Carrier Furnace Prices

Are you thinking about buying a Carrier furnace and want to know what kind of budget you’d need? This guide will cover everything about Carrier furnace prices, including the cost of different models by tier, and what you’ll have to budget for installation, materials, and labour.

We’ll also include calculators and price charts, talk about what Carrier thermostats and other HVAC add-ons cost, and break down how Carrier compares to other brands when it comes to furnace prices.

Carrier is one of the most trusted and well-known HVAC brands around, so it’s no surprise that you’re considering one of their furnaces. This pricing guide will break down the cost of Carrier furnaces to give you a good idea about whether it’s within your budget to upgrade an older heating system with a new Carrier furnace.

Read our full Carrier Furnace Review here >>

Carrier Furnace Typical Price Range

Carrier Furnace Unit Prices and Model Tiers

Carrier’s Entry-Level Comfort Series Cost: $3,500 – $5,000

The entry-level furnaces from Carrier are ideal for Canadian homes that are smaller or located in milder climates because they only have single-stage burners. However, they do have slightly superior multi-speed blower motors compared to single-speed ones, and they’re equipped with secondary heat exchangers that make them more efficient while also reducing fuel waste and heat loss.

The furnaces in this tier have AFUE ratings between 92.1 and 96.5 percent, with the more efficient models having ENERGY STAR® certification. The less efficient models are more affordable if budget is a concern, but you could likely get a more efficient entry-level furnace from a competitor brand for less.

Comfort series furnaces don’t have any of Carrier’s premium technologies, but they do have a few features that make them a little more advanced than basic heating systems. For example, they’re equipped with Carrier’s PowerHeat hot surface ignition, an electronic ignition system that’s more reliable and less wasteful than traditional pilot lights.

Models:

• Carrier Comfort Series 92 Review
• Carrier Comfort Series 95 Review

Carrier’s Mid-Range Performance Series: $4,500 to $5,750

Performance furnaces are Carrier’s mid-range models, and they can be ideal for homeowners with smaller homes or warmer climates and people in larger homes in colder climates, depending on what model you opt for.

The mid-range models from Carrier are single- and two-stage furnaces with variable-speed ECM blower motors. Despite the difference in burner style, they still have the same 96.5 percent AFUE, and both have ENERGY STAR certification.

These models are efficient enough to save you on monthly heating bills, and there’s a potential they could be eligible for rebates, especially the two-stage model.

There are some technological compatibilities here, including a dual fuel option and a summer humidity management system, but these both require additional equipment.

Models:

• Carrier Performance Series 90 Review
• Carrier Performance Series Boost 90 Review
• Carrier Performance Series 96 Review

Carrier’s Premium Infinity Series: $6,000 to $7,750

Infinity series furnaces are really only ideal for homeowners with a large budget for a furnace upgrade. Carrier’s premium furnaces are some of the most expensive on the market, even though they don’t come with a longer warranty than other brands.

Carrier’s Infinity furnaces are two-stage and modulating furnaces with variable-speed ECM blower motors. They have efficiency ratings between 96.7 and 98.5 percent, and the top-of-the-line unit is one of the most efficient around. If you’re looking for a brand-name furnace that will keep a house of any size warm throughout many winters, then Carrier’s Infinity systems could be a good fit.

These furnaces are ENERGY STAR certified, have secondary heat exchangers, and have all Carrier’s premium features and technological compatibilities. Just be aware that several of the special features that Carrier advertises actually require additional purchases, such as smart thermostats or heat pumps.

Models:

• Carrier Infinity Series 96 Review
• Carrier Infinity Series Greenspeed 98 Review

Carrier Furnace Unit Prices

Why is there a range in unit costs for a given model? The cost of the unit may vary based on a variety of factors like the volume of units a contractor purchases, the region, and availability and supply chain constraints, among other things.

Carrier Furnace Cost Calculator

Carrier Furnace Installation Costs

It can cost anywhere from $3,500 to $7,750 to buy and install a Carrier furnace. That’s obviously a fairly large range, so let’s talk about the factors that can impact the price of the unit and the cost of installation:

• Carrier furnaces, for the unit only, can cost anywhere from about $2,000 to $3,500+
• Materials required for installation can cost $250 to $750 or more, depending on the job
• Installation and labour usually run from $600 to $1,000, and sometimes more, especially if the HVAC technician has an apprentice or assistant, or the installation requires more labour than usual

Just remember: sometimes it can make sense to pay more for installation or to go with a higher quote from a contractor.

