FairReplace

Gas furnace replacement cost in Cincinnati, OH

Installed, 80,000 BTU, 95%+ efficiency

Low$4,450
Typical$4,850
High$5,900

Metro area: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN. Wages: BLS, May 2025. Permit notes checked October 2026.

A typical furnace (80,000 BTU, 95%+ efficiency) costs about $4,850 installed in the Cincinnati area, about the same as the national figure, because HVAC technicians here earn a median $30 an hour against $29 nationally.

Gas furnace (80,000 BTU, 95%+ efficiency), installed

Prices for: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

Low$4,450
Typical$4,850
High$5,900

Unit $1,700 (online list price, middle of 9 listings) plus installation about $3,150 for this area. Permit fees and code extras are listed below the table.

How this estimate is built

Prices by size in Cincinnati

SizeLowTypicalHighNational typical
60,000 BTU, 80% efficiency$3,650$4,150$5,400$4,100
60,000 BTU, 95%+ efficiency$4,350$4,750$5,750$4,750
80,000 BTU, 80% efficiency$3,750$4,050$5,000$4,050
80,000 BTU, 95%+ efficiency$4,450$4,850$5,900$4,850
100,000 BTU, 80% efficiency$3,900$4,250$5,450$4,250
100,000 BTU, 95%+ efficiency$4,550$5,000$6,000$4,950

Local labor: what HVAC technicians earn here

Hourly wageCincinnati metroUnited States
25th percentile$23$23
Median$30$29
75th percentile$38$37

The Cincinnati market

Cincinnati's Department of Buildings & Inspections requires permits for heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment "for installation or replacement," and replacement HVAC permits can be filed online. In Residential Code of Ohio projects, replacing equipment costs $118 for the first unit plus $48 for each additional unit, before surcharges: 5% planning, 3% technology, 1% training, 1% financial recovery, and a 1% state surcharge for 1-3 family homes. Inspections need at least 24 hours' notice through Building Construction Inspections (352-3267). Plumbing permits cover "all replacement fixtures," but no city page names water heaters, so confirm. Northern Kentucky and Indiana suburbs have separate departments. Statewide, EIA's 2020 survey found 77% of Ohio homes heat with a furnace, 64% use natural gas and 74% have central air.

Cincinnati contractors install furnaces constantly, so get at least two bids. Each should list the furnace's AFUE and whether it reuses the existing venting. A high-efficiency furnace vents through plastic pipe and drains condensate, so ask where the pipe will exit and where the drain will run. When the AC is also aging, ask what replacing the pair at once would cost. One visit for both can be cheaper than two jobs several years apart.

Permits in Cincinnati

Permit for this jobYes (source)
FeeHVAC replacement in Residential Code of Ohio (RCO) projects: '$118 FOR THE FIRST UNIT + $48 EACH ADDITIONAL UNIT' (replace equipment/connect to existing branch). Plumbing replace-fixture fee: 1 fixture $108.00 (layout-extracted). Surcharges: 5% planning surcharge on construction, plumbing and HVAC permits; 3% technology, 1% training, 1% financial recovery; plus state surcharge 1% for 1-3 family.
Who can pull itPlumbing: registered plumbing contractor, or homeowner doing own work on owner-occupied single-family home (in person, notarized affidavit, must live there 1 year after). HVAC: not stated.
InspectionYes

Rebates in Ohio

HEAR: status unclear. HOMES: status unclear. Source: Ohio Department of Development, Office of Energy, checked October 13, 2026.

What these programs cover, and other states

Other systems in Cincinnati

Gas furnace cost in other metros

Sources