 |
| Full System Replacement | $7,700-$15,800 | $9,000-$18,000 | $10,100-$23,800 |
| Boiler Replacement | $6,000-$13,200 | $7,000-$15,000 | $7,800-$19,800 |
| Heat Pump Installation | $8,500-$19,400 | $10,000-$22,000 | $11,200-$29,000 |
| Ductless Mini-Split Installation | $3,400-$12,300 | $4,000-$14,000 | $4,500-$18,500 |
| Tankless Water Heater Installation | $3,000-$5,700 | $3,500-$6,500 | $3,900-$8,600 |
Cost detail by system
Each system has its own reference: what is inside the range, what is quoted separately, what actually moves the number on North Shore housing stock, and when repairing what you have is the better buy.
The federal 25C energy-efficiency tax credit - up to $2,000 for heat pumps, $600 for furnaces and air conditioners - ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. A lot of HVAC sites still advertise it against 2026 installations. It is not available. The ComEd and Nicor utility rebates on our rebates page are separate programs and are current.
What actually moves the number
- Equipment efficiency tier
- The single biggest lever. A 95% AFUE furnace and a 97% AFUE furnace are not close in price, and a cold-climate Tier 2 heat pump costs well more than a Tier 1 - though it also earns the larger rebate.
- System sizing
- Capacity is set by a load calculation on the house, not by matching whatever is currently there. An oversized system costs more up front and short-cycles for its whole life.
- House age and what is behind the wall
- Much of the North Shore is pre-war housing stock. Undersized returns, asbestos-era ductwork, knob-and-tube adjacency, and near-boiler piping on a converted steam system all add labor that a newer house does not.
- Venting and gas line
- A high-efficiency condensing furnace or boiler vents differently than the unit it replaces. New venting, a condensate drain, or a gas line upsize are common line items on an older home.
- Electrical service
- Heat pumps and larger AC condensers sometimes need a panel or circuit upgrade. This is found at the estimate, not discovered on install day.
- Rebates
- ComEd and Nicor rebates come off the installed price. Equipment has to be selected to hit the tier at quote time - it cannot be retrofitted onto the paperwork afterward.
Methodology
These ranges are typical installed project totals for Chicago's North Shore - Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Northbrook, Glenview and the surrounding communities - covering equipment, labor, standard venting and electrical, permit-free scope, haul-away of the old unit, and warranty registration. They exclude asbestos abatement, structural work, and full ductwork replacement, which are quoted separately when the house needs them. The size adjustments and the instant estimate calculator read from the same figures, so the two never disagree. Ranges are reviewed as equipment and program pricing move; the last-reviewed date above is accurate.
Cost questions
A high-efficiency gas furnace replacement on Chicago's North Shore typically runs $4,500-$9,000 installed. Smaller homes fall toward the low end; homes over 2,500 square feet, and older homes needing new venting or duct modifications, run higher. The number is set by the load calculation, the efficiency tier, and what the existing venting and gas line can support.
A full matched system - furnace and central air replaced together - typically runs $9,000-$18,000 installed on the North Shore. Replacing both at once costs less than two separate projects because there is one installation, and it is the strongest candidate for stacking utility rebates.
Boiler replacement typically runs $7,000-$15,000 installed, above a furnace, because the work is heavier. Much of the North Shore - Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Highland Park - runs hot-water or steam boilers in pre-war homes, often long since converted from their original fuel. Near-boiler piping has to be rebuilt correctly, and a high-efficiency condensing boiler needs venting and a condensate drain the old unit never had.
No. The federal 25C energy-efficiency tax credit ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. Any site still advertising it for a 2026 installation is out of date. Utility rebates from ComEd and Nicor Gas are separate programs and remain available.
ComEd, the electric utility, offers tiered heat-pump rebates of roughly $1,400 for Tier 1 and up to $2,000 for Tier 2 cold-climate equipment, plus about $1,000 for qualifying ductless mini-splits. Nicor Gas offers roughly $225 for a 97% AFUE furnace, $150 for 95% AFUE, and $350-$500 for qualifying boilers. Some North Shore towns are served by North Shore Gas rather than Nicor, where equivalent programs vary.
When the equipment is still under warranty or under roughly ten years old and the repair is a modest share of a new system, repair is the right call. On a system past fifteen years, out of warranty, or facing a repair worth a large fraction of a replacement, another patch usually just delays a purchase you will make anyway - and adds the repair bill on top of it.
No. These are planning ranges for Chicago's North Shore, drawn from typical installed project totals. An actual price requires a load calculation and an in-home look at the venting, ductwork, gas line, and electrical service. The written estimate is the number that counts.
“HVAC Replacement Cost on the North Shore (2026 Reference),” North Shore HVAC Replacement, last reviewed 2026-08-29. https://northshorehvacreplacement.com/costs/
The instant estimate calculator gives you a range for your house in about a minute, and it shows the number before it asks for your contact information.