Furnace Repair Cost: $133 to $505 + Check These First (2026)

Installed price, parts and labor. HomeAdvisor's 2026 average for a furnace repair is $318; HomeGuide's national average is $300.

Do this now: no heat from the furnace

1. Smell gas? Leave now. Do not touch light switches, the thermostat or appliance controls. From outside, call 911 and the gas utility (Southwest Gas).
2. CO alarm sounding? Do not look for the source. Get everyone outside, call 911, and stay out until responders say it is safe (CPSC).
3. Thermostat, filter, breaker. Set the thermostat to HEAT with the fan on AUTO, replace a clogged filter, and check the breaker; do not keep resetting one that trips again (Carrier, Bryant). If air is coming out cold, see furnace blowing cold air.
4. Protect the pipes while you wait. Open kitchen and bathroom sink cabinet doors and let cold water drip from faucets on exposed pipes (American Red Cross). Keep space heaters at least 3 feet from drapes, furniture and bedding, and never heat the house with the stove, a grill or a generator (CDC).

How much does furnace repair cost

Furnace repair costs $318 on average in HomeAdvisor's 2026 data, with a normal range of $133 to $505 and extremes of $64 to $1,475. HomeGuide puts the average repair at $125 to $480, with a $300 national average. HomeAdvisor says labor runs $50 to $150 an hour plus parts, and the trip fee is usually at least one hour of labor. HomeGuide puts labor at $75 to $150 an hour, and $140 to $210 for emergency or after-hours work.

Furnace troubleshooting before you call

Six checks clear a lot of no-heat calls, and none of them involve opening the gas side of the furnace. Stop at the first sign of a gas smell.

1. Thermostat. Set it to HEAT, set the temperature above room temperature, and set the fan to AUTO. Carrier says a fan left on ON keeps blowing air between heating cycles, which feels cold. Replace the batteries if the screen is blank.
2. Filter. A clogged filter can trip the high-limit switch, which shuts off the burners while the blower keeps running (Bryant). Carrier says to replace 1-inch filters every 1 to 3 months.
3. Breaker and power switch. Check the breaker and the furnace power switch, which often looks like a light switch near the unit. Bryant says not to keep resetting a breaker that trips again; call instead.
4. Gas supply. Check that other gas appliances work. If none do, call the gas utility (Carrier). For oil or propane, check the tank level.
5. Pilot or igniter. On older furnaces with a standing pilot, Carrier says relighting it by the manufacturer's instructions is a homeowner task, but a pilot that will not stay lit needs a pro. Never relight a pilot if you smell gas. Newer furnaces use an electronic igniter; leave that to the technician.
6. Flame sensor and error codes. A dirty flame sensor makes the burners light and then shut off. Carrier recommends professional service for it, and says to open the cabinet only if your owner's manual allows it. Note the pattern of any blinking LED code and report it on the call.

Do not take apart gas valves, burners or the control board. Carrier says DIY work on gas components is a safety hazard, and if you see soot around the furnace, turn it off and call. CPSC says never to service fuel-burning appliances without the knowledge, skill and tools.

Furnace blowing cold air: common causes

A furnace blowing cold air often has a thermostat fan set to ON, a dirty filter that tripped the limit switch, or a burner that will not stay lit, according to Carrier and Bryant. Carrier notes that a 30 to 60 second delay before warm air comes out after ignition is normal. Other causes on Carrier's list: closed supply vents or blocked returns, leaking ducts, a pilot that went out, and a gas or oil supply problem. If the filter is new, the vents are open and the thermostat is right, the flame sensor, limit switch or gas valve needs a technician.

Furnace not turning on

Bryant lists power problems, a dirty flame sensor, low gas supply and a tripped safety switch as reasons a furnace will not turn on. Check the breaker, the furnace power switch and the thermostat batteries first. A dirty flame sensor, low gas supply or a tripped safety switch needs a technician (Bryant). HomeGuide adds that a failed fan relay switch can make a furnace impossible to turn on, a $100 to $300 repair.

Furnace short cycling

Short cycling means the furnace turns on and off every few minutes without reaching the set temperature (Bryant). HomeGuide lists the causes as clogged filters, blocked vents or grates, a damaged fan-limit switch, a failing igniter or flame sensor, a dirty blower wheel, and a furnace that is too big for the house, and puts the repair at $100 to $400. Change the filter and open the vents; if it keeps cycling, call. An oversized furnace cannot be fixed with a part, which is a reason to ask for a load calculation when you replace the furnace.

Repair or replace a furnace

If the repair quote is more than half the price of a new furnace, HomeAdvisor says to start shopping, and it says replacement becomes more worth considering around 10 years of age. HomeGuide says replacement is usually best for furnaces that need frequent repairs or are more than 20 years old. Both repair guides put furnace life at 15 to 30 years. A cracked heat exchanger is the classic tipping point. HomeGuide says most technicians replace one rather than repair it because of the carbon monoxide risk. The repair runs $1,000 to $3,000, and HomeGuide's repair guide puts a new furnace at $3,500 to $7,500 or more. Compare against furnace replacement cost and heat pump installation cost before you approve a big repair.

Emergency furnace repair

Emergency furnace repair costs more: HomeGuide puts after-hours labor at $140 to $210 an hour, and HomeAdvisor says to budget extra for weekends, holidays and nights. Companies that take emergency calls set their own hours. If you have no heat in freezing weather, see emergency HVAC repair and burst pipe repair in case pipes freeze. If a CO alarm went off, CPSC says do not search for the source: get outside, call 911, and stay out until responders say it is safe.

Furnace repair near me: what to ask

• What is the service call fee and is it credited to the repair?
• What failed, and can I see it? Ask for the part name and the price of the part and labor separately.
• Is it under warranty? Many furnace parts carry a manufacturer's warranty; ask before paying for the part.
• Is the heat exchanger cracked? If someone says yes, ask to see it or get a second opinion before replacing the furnace.
• License: ask for the state or local HVAC license number; the HVAC license table lists who issues it in six states.

A furnace that vents through an old chimney may need chimney repair too. Furnace repair is one line in home repair costs. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job. How calls work.

Furnace blower motor, control board, flame sensor and inducer motor replacement cost

A furnace blower motor replacement costs $150 to $2,000 in HomeAdvisor's June 2026 data and $300 to $900 in HomeGuide's HVAC guide, and a control board $200 to $600 (HomeAdvisor) or $300 to $650 (HomeGuide); the four parts people search for most are below with what each failure looks like.

Installed, parts and labor. Symptoms from Carrier, Trane, Lennox and ConsumerAffairs owner pages; ConsumerAffairs links grinding to the blower motor and Lennox says a failing control board can run the blower without firing the burner.

A flame sensor is the cheapest of the four and the most common: it is cleaned before it is replaced. The inducer motor and blower motor are where HomeAdvisor's rule applies on an old furnace: if the repair is more than half the price of a new one ($2,823 to $6,897), start shopping. What the furnace's blinking light is telling you is on furnace error codes, and a furnace that starts and stops on furnace short cycling.