Furnace Repair Philadelphia: $175 to $950 + $69 Permit

Philadelphia rows are local; rows marked national are national figures.

Do this now: furnace out in Philadelphia

1. Gas smell or a CO alarm: get out, then call 911 or PGW from outside (CPSC).
2. Set the thermostat to heat and above room temperature, and set the fan to AUTO, Carrier says. Check the furnace switch and breaker.
3. Swap a dirty filter. Carrier says 1-inch filters should be changed every 1 to 3 months.
4. Below freezing with no heat: open sink cabinets and drip cold water from faucets on outside walls (Red Cross). See frozen pipes if water stops.
5. Income-eligible? Call the city's Heater Hotline at (215) 568-7190 for a free emergency repair.
6. Never heat with the oven, the CDC says.

Is it urgent? Philadelphia's freeze nights

No heat is urgent in Philadelphia whenever it freezes, and the airport averages 77.3 nights a year at or below 32 F, NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show. Call now for no heat in a freeze, a gas smell, a CO alarm, or a furnace that keeps tripping its breaker. HomeGuide puts emergency rates at $140 to $210 an hour nationally, so a furnace that is still heating can wait for a weekday. If the alarm is sounding, read carbon monoxide alarm going off; for vents blowing cool air, furnace blowing cold air lists the usual causes.

Philadelphia furnace permit: $69 and a $100 filing fee

Replacing a furnace in a one- or two-family Philadelphia home takes a mechanical permit, issued as an EZ permit with no plans. The 2026 fee schedule lists $69 for a warm air heating appliance in a 1 or 2 family home ($76 otherwise). The city also collects a $100 nonrefundable filing fee with the application and applies it to the final permit fee. The city says mechanical work must be done by a licensed contractor and sheet metal work by a registered sheet metal technician or apprentice. Ask the company whether your job needs one and to put the answer in writing.

Pennsylvania does not license the trades on the city's license list. Contractors who work on existing one- and two-family homes register as Home Improvement Contractors with the Attorney General (1-888-520-6680), and the city's L&I license lookup covers the trades the city licenses. Questions about permits go to 311.

PGW rebates: furnace and thermostat

If the repair quote is close to the price of a new furnace, PGW's EnergySense program lists rebates of up to $500 on a furnace and a $70 instant rebate on a smart thermostat bought through the PGW Marketplace. HomeAdvisor says to start shopping when a repair costs more than half the price of a new furnace and puts furnace life at 15 to 30 years. Philadelphia's median home was built in 1949, the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey shows. National prices are on furnace replacement cost, and how long a furnace lasts covers the age question.

Free furnace repair in Philadelphia

• Heater Hotline: free emergency heater repairs for income-eligible residents through the Energy Coordinating Agency, (215) 568-7190, with city support (DHCD (215) 686-9749).
• Basic Systems Repair Program: free heating, plumbing, electrical, structural and roof repairs in eligible owner-occupied homes, (215) 448-2160.

Local heating rules, programs and climate for Philadelphia, from official city, county, state, utility, Census and NOAA pages.

Questions to ask a Philadelphia furnace company

1. What is your PA home improvement contractor registration number?
2. If the furnace is replaced, will you pull the city mechanical permit, and are the permit and filing fees in the price?
3. What is the diagnostic fee? ConsumerAffairs lists $80 to $165 locally.
4. Is the ignitor or flame sensor price ($110 to $320 locally) parts and labor?
5. Can I see proof of insurance and a written price before work starts?

More Philadelphia heating guides

Radiator homes: boiler repair in Philadelphia. All heating and cooling: HVAC repair in Philadelphia. Frozen lines: plumber in Philadelphia. Compare furnace repair in Columbus and furnace repair in St. Louis, or start at furnace repair. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).