Why? Because a more expensive contractor could mean more staff and training. How does that help you? It could mean better service, more knowledgeable technicians, quicker response times, and improved customer service.

• There are also plenty of other things that can impact the cost of your furnace and the price of installation, such as:
• The specific make and model of your furnace
• The furnace’s size and heating output
• How much HVAC competition there is where you live
• If you’re in a rural area and the contractor has to travel a distance to get to you
• How easy it is for the contractor to access parts and materials
• Whether there are factors that complicate installation, such as working in a crawl space or tight area
• The contractor’s fixed costs to operate the business

Fixed Costs that Contractors Cover

One of the factors that will affect a contractor’s quote is the fixed costs the company has to pay annually to operate. Every business has fixed costs, but what they are and how much they are will be unique to each company.

Most HVAC companies have some fixed costs in common with other businesses, including:

• Rent
• Taxes
• Staff salaries
• Promotions, advertising, and marketing
• Utilities
• Insurance
• Phones
• Internet
• Professional services (such as bookkeeping and legal)
• Office supplies
• Furniture

Beyond that, HVAC companies also have some unique costs that other businesses might not have to cover, such as buying or renting vehicles, fuel, vehicle insurance, special training, licenses, permits, industry memberships, and more.

These costs will vary for each HVAC company depending on where they are, how large of an operation they have, and even the size of their service area. Some contractors might pay several thousand dollars a year in fixed costs while others could end up paying $100,000 or more.

The higher the contractor’s costs, the higher their quote will be but remember: there are usually advantages to using an HVAC pro that has more staff and more training.

Learn more about The Truth About Furnace (and A/C) Pricing.

Prices for Carrier Furnace Add-ons, Extras, and Thermostats

Carrier manufactures a number of adjunct HVAC products that can be used separately or in conjunction with your furnace and air conditioner.

Many of these products are designed to improve indoor air quality, but Carrier also has devices that remove humidity, add moisture, increase ventilation, and give you control over your HVAC system.

Some of these products are even required to make Carrier’s special technologies work, so let’s look at what they are:

Smart thermostats $250 – $750+: Carrier makes several smart thermostats that are designed to work with different furnace tiers. One of the models is the Infinity System Control, which is for use with their premium Infinity furnaces. This smart thermostat is also required if you want access to the Greenspeed Intelligence feature that Carrier advertises. They also have a zone-capable thermostat for their Infinity models, the Infinity Zoning Panel. Finally, they have the Comfort Series Three-Zone System, a zone-capable smart thermostat for their Comfort furnaces.

Room sensors $150 – $200: The Smart Sensor for Infinity Zoning Systems is a temperature and humidity sensor that can be used in individual rooms to make zoned comfort more precise. Each sensor can be used to control the fan speed and temperature in a specific zone.

Conventional thermostats $100 – $300: On top of making their own smart thermostats, Carrier also has programmable and non-programmable HVAC controls that are compatible with their Performance and Comfort tiers. They have a number of conventional thermostat models, including ones that can sense relative humidity, ones that are specifically for heat pumps, and ones that allow you to program settings that you can activate by pressing a single button.

Air purifiers $500 – $1,000: Air purifiers can be useful to help manage allergies, asthma, dust, pet dander, pollution, and certain viruses and bacteria. Carrier makes Infinity air purifiers that come in whole-home and return air styles. These have a MERV 15, so they can clean the air of 95 percent of particles between 1.0 and 3.0 microns and 99 percent of certain pathogens. The company also has the Comfort cabinet air filter, a MERV 10 filter that’s effective against 63 percent of particles between 1.0 and 3.0 microns.

Humidifiers $750 – $2,000+: Humidifiers add moisture to the air to combat dry skin, sore throats, dry noses, and static, all of which can be problems if your home is too dry. Carrier has quite a few whole-home humidifier systems for spaces ranging from small to large. They have bypass, fan-powered, and steam humidifiers that can add between 17 and 34 gallons of moisture to the air per day, depending on the style.

Dehumidifiers $750 – $2,000+: When the air in your home contains too much moisture, it can lead to mold growth and water damage, not to mention that it will force your air conditioner to work harder in the summer. Carrier’s whole-home dehumidifiers are designed to remove up to 95 pints of moisture per day, thereby preventing mold, water damage, and unnecessary strain on your HVAC system.

