How much does a 96% AFUE furnace replacement cost in Tri-Cities, WA?
| Typical totalinstalled, 96 afue | $6,522 |
|---|---|
| Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this | $4,891 – $9,239 |
| Labor portion40% of the job — this is the part that moves by city | $2,609 |
| Material portion60% — bought at national prices | $3,913 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay near Tri-CitiesBLS does not publish a metro figure for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers near Tri-Cities, WA, so this is the Washington state average, SOC 49-9021 | $78,860/yr |
| U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 49-9021 | $64,780/yr |
| Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs +21.7% against the U.S. mean | +$522 |
| Design temperatures98°F summer and 7°F winter at Pendleton Municipal Airport — the two numbers a Manual J starts from, and the reason equipment sized for one city is wrong in another | — |
Notes
- Where the number comes from. The national price for a 96% AFUE furnace replacement is $6,000 installed — gas furnace replacement pricing published for 2026. Labor is about 40% of that. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers near Tri-Cities, WA average $78,860 a year against a U.S. mean of $64,780 — a factor of 1.217 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS does not publish a metro figure for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers near Tri-Cities, WA, so this is the Washington state average, SOC 49-9021.
- This one falls back to a wider average. BLS did not publish a metro-level wage for this trade near Tri-Cities, WA, so the figure above is a state average. It is still the right order of magnitude, but a local bid carries more weight here than it would in a large metro where the survey has more responses.
- Design temperatures. 98°F summer and 7°F winter at Pendleton Municipal Airport — the two numbers a Manual J starts from, and the reason equipment sized for one city is wrong in another.
- What is in the price: the furnace, removal and disposal of the old one, a new flue or vent kit, gas and electrical connections, a thermostat, permit and labor.
- What is not: ductwork changes, a chimney liner where an 80% unit is orphaned by a water heater, and any return-air work the new blower needs. These are the lines that turn a $6,522 quote into a $8,152 invoice, so ask about each one before signing.
- Use this as a bid check, not a quote. It prices an average job in average condition. Difficult access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a national average for the job.
a 96% AFUE furnace replacement in Tri-Cities, WA
$6,522 is the typical number, and three bids on the same scope normally land between $4,891 and $9,239.
That is $522 more than the same job priced at the national average.
Why the city changes the number
About 40% of this job is labor — $2,609 of the $6,522 above. Labor is the only part that moves locally; a bundle of material costs what it costs wherever it is nailed down.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers near Tri-Cities average $78,860 a year, against a U.S. mean of $64,780. That is a factor of 1.217, so the labor half is scaled by it and the material half is not.
Source: BLS does not publish a metro figure for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers near Tri-Cities, WA, so this is the Washington state average, SOC 49-9021.
What the quote should include
Design temperatures
The lines that turn a quote into an invoice
Ask about each of them before you sign. On a job this size they are the difference between $6,522 and something a quarter higher.
Use it as a bid check, not a quote
This prices an average job in average condition. Access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a national average.
If a bid lands outside $4,891 – $9,239, that is not automatically wrong — but it is the question worth asking out loud.
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