Heating · Forced Air · South Shore MA
Furnace Installation & Replacement
A furnace is only half the system—the ductwork is the other half, and it is the half most contractors never look at. We size the equipment to your actual heat loss, evaluate what the ducts can really move, and install it permitted and tested.
Told you have a cracked heat exchanger? That is a carbon monoxide risk and the unit should be shut down, not patched or sealed. It is also the single most common excuse for an unnecessary replacement—so get a second opinion. We will show you the crack or tell you there is not one.
What Goes Into the Quote
Two quotes for the same house can differ by thousands, and the difference is usually in what is not on the page. These are the things we look at and price openly.
Sizing
A heat loss calculation, not a match to the plate on the old unit. Most existing furnaces on the South Shore are oversized, and copying that mistake gives you short cycling and uneven temperatures.
Ductwork
Undersized returns are the most common defect we find. A new variable-speed furnace on starved return air will be loud and will never deliver the comfort or efficiency it was sold on.
Venting
High-efficiency condensing furnaces vent through the sidewall and need a condensate drain. If a water heater shared the old chimney, that appliance now needs its own vent solution—a real cost, disclosed up front.
Efficiency & staging
Single-stage, two-stage, or modulating with a variable-speed blower. Two-stage and up run longer at lower output, which means steadier temperatures, quieter operation and better filtration.
Pairing with AC
If your air conditioning is also near end of life, replacing both together costs meaningfully less than two separate jobs and lets us match the coil and blower properly. See cooling services.
The heat pump question
If you already have good ductwork, a ducted heat pump is a strong option and carries far larger Massachusetts incentives than a furnace. Worth pricing before you decide. See rebates.
Repair or Replace
Most gas furnaces run fifteen to twenty years, oil somewhat longer with real maintenance. Under about twelve years, a failed igniter, inducer, or control board is normally worth repairing—those parts are available and the repair is a fraction of replacement.
We lean toward replacement when the heat exchanger is cracked, when the unit is past twenty and needing repeated repairs, or when parts are no longer manufactured. Rust streaking, soot, repeated high-limit lockouts, and a burner flame that lifts or rolls out are all signals worth taking seriously.
Either way, you will see what we found and hear the reasoning. If it can be fixed, we will fix it—see heating repair.
Common Questions
How long does a furnace replacement take?
A straight swap is usually one day. Add time if we are converting to sidewall venting, re-working the plenum and return, or re-venting a water heater that shared the chimney. You will know which situation you are in before we start.
Do I need my ducts replaced too?
Rarely all of it. More often it is targeted work—adding return capacity, sealing leaky joints, or fixing one badly undersized branch that has always starved a room. Sealing accessible ductwork also frequently qualifies for a Mass Save incentive.
Is a 96% furnace worth the premium over an 80%?
In a Massachusetts climate with a full heating season, usually yes—provided sidewall venting and a condensate drain are practical where the furnace sits. Where they are not, the retrofit cost can erase the savings. We price both so you can see the real difference.
Do you handle the permit and inspection?
Yes—we pull the permit and meet the inspector. Fuel-fired equipment replacement requires a permit in Massachusetts. If a contractor offers to skip it to save you money, that is a problem for you at resale, not for them.
Let us look at the whole system.
Furnace, ductwork, venting—priced honestly, in writing, at the visit.