How Much Does a Furnace Tuneup Cost? (Total Price Breakdown)

The cost of getting a furnace tuneup before winter starts can vary by state and depend on your home’s size. 

Air Authority Heating & Air, a leading HVAC contractor in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers you a quick guide on how much it costs to tune up and maintain your furnace for a cold Ohio winter. 

What Impacts the Cost of a Furnace Repair? 

• Type of furnace 
• Difficulty or complexity of repairs
• Accessibility of the furnace 
• Local HVAC labor rates (average Ohio price: $70 to $2,500 or $75 to $125/hr.)
• Specific parts or components required 
• Warranty or no-warranty coverage on parts 

Average Cost for Furnace Maintenance

$80 to $145 annual maintenance cost for most homeowners.

Average Cost for Furnace Cleaning

$50 and $300 for furnace cleaning.

What does a furnace cleaning service entail?

• Cleaning fans

• Filter change

• Removing soot or corrosion from flame sensor or exposed parts

• Checking the system (fuel line, venting, etc.)

What Should You Expect to Pay for a Furnace Tune-Up?

Basic tune-up costs range from $70 to $200. 

Standard maintenance is around $100. At Air Authority, any repairs we complete during a maintenance visit are at a discount! 

Annual maintenance can be between $150 and $500 — which includes inspection and basic repairs. 

Furnace inspections cost between $100 and $300. Remember, it depends on the furnace brand, field type, and model. For example, a boiler system or oil furnace is bound to be more expensive. 

Preventative maintenance prevents you from dishing out huge sums of cash for repairs or a new furnace. The most cost-effective way to do it is through an annual maintenance plan: $200 (it includes AC repair).

Furnace Tune Up Checklist Services

Here’s what’s included in a typical furnace maintenance visit: 

• Check condensate drain for blockage and clean.
• Inspect air Filter
• Check heat exchanger integrity
• Pull and clean ignition system.
• Clean burners and adjust if necessary
• Check all electrical connections
• Verify air flow settings are appropriate
• Vacuum entire furnace cabinet.
• Test Flue draft to ensure proper venting
• Perform combustion analysis to ensure combustion is operating safely and efficiently.
• Perform carbon monoxide test

Cost to Repair Gas, Electric, Oil, or Propane Furnaces

• Electric furnace repair cost: $50 to $200. Labor averages between $100 and $300. The common repairs can include thermostat electrical malfunctions, water leaks, coil replacement, pilot light failure, or broken fans. $1,700 to $7,200 is the cost for a new replacement.  

• Gas furnace repair cost: $300 to $1,200, depending on the repair type. Expensive repairs can include heat exchangers, blower motors, and evaporator coil replacements. More common repairs are thermocouple replacement, flame sensor or air filter replacement, and fixing gas valves. Old furnaces often need more repairs. These costs can outweigh the investment in a newer model, even for top brands like Trane®. Between $1,800 to $6,300 for a new installation.

• Oil furnace repair cost: $300 to $1,200, the cost to repair is similar to a gas furnace. Commonplace repairs include replacing the blower motor fan or limit-control switch, the heat exchanger, oil burner motor repairs, and cleaning clogged oil lines. A full replacement can cost upwards from $2,500 to $6,000.

• Propane furnace repair cost: Repairs can cost between $300 to $1,200. The issues that propane-powered furnaces come across are largely the same as gas-run furnaces. The cost to replace it is far higher than average: $2,500 to $6,000. 

Watch Out for Common Furnace Repair Scams

Most reputable HVAC companies will have Google my Business or Yelp reviews, along with good BBB ratings. 

Some companies run scam operations and will claim that your furnace needs repairs when it really doesn’t: 

• Claims that your heat exchanger is cracked, and monoxide poisoning will soon enter your home!
• Watch out! Your blower motor is failing. 
• Your ducts are contaminated and dirty! (They often point to a dirty vent grill – which isn’t evidence that the ducts themselves are actually dirty) 
• The AC coil in the furnace is leaking out all of your refrigerant! 

If an HVAC company claims that your repairs will cost a certain amount or if they claim something is amiss that isn’t, call Air Authority for a FREE second opinion. 

Pros & Cons of a Natural Gas Furnace 

Pros: 

• Low operating costs
• Heats quickly
• Works easily with AC or heat pump
• Natural gas is widely available 
• Ideal for most areas, hot or cold climates

Cons: 

• Risk of carbon monoxide gas leaks 
• Requires regular maintenance 
• Requires a well-functioning duct work, gas line, and vent

Pros & Cons of an Electric Furnace 

Pros: 

• Low installation costs
• 100% energy efficient 
• No carbon monoxide 
• Low maintenance and easy to use
• No risk of gas leaks and fits into small spaces

Cons: 

• Produces dry air that aggravates allergies 
• System can go down with electrical blackouts
• Costs more money to operate than natural gas

Pros & Cons of an Oil Furnace 

Pros: 

• Lasts longer than gas furnaces
• Non-toxic, no-combustion/biodegradable fuel
• Produce more heat per BTU than natural gas
• No smoke, soot, or burning odor when maintained

Cons: 

• Lower efficiency and noisier than gas
• Regular oil filter and chimney cleaning required 
• Needs additives in freezing cold temps 
• Leaks from old oil tanks are possible

Pros & Cons of a Propane Furnace

Pros: 

• Non-toxic fuel 
• Low-maintenance & long-lasting
• Powers numerous home appliances
• Contains twice the energy (BTU) of natural gas

Cons: 

• Tanks require regular inspections 
• Highly flammable 
• Propane costs up to 2 or 3x more than natural gas
• Produces less BTUs of heat than oil 

Components of a Home Furnace (Cost Breakdown) 

Return Register

It pulls cold air from inside your home and returns it to the HVAC system to get warmed. It’s the first step to how heat gets cycled through your home. The cost of repairs will depend on how many registers there are and their condition. 

