How much does a new furnace cost in Saint Paul?
In a lot of Saint Paul houses, the brick chimney shapes the furnace price. Plan on roughly $4,500–$6,000 installed when the furnace is 80% AFUE, running on Xcel Energy gas, and roughly $6,500–$9,500 if it's a 96–98% condensing model. An 80% furnace can reuse the flue only if the tile and mortar are sound; a chimney shedding debris at its base usually has to be lined before either appliance vents there again. A condensing furnace leaves the chimney entirely but strands the water heater, which then needs its own venting fix.
Other items show up on city quotes. A vent connector run tight to low joists may have to be rebuilt to meet clearances. A Victorian divided into flats can hold several furnaces in one basement, each quoted as its own job. The simpler end of each band is a Highland Park or East Side rambler with an open basement and a short path to an outside wall. DSI's mechanical permit and inspection are in the price.
Related: Furnace replacement in Saint Paul · Furnace repair in Saint Paul · Our furnace replacement cost guide
How much does a new central AC cost in Saint Paul?
Our $5,200–$9,800 central AC range applies to Saint Paul houses with forced air, which usually means a gravity system converted decades ago; radiator houses are priced as ductless instead. Those big old supply ducts rarely add cost. The equipment and where it goes do. The new coil, matched to the condenser, also has to suit the furnace's cabinet width and the headroom in a low basement. Many add-on systems here date from the R-22 years, and replacing one means a new condenser and coil together, plus a call on whether the old line set is the right size to clean and keep. A condenser moved out of a gap beside the alley garage to open ground needs a longer line set, which adds cost. The existing circuit often carries over on a like-for-like swap, while bigger equipment can need a new breaker. In a ducted Saint Paul house, get a heat pump quoted alongside the AC.
Related: AC replacement in Saint Paul · AC repair in Saint Paul · Our AC replacement cost guide
How much do heat pumps and mini-splits cost in Saint Paul?
In much of Saint Paul, a heat pump means ductless, because radiator houses have no ducts to carry the air. Ductless runs $4,200–$12,500 installed with us: one head for a hot third-floor room sits near the bottom, and a head in each bedroom of a large Victorian near Summit Avenue pushes toward the top. The boiler stays to carry the coldest weeks.
Houses with forced air can take a ducted heat pump at $7,500–$14,500 installed, usually as dual fuel beside the gas furnace. Swapping it in for the AC on a healthy furnace keeps it near the low end; a cold-climate unit meant to carry more of January, or a panel too full for another breaker, raises it. Xcel Energy's Heat Pump Rebates cover both ducted and ductless systems; ask whether the one you're after needs a registered contractor.
Related: Heat pumps in Saint Paul · Ductless mini-splits in Saint Paul · Our heat pump cost guide
How much do HVAC repairs cost in Saint Paul?
In Saint Paul, as everywhere we work, the repair price is written and flat-rate before we start, and the $79 trip charge is waived once you approve the repair. National cost guides give a sense of scale for the failures we see here; they are not our prices. HomeGuide's typical national range for a limit switch is $100–$375, though a switch that keeps tripping in a converted-gravity house usually points to a starved return, not a bad part. A clogged condensate drain line, under a basement coil or behind a ductless head, costs $75–$250 to clear in HomeGuide's national figures. National cost guides such as HomeGuide put an R-22 recharge at $180–$600, and the leak should be found before refrigerant goes in. A cracked heat exchanger, $1,000–$3,000 per HomeGuide's national range, can tip an old furnace toward replacement.
Related: Furnace repair in Saint Paul · AC repair in Saint Paul · AC capacitor cost · Our furnace repair cost guide
Which rebates lower the price in Saint Paul?
Utility rebates in Saint Paul all come from Xcel Energy, the city's gas and electric utility. Xcel's Heating Equipment Rebates list gas boilers alongside high-efficiency furnaces, though a condensing hot-water boiler is the likelier fit and a steam boiler may fall short of the efficiency bar, so confirm before counting it in your net cost. On the electric side, Xcel offers Heat Pump Rebates and Residential Cooling Rebates; some require an Xcel-registered contractor. On the federal side, the 25C tax credit ended and doesn't cover anything placed in service after December 31, 2025. Minnesota's HEAR and HOMES programs are still waiting to launch. Xcel revises its offers yearly, so read the current terms before you sign.
Related: What happened to the federal credits · Minnesota heat pump rebates · Our Xcel and CenterPoint rebate guide
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- Xcel Energy
- Electric
- Xcel Energy
Saint Paul cost questions
Does a furnace cost more in a Summit Hill Victorian than in a Highland Park rambler?
Not because of the neighborhood. Our installed range is $4,500–$9,500 for a furnace anywhere in Saint Paul, and there's no neighborhood pricing. The job itself can differ. A rambler with an open basement and a short vent route is usually the simpler install. A big Victorian may need chimney relining, a longer vent run, or separate furnaces for divided units, and each of those shows up in the written quote.
What does a new boiler cost for a Saint Paul radiator house?
We price boilers after a visit rather than from a published range, since steam or hot water, the amount of radiation and the venting make each job different. HomeGuide's typical national ranges run $4,000–$9,000 for a gas boiler replacement and $4,000–$10,000 for a high-efficiency one; those aren't our prices. Only a hot-water system can move to a condensing boiler, and steam has to stay steam, which changes both the venting and the rebate picture.
Is it cheaper to replace the furnace and AC together in a Saint Paul house?
Often, because the coil, plenum and transition get built once instead of twice, though we don't publish a bundle discount. Each piece is quoted within its own range: $4,500–$9,500 for the furnace and $5,200–$9,800 for the AC. In a low Saint Paul basement, fitting a new furnace under an old coil and then replacing that coil a few years later means building the same connection twice.
Why do two furnace quotes for the same Saint Paul house differ so much?
Usually because they price different jobs. Check whether each one includes the DSI mechanical permit, a venting fix for the water heater left in the chimney, the condensate drain, and a furnace sized by Manual J rather than copied from the old nameplate. In a converted-gravity house, ask whether anyone measured the return side. A bid that leaves those out looks cheaper until install day. Ours lists them in writing.
Updated September 25, 2026