HVAC Repair Boston: $180 to $750 + Mass Save Rebates (2026)

Boston rows are ConsumerAffairs' May 2026 figures; the last row is national. ConsumerAffairs says dispatch fees of $75 to $150 run higher in peak summer and winter months.

Do this now: no heat in a Boston home

1. Smell gas or hear a carbon monoxide alarm? Get everyone outside, then call 911 or the gas utility. CPSC says not to go back in until responders say it is safe.
2. Check the thermostat, the furnace or boiler power switch and the breaker.
3. Check the air filter on a furnace, and the fuel gauge if you heat with oil.
4. Protect the pipes: BWSC says to let a slow trickle run from faucets on pipes in unheated spaces, and never thaw a pipe with an open flame.
5. On ABCD fuel assistance and out of heat? ABCD's emergency heat line for current clients is 617.348.6442.

Is it an emergency? Boston's 91.6 freezing days

Losing heat in Boston is an emergency for much of the year: Logan Airport averages 91.6 days a year with a low 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 water leaking from a boiler. A system that heats but is noisy can wait for a weekday; ConsumerAffairs says dispatch fees run higher in peak summer and winter months. After-hours prices are on emergency HVAC repair.

Furnace repair in Boston: $133 to $505, and where to get help

Furnace repair costs $133 to $505 for most homeowners in HomeAdvisor's 2026 national data, with a $318 average, and ConsumerAffairs puts a furnace ignitor or flame sensor in Boston at $125 to $355. HomeGuide's national range for typical repairs is $125 to $480. Boston has several programs that pay for heating repairs:

• ABCD HEARTWAP. No-cost repairs, tune-ups or a new furnace or boiler for Fuel Assistance clients, with emergency repairs for households without heat. Boston: 617.348.6422.
• ABCD Fuel Assistance. For households at or below 60% of state median income ($53,585 for one person, $103,049 for four in FY2027); season November 1 to April 30. 617.357.6012.
• Seniors Save (City of Boston). Grants up to $12,000 plus 0% deferred loans to repair or replace an aging heating system, for owners 60 and older at or below 80% of area median. Boston Home Center: 617-635-4663.

Replacing a gas or oil furnace no longer earns a Mass Save rebate: Mass Save says rebates and financing for natural gas, oil and propane equipment are no longer available, except for income-eligible customers. A boiler replacement needs a Boston Plumbing Permit pulled by a Massachusetts-licensed contractor. National parts prices are on furnace repair and boiler repair.

AC repair in Boston: $180 to $750 and the parts that fail

AC repair in Boston falls in ConsumerAffairs' May 2026 range of $180 to $750 for HVAC repairs, with a capacitor at $235 to $475, a contactor at $240 to $525, a condenser fan motor at $315 to $850 and a refrigerant leak repair and recharge at $425 to $1,250. Nationally, HomeAdvisor's 2026 AC repair average is $417. Boston's cooling season is short: Logan averages 14.1 days a year at or above 90 F, NOAA's normals show, so an AC that fails in a heat wave is urgent mainly for older adults, babies and anyone sick at home.

If the AC is near the end of its life, a heat pump replaces both the AC and part or all of the heating, and Mass Save pays for it: $2,650 per ton up to $8,500 for a whole-home system, $1,125 per ton up to $8,500 for a partial-home system, or $250 per ton up to $2,500 for basic, with income-based offers up to $16,000 or no cost, for equipment installed in 2026. Prices are in AC repair and heat pump installation cost.

Help paying for heating and cooling in Boston

Beyond HEARTWAP and Seniors Save, the City's Home Repair and Improvement Loan offers deferred, interest-free loans up to $50,000 with HVAC and heat pumps eligible, for incomes at or below 135% of area median; one-third is forgiven after 10 years. Mass Save pays up to $100 per smart thermostat, up to three. If heat pump work needs new wiring, see electrician in Boston.

Local rules, programs, contacts and climate for Boston, from the official, utility, Census and NOAA pages listed under Sources.

Questions to ask a Boston HVAC company

1. What is your diagnostic fee? ConsumerAffairs lists $95 to $195 in Boston.
2. Do you work on steam and hot water boilers as well as furnaces and heat pumps?
3. If the system is near the end of its life, what would a heat pump cost after the Mass Save rebate?
4. Who pulls the permit if equipment is replaced?
5. Can I see proof of insurance and a written price before work starts?

Pipes and water heaters are on plumber in Boston. Compare HVAC repair in Washington, DC and HVAC repair in New York City. National prices are in the HVAC repair guide and home repair costs; how calls work explains the line.