What a furnace quote should include, line by line

Whether it comes from a FurnaceQuotes.ca request or from a company you found yourself, a furnace quote is a scope of work with a price attached, and the price only means something if the scope is complete. So the first job is not to look at the total. It is to check that every part of the install is written down. Below: an annotated sample, a printable checklist, and a short section on each line covering what it should say and what it usually costs.

A sample furnace quote, annotated

A complete quote for a two-stage furnace in a 1,900 sq ft Kitchener home could look like this. The numbered notes explain each line.

Sample Heating Co.

TSSA registration no. listed here

Estimate 1042

Valid 30 days

Prepared for: sample homeowner, Kitchener ON

1. 1Two-stage gas furnace, 96% AFUE, 60,000 BTU input, ECM blower. Brand and model number listed$5,890
2. 2Heat loss calculation (CSA F280), 1,900 sq ftIncluded
3. 3New PVC intake and exhaust venting, sidewall termination$480
4. 4Condensate line to floor drainIncluded
5. 5Supply and return plenum transitions, sealed$560
6. 6Programmable thermostat, installed and set up$240
7. 7Permits where required, gas line pressure test$150
8. 8Remove and dispose of old furnaceIncluded

Subtotal

$7,320.00

HST 13%

$951.60

Total

$8,271.60

9Warranty: 10 years parts with registration, 2 years labour. Deposit 10%, balance on completion. Install within 2 weeks of signing.

1. 1

   The exact equipment

   Brand, model number, efficiency (AFUE), input BTU, stages and blower type. Without a model number you cannot compare quotes like for like.

2. 2

   How it was sized

   A room-by-room heat loss calculation (CSA F280), not "same size as the old one". Oversized furnaces short-cycle and wear faster.

3. 3

   Venting

   High-efficiency furnaces need their own PVC venting. The quote should say the material, the route and where it exits the house.

4. 4

   Condensate

   Where the water from the furnace goes. If there is no floor drain nearby, a condensate pump should be listed.

5. 5

   Duct connections

   New furnaces rarely line up with old ducts. Transitions and sealing belong on the quote, not on a later invoice.

6. 6

   Thermostat

   A named model, or a clear note that your existing thermostat will be reused.

7. 7

   Permits and gas work

   Who arranges any permit, and that gas work is done by a TSSA-registered contractor. Ask for the registration number.

8. 8

   Removal

   Haul-away of the old unit is often included. If it is not, it should be a line item.

9. 9

   Warranty, deposit and timing

   Parts and labour years (they differ), any registration needed, the deposit, the payment schedule, the install date and how long the price holds.

The furnace quote checklist

Use this list on every quote, and ask for any missing line in writing before you compare prices. Print it to tick off up to three quotes, or use the quote comparison worksheet.

The exact equipment and model number

The quote should name the brand and full model number, plus the efficiency, input capacity, stages and blower type. "High-efficiency 96% furnace" is a description, not a specification. The model number lets you read the spec sheet, compare quotes like for like and confirm the unit installed is the one you paid for.

Stages and blower type move the price most. Typical installed ranges in Ontario:

If a new air conditioner is included, the outdoor unit and indoor coil should be listed by model number too, with the AHRI reference number that shows they are a certified match.

How the furnace was sized

A good quote says how the size was chosen, and the right answer is a heat loss calculation. In Canada that is CSA F280: a room-by-room method that accounts for walls, windows, insulation, air leakage and the local design temperature. The quote, or a sheet attached to it, should show the calculated heat loss in BTU/h and the furnace output picked to match.

"Same size as the old one" is not a sizing method. Many older furnaces were oversized from the start, and most homes have since gained better windows and insulation. An oversized furnace runs in short bursts, swings the temperature and wears faster. A rule of thumb shows why guessing fails: at 25 to 45 BTU/h per sq ft, a 1,900 sq ft home could need 47,500 to 85,500 BTU/h, a spread covering several furnace sizes. Our load calculation guide explains what gets measured.

Venting and the chimney

The quote should state the vent material, the route and where the pipes leave the house. High-efficiency furnaces vent through plastic pipe (PVC or another manufacturer-approved material), usually out a side wall. The gas code (CSA B149.1) and the manufacturer set clearances from windows, doors, the gas meter and the snow line, so the route can be longer than you expect. "Venting as required" leaves all of that open.

The line people miss most is the chimney. If the old furnace shared a chimney with a gas water heater, the water heater is left alone in a flue sized for two and may not vent properly. The usual fix is a chimney liner. The quote should include one, or state that the venting was checked and nothing is needed. Budget $300 to $1,500 more when new venting or a liner is needed.

