Furnace and AC Replacement Cost in Minnesota
Replacing the furnace and AC together in Minnesota costs $9,700–$19,300 installed with us. Matched coils, AHRI ratings, and when to split the job instead.
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Central Minnesota Heating and Cooling repairs and replaces furnaces, ACs, heat pumps and boilers in Elk River (Sherburne County), about 27 miles from downtown Minneapolis.
Elk River, the Sherburne County seat with 25,835 residents in 2020, grew up where the Elk River meets the Mississippi, and since the city and township merged in 1978, its limits take in rural acreage as well as the historic downtown and Lake Orono.
Electricity comes from Elk River Municipal Utilities in its territory and from Connexus Energy in other parts of the city, depending on the address.
Updated October 27, 2026 · By Eric Brown, owner, Central Minnesota Heating and Cooling

Around town: Mississippi River · Lake Orono · Oliver H. Kelley Farm · US Highway 10 · US Highway 169. Neighborhoods: Downtown Elk River
Book in Elk RiverElk River was platted in 1865 where the Elk River meets the Mississippi, and a dam built in 1915 created the four lobes of Lake Orono that sit in the middle of town. The city then grew in every decade after 1950, from about 2,100 residents to 11,100 by 1990, so the 1960s through 80s left a large stock of ramblers and split-levels, most of which have had a furnace replacement or two.
The 1978 merger with Elk River Township brought farmland and acreage inside the city limits, and the 1990s and 2000s filled parts of it with subdivisions as the population doubled again, to about 23,000 by 2010. Those homes have 90%+ furnaces vented in PVC, and the earliest are into their first replacement cycle. The acreage that stayed rural has homes on wells and propane, often with a shop.
Winter in Elk River splits between two kinds of house. In the subdivisions, it's the familiar list: PVC vents drifted shut and original inducers and igniters failing in the first cold snap. On the acreage parts of the old township, it's longer propane routes, detached shops, and homes where a blackout means no furnace and no well pump.
In the 1960s–80s ramblers and split-levels, many condensers are on their second replacement and ducts were never designed for cooling. Homes near the Mississippi and around Lake Orono also deal with more humidity and, in early summer, cottonwood fluff on the coil. Rinse the coil gently, change the filter and keep plantings a couple of feet from the condenser.
Your electric provider decides most of this in Elk River. ERMU customers can get rebates for ENERGY STAR central and ductless heat pumps, larger ones for cold-climate models, central air conditioners, and heat pump and AC tune-ups; its heat pump and central AC rebates require a certified, registered quality-installation contractor. Connexus Energy customers have air-source, ductless and ground-source heat pump rebates and an AC rebate. Gas furnace and boiler rebates come from CenterPoint Energy, which lets you use the dealer of your choice.
Rebate programs change every year; check the utility's current terms before you buy. Our guides: Xcel and CenterPoint rebates, heat pump rebates, what happened to the federal credits.
Central Minnesota Heating and Cooling, owned by Eric Brown and in business since 2009, serves Elk River and nearby towns in Sherburne County, about 27 miles from downtown Minneapolis. We're open 7 days, 7am–9pm, and no-heat calls get priority. Call 612-429-3465.
An HVAC service call in Elk River is a flat $79 trip charge, waived when you approve the repair. You get a written price before any work. Installed prices are on our pricing page.
Yes. ERMU lists residential rebates for heat pumps and for other HVAC equipment, with its own qualifying rules and paperwork. Connexus Energy serves other parts of the city with different programs, and gas-side furnace rebates come from CenterPoint Energy. Check which electric utility is on your bill, then read that program's rules, including whether a registered contractor is required.
Yes, the house and the shop are usually separate decisions. For the house, a propane furnace paired with a cold-climate heat pump cuts LP use in fall and spring and gives you central air. For a pole shed or shop, a vented propane unit heater or a ductless head works, depending on insulation and how warm you keep it. We size both from the buildings themselves, not from what was there before.
Connexus runs a reduced-rate heat pump program that lets it switch the heat pump off during peak demand. When it does, your gas or propane furnace carries the house, so it has to start reliably and the controls have to hand off without anyone touching the thermostat. The changeover is worth testing at install and at the fall tune-up. Check Connexus's current terms before you sign up.
A yearly tune-up is worth it, and ERMU offers a rebate for a professional heat pump tune-up, so part of the cost comes back. A heat pump runs in both seasons, so it works more hours a year than an air conditioner. We check refrigerant charge, the defrost controls, the outdoor coil and the backup heat. A tune-up with us starts at $129.
Replacing the furnace and AC together in Minnesota costs $9,700–$19,300 installed with us. Matched coils, AHRI ratings, and when to split the job instead.
Read the guideCentral AC brands for Minnesota's short, humid summers: SEER2 payback, humidity control, coil matching, the R-454B and R-32 switch, and installed cost.
Read the guideMinnesota's code requires duct detectors only above 2,000 cfm, so most homes don't need one. See how fan shutdown works and why room alarms come first.
Read the guideBrands we service in Elk River: Carrier · Trane · Lennox · Goodman · Rheem · Mitsubishi Electric · Daikin · American Standard · Navien · Weil-McLain · and every other major brand
Heat out in Elk River? Call or send a request.