UV lamps $500 – $1,000: UV lamps use the power of ultraviolet light to kill germs, and Carrier’s germicidal UV lamps are installed on the indoor coils of your air conditioner to kill bacteria and mold. This not only prevents mold spores and bacteria from spreading around your house, but it can also preserve the longevity of your air conditioner. Carrier’s UV lamps are available in single and double bulb models for different air conditioner sizes.

HRVs and ERVs $1,500 – $4,500+: Heat recovery ventilators and energy recovery ventilators both increase ventilation and airflow throughout your house by regularly exchanging indoor air with fresh outdoor air. HRVs transfer heat from the outgoing air to the incoming air, and ERVs transfer heat and some moisture. This improves ventilation while maintaining the temperature and humidity level in your home without any additional strain on your furnace or air conditioner. Carrier has multiple models of HRVs and ERVs that offer airflow between 128 and 204 cubic feet per minute.

Air scrubbers $2,500 – $4,500+: Air scrubbers are a type of indoor air quality device. These are electronic air purifiers that use the power of HEPA filters to remove particles as small as 0.3 microns from the air. Carrier air scrubbers are more powerful than their air purifiers, and while commercial applications are most common, these can also be used in homes, especially if you have extreme air quality problems or health issues.

How Do Carrier Furnace Prices Compare to Other Brands?

Carrier versus Trane

The Trane name doesn’t have quite the same prestige as Carrier, so they are in a slightly lower price range. However, Trane is still a high-end name in the furnace business, and it will typically cost anywhere between $3,500 and $7,000 to buy and install a Trane heating system.

Trane furnaces come in single-stage, two-stage, and modulating models, and they have efficiency ratings between 92 and 97.3 percent. Most of Trane’s furnaces are ENERGY STAR certified, and they also have a model that meets ultra-low nitrogen oxide emissions standards.

Another thing Trane has is communicating technology. Their premium unit has communicating components that, when paired with their ComfortLink™ II Communicating Control, use sensors to automatically adjust settings and performance for improved comfort.

Trane also has another feature, Comfort-R technology, which is built into the variable-speed blower motors on their premium units. This feature reduces noise and helps to manage summer humidity levels.

Carrier versus Lennox

Lennox is one of Carrier’s closest competitors, and really the only other brand in the business that has the same premium brand name. The average cost of a new Lennox furnace, with installation, is anywhere from $4,300 to $7,600.

There are some things that possibly make Lennox a more appealing brand, including that they have the most efficient furnace on the market—a modulating furnace with a 99 percent AFUE. They also make the lowest emissions furnace, and have several models that qualify as ultra-low NOx emissions.

Lennox furnaces are single-stage, two-stage, and modulating, and the high-efficiency models have AFUEs starting at 93 percent. And for homeowners who like features, Lennox has several technologies to offer, including their noise-reducing SilentComfort Technology, their climate-customization technology AirFlex, a special heat exchanger design, and a collection of technologies called the Ultimate Comfort System for their premium model.

Carrier versus KeepRite

KeepRite isn’t a premium brand like Carrier is, but they are made by the same parent company: United Technologies Corp. makes Carrier and owns International Comfort Products, which is the company responsible for KeepRite. Because there’s a relationship between Carrier and KeepRite, it’s interesting to examine the differences between the two.

The average cost to buy and install a KeepRite furnace is between $2,800 and $5,800. KeepRite also has single-stage, two-stage, and modulating furnaces, and their high-efficiency units have AFUEs between 92.1 and 98 percent. KeepRite also has ultra-low NOx emissions models, something that Carrier doesn’t offer.

Something else KeepRite has that Carrier doesn’t is a No Hassle Replacement warranty for their mid-range and premium units. This is a unit replacement warranty, so if the heat exchanger fails during the warranty period, KeepRite will replace the entire furnace.

KeepRite, however, doesn’t have the additional features that Carrier offers, but they do have the Ion System Control, their own proprietary smart thermostat that can improve energy savings and comfort.

If you don’t care about brand names and are looking for a reliable and high-efficiency furnace that will cut your heating bills, then a KeepRite furnace can deliver everything a Carrier model could and for a lot less.

Carrier Furnace Deals & Promotions

Check out our Local HVAC Deals page for possible discounts and promotions on Carrier furnaces in your area.