Where the condensate goes

A high-efficiency furnace makes water whenever it runs, and the quote should say where it goes. The simple case is a short line to a floor drain. If the drain is far away or higher than the furnace, you need a condensate pump, typically $150 to $350. Check that any line near an outside wall is protected from freezing. Some installers add a neutraliser for the slightly acidic water.

Duct connections and return air

A new furnace rarely lines up with the old ducts, so the quote should include sealed supply and return transitions. That sheet-metal work is part of a normal install and belongs in the price, not on a later invoice.

Return air is worth asking about. Many older homes have too few or too small returns, which makes a new blower loud and less efficient. A careful estimator checks the ducts and may measure static pressure. Changes such as a new return or a media filter cabinet should be separate priced lines, typically $500 to $3,000+.

The thermostat

The quote should name the thermostat or say your existing one will be reused. Either is fine; the problem is silence, which leaves you assuming a new one. Match matters: a two-stage furnace works best with a two-stage thermostat, modulating furnaces often need the manufacturer's own control to use their full range, and many smart thermostats need a common wire. A new thermostat typically adds $150 to $600.

Permits and gas work

A complete quote says whether a permit is needed, who gets it and what it costs, and it covers the gas work: the connection, a shut-off valve where required, and a pressure or leak test. Permit rules vary by municipality. Where one applies, it typically costs $75 to $300. Gas line changes beyond the connection run $300 to $1,200.

The company's TSSA registration number should be on the quote; you can confirm it in TSSA's public fuels contractor registry. Ask for the startup readings too (gas pressure, temperature rise, combustion results), which show the furnace was set up to the manufacturer's specification.

Removal and disposal

Hauling away the old furnace is often included, and the quote should say so. If an old air conditioner or coil comes out as well, its refrigerant has to be recovered by a qualified technician first. If either is extra, it should be a priced line.

Warranty: parts, labour and registration

The quote should list three warranties separately, because they come from different places and are often confused:

• Parts come from the manufacturer. Ten years is common, often only if the furnace is registered within a set window after installation, commonly 60 to 90 days.
• The heat exchanger often has longer coverage, sometimes 20 years or lifetime.
• Labour comes from the installer and varies from one year to ten. A parts warranty does not pay for the technician's time.

Ask who registers the furnace and to send you the confirmation. Keep the invoice and maintenance receipts, since some warranties ask for proof of regular maintenance.

The price breakdown and HST

The quote should show a subtotal, the 13% HST and the total, and make clear which numbers include tax. A single package price is fine as long as every part of the scope is written down. Our ranges are before HST. When one quote includes HST and another does not, divide the tax-included price by 1.13 before comparing. It can flip which one is cheaper:

Quote B's headline is $830 higher, yet it costs $107.61 less before tax. Once both are on the same basis, check them against typical ranges with the quote checker.

Deposit, payments, validity and install date

Before you sign, the quote should state the deposit, when the balance is due, how long the price holds and when the work happens. Those four lines protect you more than any discount.

• Deposit. A modest deposit to order equipment is normal (the sample asks 10%). Paying most of the price up front puts the risk on you.
• Payment schedule. The balance should be due once the furnace is installed and working.
• Validity. How long the price holds, for example 30 days. A price that expires today is a pressure tactic.
• Install date. A target date and how long you will be without heat. Most straight replacements take about a day.

If you sign in your own home, Ontario gives you a 10-day cooling-off period from the day you receive a written copy (see the province's rules for contracts signed at home). If you finance, the agreement should show the interest rate and total cost of borrowing; see financing versus renting.

What is not included

A good quote lists its exclusions, because those turn into change orders on install day. The usual ones:

• Electrical work beyond reconnecting the furnace, such as a new circuit.
• Drywall, painting and finishing where a finished basement has to be opened up.
• Ductwork beyond the transitions: new runs, extra returns or zoning.
• The air conditioner coil. If you keep your AC, the old coil may not fit the new cabinet. Ask how it will be handled.
• Hidden conditions such as suspected asbestos on old duct wrap, which needs a specialist.

Typical extras and what they cost

Many homes need none of these. When one appears on a quote, this is the usual Ontario range:

Before you sign

Once a quote passes the checklist, scan it for furnace quote red flags, run the price through the quote checker, and bring our questions to ask before signing to the estimate. For a second quote on the same scope, request a furnace replacement quote. More guides are in the Quote Guide.