Return Duct 

The return duct is responsible for sending the air that got sucked up by the return register to your furnace. The cost of repairs will depend on the size of the system. 

Cost: $454 to $2,058 (or more, depending on the size)

Blower 

Once air gets sucked into the system, the blower pushes it through your HVAC and into the supply ductwork that runs throughout your home. 

Cost: $150 to $450 or up to $2,000 (for replacement)

Blower Motor 

Without a motor, the blower fans won’t push the air into the ductwork. The blower motor is the power source. 

Cost: $850 to $2,000

Burners 

Burners generate fire to power a natural gas furnace. It pulls the gas from a gas line where it meets with oxygen to make fire. Other components, like the pilot light and flame sensor, ensure that this works properly and is regulated. 

Cost: $400 to $700

Burner Cover

It’s a small, rectangular-shaped piece of metal that sits just over the burners, blower chamber, flame sensor, and electronic ignition/pilot light. It’s a safety mechanism to make sure the flame stays inside the furnace. 

Coils

An evaporator coil (furnace coil) absorbs the heat from inside of your home and works with the condenser coil to complete the heat exchange process. As your furnace uses gas to generate heat, this coil acts as a heat exchanger, absorbing heat for the blower to push through the air ducts. 

Cost: $600 to $2,000 (replacement)

Flame Sensor 

The flame sensor “senses” when the fire has lit the burner. If there’s no heat, the flame sensor will shut the system down to avoid potential gas leaks. If the furnace is emitting gas without a flame, you could get carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Cost: $150 to $250

Gas Valve

Operated by electromagnets, the furnace gas valve opens and closes, regulating the flow of gas to the pilot light and the burners. There are two valves that comprise the gas valve: the primary valve (safety valve) and the second valve (main valve). 

Cost: $195 to $870 (replacement) 

23 VAC transformer (or thermopile): powers the second/main valve and allows gas to flow to the burners. 

Cost: $100 to $175 (Transformer)

Thermocouple

The thermocouple is a safety mechanism that tells you whether or not your pilot light is on. It’s a metal rod that connects to the furnace’s gas valve. It shuts off the gas supply when it doesn’t sense a flame, preventing gas poisoning. 

Cost: $100 to $250

Ignitor

The furnace ignitor creates a small spark, igniting the gas to heat the air coming in from the furnace. Without it, you’d have a furnace circulating air from the outside.

Cost: $200 (replacement)

Pilot Light or Electronic Ignition 

Old furnaces have a pilot light. Newer models (10 years and up) have electronic ignitions. The pilot light runs even when the furnace is off. 

Although both serve the same purpose, gas-operated pilot lights can blow out with a draft and be pretty expensive. 

Not only that, lighting it again is a nuisance, and you might just burn your eyebrows off if you do it wrong. 

Thankfully, the up-to-date electronic ignition is easier to handle, as it sends an electronic signal to spark the burner whenever you need heat. 

Cost: $400 to $700

Heat Exchanger 

The natural gasses and fire are burned together to generate heat. This mixture contains a lot of combustion gasses that are harmful to your health. These combustion gasses are sent to the heat exchanger, where the heat is transferred into the filtered in-home air, while the harmful gasses are sent into the flue pipe. This keeps your home air warm and safe. 

Cost: $1,000 to $2,500

Flue Pipe

It carries the toxic carbon monoxide and residual combustion gasses out of your home. Depending on your HVAC system’s design, the flue pipe can be longer or shorter. This is factored into the cost of servicing it. 

Cost: $400 to $800

Damper 

This component regulates the amount of air that gets released in your home, deciding exactly how much goes where. This is controlled by your thermostat. 

Cost: $100 to $600 (average of $350)

Supply Duct 

The supply duct “supplies” your home with heated air. For various reasons, these ducts can have leaks or tears, impacting your home’s energy performance. Repairing these leaks in the duct lining can be low cost or high cost, depending on the size of the system. 

Cost: $200 to $1,000

Supply Register

Often found at your home’s baseboards, these register vents distribute the heated air throughout your home. 

Cost: $200 to $500 per vent install for a room

Supply Plenum 

Air goes back to your HVAC system, which then returns back to your home. The supply plenum receives the heated air from the heat exchanger and prepares it to be sent back into your home. 

Cost: $150.25 to $305.00 

What are the signs that I need to repair my furnace?

• Unusual noises 
• Uneven heating in rooms 
• Skyrocketed utility bill out of nowhere

How can furnace repairs be avoided? 

• Change your filter (easy task that homeowners sometimes overlook) 
• Annual or bi-annual HVAC inspection before summer and winter

Should you repair the furnace or replace it? 

A new furnace can cost anywhere between $3,500 to $7,500. If your repairs happen to cost the same or more, the smart choice is to simply buy a new furnace. 

Most furnaces have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years. If you own one that is older, consider replacement options.  

Schedule Quality Furnace Repair in Cincinnati From Air Authority

Our team of HVAC technicians has been maintaining, installing, and servicing heating and cooling systems for homes and businesses for years. Our friendly staff can answer any questions you may have about your furnace at: (513) 229-0789.