2020 Central Heating and Cooling Installation Prices for Homes

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The cost of a new heating and air conditioning system varies widely. This guide covers all the details including Low, High, and Average costs, plus important details about installation and accessories.

For an installed central heating and cooling system, you can expect to pay about $3,900 on the low end and more than $14,000 for premium equipment and installation.

That said, most homeowners spend between $6,500 and $9,700 for a standard system that includes either a central air conditioner and furnace combination or a heat pump and air handler, not including the installation of new ductwork.

Let’s dig into the numbers. The first table covers complete systems. Tables below provide more cost detail and comparison to other heating and air conditioning options.

Standard Split Heating and Air Conditioning System Installation Costs:
Low end	Average	High end
$3,900 to $6,300	$6,500 to $9,700	$10,300 to $14,900
The above costs include system components, refrigerant line set and refrigerant, plenum, if needed, new thermostat and miscellaneous installation supplies. The cost of equipment, liability insurance, workman’s compensation insurance and travel, contractor’s overhead expenses, plus fair profit are included.

Central heating and cooling cost table

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Granite Countertop Cost vs. Quartz 2020: Pros & Cons

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Today’s top two upscale countertop options, granite and quartz, are competitively priced with one another. Granite and quartz are quite different materials, one being a natural stone and another being an engineered composite made to resemble the natural stone.

This guide covers unique properties, pros and cons, looks, maintenance requirements, durability aspects, and pricing considerations for each option.

Cost

Granite countertops cost between $48 and $135 per square foot installed. The cost is largely based on whether you choose tiles or slabs. When going with a full-sized granite slab, its thickness, size (length and width), color pattern and degree of flawlessness or lack of imperfections will affect the overall price on a per sq. ft. basis.

Quartz countertop cost ranges from about $75 to $125 per square foot installed, and engineered stone slabs are used.

	Granite	Quartz
Low Cost:	$48 to $80 per s.f.	$72 to $94 per s.f.
Average Cost:	$70 to $104 per s.f.	$84 to $112 per s.f.
High Cost:	$100 to $135 per s.f.	$105-$125 per s.f.
Avg. Total Cost: (64 sq. ft. of material)	$5,568 or $84/s.f.	$6,272 or $96/s.f.

Did you know? A decade ago, quartz was much more expensive than granite. With higher demand came an increase in production and with it, more cost-effective manufacturing process. That’s why you’ll find outrageous prices for quartz from many pricing sites. The days of $200+ per square foot quartz are gone, but many sites haven’t updated the information in years. 😉

Cost Factors

The cost range for quartz, also known as engineered stone, is narrower than costs for granite. This is because there are fewer variables in quartz. It is a manufactured material, so quality tends to be consistent, and there are no rare colors or types.

The costs above are divided into low, average and high. The more of these factors apply to your project, the higher your cost will be on the spectrum.

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2020 Architectural Shingles Vs. Standing Seam Metal Roof Cost

Cost of Asphalt Roofing vs. Metal

All roofs have a hefty price tag. There’s the cost of the materials and supplies itself, plus labor, building permits and warranty provided by professional contractor. Roofers always price materials and labor by the square.

Note: 100 square feet equals to 1 (roofing) square.

On average, professional roofers charge between $300 and $500 per square for common roof applications such as 3-tab (low-end), architectural and premium shingles. — That’s quite a gap, but the price varies by geographic location, experience of the roofer, familiarity with the product and competition among roofers in your area.

Architectural and Premium Shingles: The cost to install architectural shingles (labor and material included) comes in around $350 to $550 per square.

Standing seam Kynar-500 coated Aluminum or Steel: both field-locked and snap-locked panels, the overall installation cost is $950 to $1,550 per square.

Cost of Materials Comparison:

The average cost for typical architectural shingles from manufacturers such CertainTeed, GAF, Owens Corning, and Tamko, range between $120 to $160 per square.

Most Kynar 500 coated standing seam panels start at around $250 per square, but generally range in price from $300 to $500 for 100 sq. ft. of materials and trim. The smaller the order size the higher the price per sq. ft.

For material alone, standing seam is roughly two to three times higher than the cost of architectural shingles.

Installation costs are almost double for standing seam compared to architectural shingles. The cost of labor for standing seam may also depend how the metal panels are fastened.

Snap-locked panels require less effort and tools, than the alternative method of field-locked panels. A pro will always prefer to go with field-lock standing seaming installation because it is inherently more reliable.

Bottom line:

On cost alone, architectural shingles are an obvious winner. Yet, there is far more to a roof than the price you pay to install it.

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