HEATING
Boiler Installation Cost: In 2026
Estimate boiler installation cost — with the free HVAC calculator.
Boilers heat water instead of air — and they last 20+ years when installed right. The unit and the hydronic work are both big numbers. Here's the real 2026 cost.
THE SHORT ANSWER
The short answer
Boiler installation runs $3,000–$12,000 in 2026 (average $5,900). Conventional boilers run $3,000–$6,000; high-efficiency condensing run $7,000–$10,000+. The unit is half the cost; piping, venting and labor are the rest.
What it costs
A conventional boiler runs $3,000–$6,000 installed. A high-efficiency condensing unit runs $7,000–$10,000+. The boiler itself runs $1,500–$5,000; piping, venting and labor add the rest. Replacing an old boiler runs $3,000–$12,000.
- Conventional: $3,000–$6,000
- Condensing high-efficiency: $7,000–$10,000+
- Average installed: $5,900
- Unit alone: $1,500–$5,000
Boiler vs furnace
Boilers use hydronic (water) heat — more comfortable, quieter and longer-lived, but more expensive to install ($3k–$12k vs $4k–$8k for a furnace). Furnaces use forced air with ducts. Radiant floor heat only works with boilers.
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