Overpriced furnace install?

Question

So the plumbing crew in town here quoted me $3800 to install a medium efficiency Lennox furnace in my office. I talked to a friend of mine who is "almost" a journeyman and he figures the furnaces costs about $2000. This means the 'labour' is roughly $1800. He told me it takes roughly 1 hour to

1.5 hours to install the furnace and remove the old one.

Does this mean they are charging me over $1000/hour labour?

I looked all over the internet trying to find the cost of a furnace. Everything is hush-hush. There are no prices that I can find. The estimate is vague at best. It is not broken down into part and labour. It is just a fixed fee.

Does anyone have any information that could help me on this? My friend can't order furnaces yet.

Ned Flanders · Accepted Answer

price sounds in line. journeyman dosen't mean jack shit, don't listen to him; he is wrong in this case.

CJ · Answer

I beg to differ.  I got a quote for a new furnace for my old house not just a couple years back and the price, labor and all, was $2,200.

PipeDown · Answer

Your house, his office, residential vs commercial. fixtures for commercial installations are usually heavy duty and cost more. I don't think lennox is a bargain brand either. the control package can make a big price difference too. I don't know if labor rates vary between residential and commercial.

$2,200 is about what I was quoted for a new higher efficiency forced air heating unit (closet installation) incl labor and new plenum sheet metal etc. plus almost that much more for central air added at the same time.

If you think its too high, get more quotes. You may pay for the quote but you also may save much more.

jwn dds · Answer

I should have said... this quote is in Canadian funds.  My office is no larger than a house (roughly 2000 sq. ft.)

CJ · Answer

No, Ned Flanders was saying that $3,800 was too high and kind of poo pooing the "almost" journeyman's opinion.

I was pointing out, whether I think the journeyman is full of it or not, that the $3,800 did seem too high and that the journeyman seemed to be right on the money.

Ned Flanders · Answer

2 guys 8 hours @ 75/hr 1,200$cost of furnace    $2000100$ for misc parts/fittings.is it a single zone?new oil line and conduit 1hr? + parts 100$ (required on 90% of my installs)this does not even begin to adress the chimney$$$. ( I usually replace)ask him for a breakdown of the estimate

CJ · Answer

8 hours to install a furnace??Mine was done in 3 hours.

Ned Flanders · Answer

i figure a day, he did not mention chimney. you cant figure 3 hours for a furnace install thats stupid. that is the typical statement made by some idiot who does not know jack shit about the biz.  i guess you must live in a trailer if your furnace install took total of 3 hours.

CJ · Answer

Tell it to my contractor that got it done in 3.

that is the typical statement made by some

Nope...I don't live in a trailer. Nice attempt at trying to berate someone else though.

When you have a good sized basement with plenty of room to work...alot can get accomplished in a shorter amount of time.

jwn dds · Answer

I guess I just need to ask for a breakdown of the estimate.  The lump sum estimate is what had me asking questions.  I have no problem paying $75/man/hour.  I do have a problem paying $700/hour.

Bob Wheatley · Answer

"CJ"  wroteI ain't gonna' get in a pissin' match about how much time it takes to do a job I've never laid eyes on. But I can GUARANTEE you that for the last 30 years I've been plumbing, you WILL pay my ridin' time. Period.Bob Wheatley

Overpriced furnace install?

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