chippyo

Is $11,000 to replace existing rooftop HVAC unit a fair price?

Project Details

I have an ancient rooftop unit that provides heating and cooling via ducts. The heating is gas, and the cooling is electric. The heating stopped working last winter, and the cooling is failing. I want to replace the whole unit with something new and go all electric. The HVAC company quoted me at least $11-13K, and they said they would need a crane to lift it in. I don't have that kind of money right now. I'm a pretty handy guy who's rebuilt multiple houses, so I'm thinking maybe I can find a solution myself. My ducting is already in place. I'm wondering if there are single units that have the A/C, furnace, evaporator, etc., all in one box I can just put on the roof and connect ducts to. If not, I'm wondering if the furnace part can live outside, or if I'd have to build a box for it. I'm trying to find the simplest single unit solution where I basically only need to rewire it and attach ducts. Ideally, a box that I plug in one end, and out of the other end comes both heating and cooling that I can just then duct into my existing system. I would not think twice about using the professional HVAC company I've been using, I just can't swing $13K right now. On top of this, the hassle of getting a city permit to block the street for a crane plus that cost means we're looking at $16K+ before it's all said and done. If there's a unit I could get up there myself, maybe modularly, I'd be happy to hire HVAC guys to hook it all up. One problem with the current unit is that the plate has faded in the sun, so there's no way to find out what unit it is or who manufactured it from the outside. Apparently, it has a cracked firebox (or maybe heat exchanger?), and that's why it won't fire up. The HVAC guys said it cannot be repaired, and the whole unit has to be replaced. I doubted that, as very few things can't be repaired or have parts replaced. I posted about this on the HVAC board here about 6 months ago and got shut down immediately. But that would be the ideal solution, to just fix it. If I can find the exact model, I wonder if the firebox can be replaced. I'm going to go up there, take a few panels off, and see if I can find a maker or model number on the inside somewhere.

Quote Details

Quote from an HVAC company to replace the existing rooftop HVAC unit. - Replace ancient rooftop unit (gas heating, electric cooling) - Install new all-electric unit - Requires a crane for lifting the unit onto the roof

Thank you for your feedback!

You say...

?
How would you rate this quote?
TooCheap
GoodDeal
FairPrice
BitPricey
Ripoff

Vote Distribution

Too Cheap0 votes
Good Deal0 votes
Fair Price0 votes
Bit Pricey1 votes
Ripoff0 votes

These ratings are not endorsed by Quote Critic. They are submitted by other Quote Critic users like you.

More Details

Category

HVAC

Price

$11,000

Quote Date

May 16, 2025

Fuel type

Electric

System type

Heat pump

Comments

No comments yet

Sign in to share your thoughts and ask questions.

Similar Quotes

Map of 10804
New York
HVAC
$8,300
Jun 4, 2025

Install Mitsubishi 9KBTU Hyperheat Mini Split Heat Pump System for one room

- Perform manual J Load calculation to understand true heating and cooling loads for the area of house served by the furnace - Furnish and install new Heatpump system consisting of Outdoor Unit and Wall Mounted Indoor Unit - Furnish and install Refrigerant piping, interlock wiring and drain tubing - Furnish and install Linehide to cover refrigerant , drain and wire - Furnish and install Condenser Pad - Start up and check test of operation - 1 year labor warranty - 12 year limited manufacturer’s parts warranty

1 rating1 comment
Map of 85044
Arizona
HVAC
$7,409
Jun 4, 2025

Perform comprehensive HVAC system repair and maintenance

This quote covers a comprehensive set of HVAC services, including: - Uninstallation and disposal of the old damaged coil. - Leak free installation of the new coil. - Full system testing and calibration for peak performance. - Uninstallation and disposal of the old damaged filter drier. - Leak free installation of the new filter drier. - Full system testing and calibration for peak performance. - Refrigerant leak detection. - Recover refrigerant. - Nitrogen purge. - Leak repair. - Pressure test. - All refrigerant recovery and recycling following EPA protocol. - Purging refrigerant lines with dry nitrogen. - Accurate refrigerant weigh in/out with calibrated scale. - Complete refrigerant testing for peak system operation using super heat and sub cooling diagnostics. - Adding refrigerant to EPA guidelines. - Remove schrader core with isolation tool. - Install new schrader core and new cap. - Leak test service valve.

2 ratings3 comments
HVAC
$8,000
May 25, 2025

Replace an outside upstairs HVAC unit

This quote is for the replacement of an outside upstairs HVAC unit. The existing unit is approximately 2 tons.

1 rating